# Asar – Arts and Culture - Veppathin Veriyattam: The Frenzied Dance of Heat 

**URL:** https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/asar-arts-and-culture-veppathin-veriyattam-the-frenzied-dance-of-heat/5319
**Category:** Rainmatter Partner Updates
**Created:** [October 27, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/asar-arts-and-culture-veppathin-veriyattam-the-frenzied-dance-of-heat/5319 "2026-10-27T06:22:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Nitya](https://grove.rainmatter.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/73ab20/32.png) [@Nitya](https://grove.rainmatter.org/u/Nitya)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/asar-arts-and-culture-veppathin-veriyattam-the-frenzied-dance-of-heat/5319/1 "2026-10-27T06:22:40Z")

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Asar collaborated with **Thilagavathi Palani** , a National Award recipient and the **first female Kattaikuthu artist** to create **Veppathin Veriyattam: The Frenzied Dance of Heat**. Kattaikuthu is a 300-year-old Tamil folk theatre form, practiced historically by male performers.

In July 2026, we took _Veppathin Veriyattam_ on a seven-school tour across **Ranipet, Walajapet** , and **Tiruvannamalai** , three of the hottest districts in Tamil Nadu. For the first time in the form’s history, this traditional theatre was used to teach climate science, turning the lived reality of extreme heat into a performance that children both watched and took part in.

The premise we set out to test was simple: that climate education reaches children more effectively through a cultural form they already recognise than through textbooks alone. The performance explained the science behind rising temperatures through multiple characters, song and dance, using a regional languages and traditional art to engage and entertain children.

The troupe was also invited to perform at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai for a room full of scientists and academicians who hailed it for its ability to simplify complex scientific concepts surrounding the climate crisis into information that can be easily understood and retained by the public.

Some pictures:

 ![DSC00230](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/e/ebd521a0ebe82aef48a60d6487fc6bfcca8e1370.jpeg)

 ![DSC00152](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/5/5f8a5e12d7f64fc4baf0247b2c28d4abbb1feecd.jpeg)

 ![HAR00058](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/6/6ed1f597c3aa6d9123588f476d5f1a8883682671.jpeg)

Some links to the videos and the response the performance received:

> **[Climate Culture Collective on Instagram: "What if the climate crisis could be...](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Deq-CoZzdDA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)**
>
> 319 likes, 7 comments - climateculture\_ind on October 19, 2026: "What if the climate crisis could be understood through the stories we watch on stage? 🎭🌡️
> 
> Thilagavathi Palani, National Award recipient and the first female Kattaikuthu artist,...

> **[Climate Culture Collective on Instagram: "Can theatre change the way we think...](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeYqzXoIYel/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&dlrf=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)**
>
> 40 likes, 0 comments - climateculture\_ind on October 12, 2026: "Can theatre change the way we think about extreme heat? 🎭🌡️
> 
> Through Veppathin Veriyattam: The Frenzied Dance of Heat, traditional Kattaikuthu becomes a way to question what lies behind...

> **[Climate Culture Collective on Instagram: "When children take the stage, they...](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DegruLMT-op/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&exln=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)**
>
> 17 likes, 0 comments - climateculture\_ind on October 15, 2026: "When children take the stage, they can carry a message far beyond the performance. 🎭
> 
> For one audience member, watching the young performers brought back memories of childhood while...