Karna Moksham is one of the mpst popular plays in the repertoire. It is attributed to the author Pukalentippulavar. Karna Moksham is commissioned traditionally by rural communities hoping that the staging of the play will facilitate the release of the deceased's soul and allow it to ultimately reach moksham, just like the hero Karna in the play. The story is one of the conventional themes in the festival's cycle of Mahabaratham plays.

The tragedy of Karna's life and defeat on the battlefield is one of the most sensitive and expressive episodes of the Mahabaratha. In the Tamil Kattaikkuttu tradition the classical story has undergone a thorough reworking and adaptation to the local context. Karna's wife, Ponnuruvi, does not find a place in the written traditions of the epic. However, she fulfils a pivotal role in the performed version of the story. Because Karna's birth remains hidden for so long it makes him into a person of low (or unknown) caste, highlighting the importance of caste in the local village setting. Finally, the play has incorporated a distinctive bhakti emphasising Karna's ultimate moksham or liberation from the cycle of rebirth through his devotion to God.

We thank Vincent D'Souza, Editor of Adyar Times for the help rendered in the conduct of the play. Members of the community lit candles as part of a candle light vigil in praying for the moksham (salvation) of the countless souls lost in the Tsunami disaster all over South East Asia.