Rising temperatures are increasingly affecting folk artists in Tamil Nadu, making performances during summer temple festivals more endurance-testing. Artistes face heat stress from long hours outdoors, inadequate rest facilities, and warm nights, exacerbating health issues amid shrinking patronage. Government efforts aim to provide health support, but broader climate resilience measures are needed.
During the Tamil months of Chithirai and Vaikasi (April to June), temple festivals across Tamil Nadu feature folk arts such as Koothu, Oppari, Parai drumming, Devarattam, and Bommalattam. These traditions, tied to rituals, agriculture, and community practices, are sustained through oral transmission. The state promotes them via cultural festivals and documentation, bringing rural artistes to urban audiences.
However, rising heat is adding to challenges like shrinking audiences. A 2025 State Planning Commission study indicates 74% of Tamil Nadu's population lives in areas with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius regularly, with 94 of 389 blocks showing very high heat intensity changes from 1981 to 2023. Nearly 70% of districts have warm nights between 26°C and 28°C, disrupting body cooling and causing exhaustion.
Ganesha Moorthy, a 45-year-old Kaniyan Koothu performer from Vadakkankulam in Tirunelveli district, leads a troupe of seven to eight members. Their night-long shows, from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., involve waiting in open grounds during the day and packing up afterward, often delaying payment. 'We sing the stories of Sivasudalai Maadan, Pechiamma, Karuppasamy, and also Sivapuranam, Empuranam, Kannagi Puranam, and so on,' he said.
M. Chandrakumar, an Oppari singer from Kilnathur in Tiruvannamalai district with 30 years of experience, notes the difficulty in peak summer: 'Around katthiri (the peak summer), it is not easy to perform without wearing slippers.' He supplements income with Periya Melam and daily wage labor off-season, observing increased exhaustion among troupe members.
Anitha Pottamkulam, Director-Culture at Dakshina Chitra, states that climate change worsens existing issues: 'They are dislocated. There is a loss of habitat and a loss of access to the materials and ecological resources they need to practise their craft.' G. Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal highlights disparities: folk artistes travel in cramped vans and rest in poor conditions, with caste-based differences in venues.
Shyamala of the Thirunangaiyar Kaali Aattam Kalai Kuzhu in Cuddalore district mentions compounded issues for transwomen performers, avoiding water due to inadequate restrooms. P. Matheswaran, an Aadhi Melam practitioner from Salem, struggles with heating skin-based instruments in summer heat.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change notes that cultural heritage losses from climate change are under-recognised. K. Manivasan, Additional Chief Secretary for Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments, says the Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board, with over 50,000 members, provides financial aid and plans health check-ups and insurance coverage.
