About the play – Urvasiyen Sabam
The armies of Thuruyothanan and Arjunan are getting ready for battle and Arjunan is doing severe penance to attain the ‘Paasupathaasthiram’ from Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva and Devendra want to test him, so, they depute Manmathan, Oorvasi and Ramba to disturb Arjunan but they collectively fail. While Oorvasi falls in love with the handsome Arjuna. It is Sahuniraajan from Thuruyothanan’s camp who assigns Viyakrakupthan and Simmakupthan to find Arjunan’s place of penance and sends Mohaasuran in the guise of a pig to kill Arjunan but instead Arjunan kills him. By then Lord Shiva transforms himself to a hunter and fights with Arjunan, finally acknowledging his strength and granting him the ‘Paasupathaasthiram’. Devendran then invites Arjunan to ‘Devalokam’ and gifts him a ‘Kreedom’ and requests him to hand over his ring to Oorvasi. Infatuated by Arjunan, Oorvasi tries to entice him with her charm, finally on failing, she curses him. Arjunan is now, afraid that he may lose his valour to fight Thuruyothanan. Finally Devendran intervenes and Oorvasi retraces her curse. Devendran reveals the ‘Devarahasiyam’ about Oorvashi’s curse and explains how it will do only good. The climax is all about how things always happen for the good.

About the playwright :
Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar, “the founding father of modern Tamil theatre” was a playwright, director, producer and actor of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth centuries. Anandha-K-Koothu Trust takes great pride in performing Mudaliar’s burlesque play Urvasiyen Sabam written in 1923.