Veteran parai artiste Velu Aasan, who won the Padma Shri 2025, on the ancient Tamil folk art form
Parai artiste Velu Aasan, who is based in Alanganallur near Madurai | Photo Credit: MOORTHY G R Velmurugan was standing with onlookers at Alanganallur’s yearly Muniyandi temple festival when his uncle Saevugan and troupe were playing the parai. Velmurugan, who is now known as Velu Aasan (‘aasan’ means teacher in Tamil), was ten years old…