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| Parukkutty Amma, Amballoor Village, Thrissur |
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For 4 decades she has been teaching 3 generations of students music and dance in Amballoor Village, Thrissur, without letting the inconvenience of an artificial leg hamper her steps in any way.
Parukkutty Amma, who lost her left leg in 1961 was working as a dance and music teacher at Mannampatta Matha School when tragedy in the guise of a bone disease robbed her of the left leg. But for the solace that music offered, she would have perhaps sunk into the despair of grief.
When she was sitting at home after surgery and getting used to the new reality at personal and domestic levels, students and teachers from the School used to come with the request to continue with her classes. It was then that she decided to overcome her personal grief and continue with her service.
She took the first steps to the school with her artificial leg. Her students used to support her along the way. And they would take her to the classroom where she would sit on a mat and teach them music. Despite the artificial limb, she could demonstrate to them the dance steps, which the bright among the students used to grasp fast and teach the rest.
This penance-like routine went on for 4 decades. And now in the 5th decade of her teaching career, she considers it a divine benediction that she was able to lead so many students to the ethereal shore of music and dance even with her artificial limb.
Her son Unnikrishnan is the head of vocal music at Indira Art University in Chattisgarh. Her 2 other children too have learned music. She has taught music to even her grandchildren.
She considers it her desire to sing and teach that gave her a new lease life after loss of leg.
Courtesy: Vanitha, November 1-14, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
