Express News Service
SRIKAKULAM: At a time when indigenous arts are gasping for survival, the Savara tribe in Seethampeta Agency of Srikakulam is on a mission to revive its traditional artform, Edisinge. The tribe celebrates mamidi panduga (Ugadi), marriages and aagam panduga (death anniversary of forefathers) every year. Edisinge artists paint specific drawings for each festival and worship them as their gods or goddesses.
Even as the ancient artform is slowly disappearing with changes in the lifestyle of the community, such as replacement of clay houses with concrete structures, Savara Raju and his father Chinna Sumburu of Addakulaguda village started ‘Savara Art Society’ (SAS) in 2011 to revive Edisinge. The society has trained two batches of 45 youngsters on Edisinge art in collaboration with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency(ITDA)-Seethampeta and Lepakshi.