(ix)
of such functions. They fear to break the observances of religion for sake of anything else including their arts. The puranic and epic: stories are respected and the characters in them are honoured as godsly. When characters are exibited in folk-arts they would be allowed to maintain their divine status or else the artist would be taken to task by the people.
those
The artists are expected to observe strict penance before doing the performance. The people are traditional in considering the arts as something sacred and 'Polluted' persons should not perform them. Since most of the arts are to be performed in sanctifying ceremonies people might have thought that the arts should be dedicated with conscration. The religious belief of the people is the real cause of the sure survival of these folk-arts. In some temples there is no festival without kuttu or Villuppaṭṭu. Without temple festivals the people would not live with peace of mind. It would reveal their firm faith in religion, As long as such a faith continues in the mind of the people folk- arts are sure survive with all their glamour and glory.
The folk arts carry with these the culture of the people as they pass down from generation. They can serve ample materials for any anthropolegist to know about the cultural traits of the people. Moreover striking similarities are found between one set of people and another. It may open the doors for a proper knowledge to read out the facts regarding the solidarity of the human race as a whole. Facts concerning the faiths, beliefs customs, habits, practices and manners can be studied and compared with keen attention to understand the closeness of man's mind and the oneness of human feelings. The relationship between man and may be observed. Because of various reasons, mostly outward, man has created barriers between him and his brothern which can be easily broken through a thorough study of folk lore in general and folk arts in particular.
man
