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The Town Crier

Come summer, and its time for the annual car festivals (Jaatre) at most temples in Karnataka. It is also the only time when an unusual professional in our town gets to exercise his vocal chords...the town crier.



On some days in summer, this man walks along the length and breadth of the town - beating his drum and shouting out the Jaatre notifications in between. He is probably meeting the ritualistic needs of some culture. I feel so, because, even in a small town like ours, for most public announcements, he has been replaced by loudspeakers and ads on the local TV channel.

Once upon a time, a town crier must have been a very important professional all over the world - the only advertising medium! His distinct drumbeat would have made everyone sit up and listen to him. He was probably entertained with refreshments on any veranda he chose to stop by after those long, tiring hours in the sun....

The town crier may now be extinct, but , we still use this expression when one is asked to keep a secret...'Don't tom-tom it to the whole world' (Tom-tom is the name of the town crier's drum).

Did I say extinct? Wait a minute! I don't think so!! I sometimes feel that his tribe has increased! Didn't get me???
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Don't you think that in a stange way, we're all town criers (global town criers, actually!!!) ..... thanks to networking sites, blogs, etc!
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Comments

  1. Nanda Kishor B20 May, 2011

    ha ha ha ...
    true..
    we are also doing the same thing..
    i remember a statement made by Raj kapoor,
    आज जो नया है वो कल पुराना हॊ जायॆगा.
    आज जो पुराना है वो कल फिर नया बन्कर साम्ने आयेगा...
    so true...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Subru22 May, 2011

    Well written, Soumya and so true.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Soumya23 May, 2011

    Thanks, big B (must thank Varun for giving you that name!) :)
    Nanda Kishor...those are part of the lyrics of some song?

    ReplyDelete

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