Kerala Attraction

Thiruvathira (Dance) In Kerala

2015-07-20T10:59:00.002-07:00

Thiruvathira or Thiruvathirai or Arudhra Darisanam (Tamil: திருவாதிரை, Malayalam: തിരുവാതിര) is a Hindu festival celebrated in the South Indian state of Kerala and Tamil nadu. Thiruvathirai(Arudhra) in Tamil means "sacred big wave", using which this universe was created by Lord Shiva about 132 trillion years ago. Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, the Sri Natarajar temple's annual Festival, is celebrated on this date.

In Kerala, the festival is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shiva. Thiruvathira is the nakshatra or "star" as per the Malayalam calendar of Lord Shiva. Another belief is that the festival commemorates the death of Kamadeva, the Hindu god of erotic desire. It is believed that on this day, the Goddess Parvathi finally met Lord Shiva after her long penance and Lord Shiva took her as a saha-dharma chaarini (equal partner). Both Parvathi and Shiva present this ideal to devotees in the form of Ardha-Nareeshawara (half male, half female form).

In Kerala, Thiruvathira is an important traditional festival along with the other popular festivals, Onam and Vishu. This has been celebrated by the Nambuthiri, Kshatriya and Nair communities of Kerala from days of yore. It is largely a festival for women; unmarried women observe a partial fast on this day to get good husbands and married women take a fast from the preceding day (Makayiram nakshatra) and on the day of Thiruvathira for the well being of their husband and family. The first Thiruvathira of a newly wedded woman is her poothiruvathira.

The fast essentially involves abstaining from rice-based food. The typical meal includes cooked broken wheat and Thiruvathira puzhukku, a delightful mix of tuber vegetables: colocasia (chembu), yam (chena), Chinese potato (koorka), sweet potato (madhurakizhangu) with long beans (vanpayar) and raw plantain fruit (ethakaya), cooked with a thick paste of freshly ground coconut. The dessert is koova payasam, a sweet dish made of arrow root powder, jaggery and coconut milk.

Thiruvathirakali is a dance form performed by women on the day of Thiruvathira to the accompaniment of Thiruvathira paattu, folk songs telling tales of lovesick Parvati, her longing and penance for Lord Shiva's affection and Shiva's might and power. The sinuous movements executed by the group of dancers around a nilavilakku embody lasya or the amorous charm and grace of the feminine. The dance follows a circular, pirouetting pattern accompanied by clapping of the hands and singing. Today, Thiruvathirakali has become a popular dance form for all seasons.Thiruvathira kali is a typical dance form of Kerala. This is a female group dance made up of simple yet very attractive steps. In ancient times, women use to perform this dance in their homes during festivals and functions, giving it the Malayalam name aka Kaikottikali: aka-inside + kaikottikali-play claping hands. Lore has it that Thiruvathira Kali is in memory of Lord Siva taking Parvathi as his wife. A group of women dressed in typical Kerala style with mundu and neriyathu and the hair bun adorned with jasmine garlands perform this dance during festival seasons.. Kaikottikkali spreads the message of joy and also illustrates the emotions of a married woman towards her beloved and of the unmarried woman longing for one.

The first Guinness World Record for Kaikottikkali was achieved on 9th November 2012 at DOMBIVLI near Mumbai by the MUMBAI POORAM FOUNDATION, a socio-cultural organisation. In the true Onam Spirit, 2639 women including Keralites, Maharashtrians, Gujarathis, Bengalees, Tamilians, Telugu, Kannadigas and others from all parts of the country representing all religions danced to the tunes of specially written songs.

On 14 December 2013, over 3000 women participated in a Thiruvathira Kali event held at Kochi and attempted to set a new world record. The event was organised in connection with the Thiruvathira festival which falls on 18 December 2013.

The latest Giinness Record in Kaikottikkali was set on 2nd February 2015 with 5000 women led by Smt. Jitha Binoy under the banner "THANIMA" of Irinjalakuda, Trissur.

Thiruvathira Performing in Kerala

Poorakkali

2015-07-20T10:37:00.002-07:00

Poorakkali ,Which means in English (Festival Performance), is a traditional dance ritual performed by men during the nine-day Pooram festival in Bhagavathy temples across North Malabar in Kerala State of south India.

The Pooram festival begins with the Karthika asterism and concludes with the Pooram asterism of the month of Meenam according to the Malayalam calendar (corresponding to the sun sign Pisces according to the Julian Calendar) to honour Kamadeva, the god of love.

The Poorakkali dance itself is performed by a troop of young men decked in lion costumes around a huge, multi-tiered, lit lamp, also known as a "nilavilukku." The dance involves masculine movements and acrobatic, martial art steps. No singers or musicians accompany the dance; instead, the dancers themselves keep rhythm by singing, clapping and executing synchronised foot-thumping movements. The dancers usually observe a month of abstinence and undergo strenuous practice before the performance. Most of the songs sung are hymns from The Ramayana or The Bhagavata.

The performers come from different sects of society like Thiyyar, Nambiar, Maniyani, Mukkuvan, Meyon, Chaliyan, Aasari, Moosari, Thattan, Kollan, etc. The basis of Poorakkali essentially is the memories of Vasanthapooja performed by inmates of different worlds like heaven, earth etc. Poorakkali spreads knowledge and entertainment. The show steals the hearts of audience with melodious songs and befitting body movements.

Thuruthi Kazhakam, Madakkara, Cheruvahur, in Kasaragod District, Payyanur, Vengara Near Payangadi Vengara (Kannur district) (Note that This Vengara is in Kannur North of Kannur District, while there is another Vengara in Malapuram District) , Trikaripur and Aravath are among the places in North Malabar that are famous for this art form. The Panikkars are well-known names in the world of Poorakkali and have contributed much to the survival and expansion of this art form.

Poorakkali Performing Video

Kalaripayattu

2015-07-19T02:51:00.003-07:00

Kalaripayattu (pronunciation: [kɐɭɐripɐjɐtːɨ̆]) is a Martial art which originated as a style in Kerala and Tamil Nadu during 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena. The word kalari tatt denoted a martial feat, while kalari kozhai meant a coward in war. Each warrior in the Sangam era received regular military training. It is considered to be one of the oldest fighting system in existence. It is now practiced in Kerala, in contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu. It was originally practiced in northern and central parts of Kerala and the Tulunadu region of Karnataka.

Kalarippayattu is a Dravidian martial art from Kerala in south India. Possibly one of the oldest fighting systems in existence,it is still practiced extensively in Kerala. The word is spelled variously as kalari payat, kalarippayatta, kalaripayatt and many others depending on the dialect and romanisation system used.
It includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods.Regional variants are classified according to geographical position in Kerala; these are the northern style, the southern style and the central style. Northern kalari payat is based on the principle of hard technique, while the southern style primarily follows the soft techniques, even though both systems make use of internal and external concepts.
Some of the choreographed sparring in kalari payat can be applied to dance and kathakali dancers who knew martial arts were believed to be markedly better than the other performers. Some traditional Indian dance schools still incorporate kalari payat as part of their exercise regimen.

Early written evidence of martial arts in Southern India dates back to the Sangam literature of about the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. The Akananuru and Purananuru describe the use of spears, swords, shields, bows and silambam in the Sangam era. The word kalari appears in the Puram (verses 225, 237, 245, 356) and Akam (verses 34, 231, 293) to describe both a battlefield and combat arena. The word kalari tatt denoted a martial feat, while kalari kozhai meant a coward in war. Each warrior in the Sangam era received regular military training[2] in target practice, horse and elephant riding. They specialized in one or more of the important weapons of the period including the spear (vel), sword (val), shield (kedaham), and bow and arrow (vil ambu). The combat techniques of the Sangam period were the earliest precursors to kalaripayat. References to "Silappadikkaram" in Sangam literature date back to the 2nd century. This referred to the silambam staff which was in great demand with foreign visitors.

In the 3rd century, elements from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, as well as finger movements in the nata dances, were incorporated into the fighting arts. A number of South Asian fighting styles remain closely connected to yoga, dance and performing arts. Some of the choreographed sparring in kalaripayat can be applied to dance and kathakali dancers who knew kalaripayat were believed to be markedly better than other performers. Until recent decades, the chhau dance was performed only by martial artists. Some traditional Indian classical dance schools still incorporate martial arts as part of their exercise regimen.

Kalaripayat had developed into its present form by the 11th century, during an extended period of warfare between the Chera and Chola dynasties. Kalaripayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. Regional variants are classified according to geographical position in Kerala; these are the Northern style from Malabar region in north Kerala, the Central style from inner Kerala and the southern style from Thiruvitankoor. The northern style was practiced in Kerala primarily by the Pada Nairs, a sub group of Nairs and by 'Chekavas' a sub group of Ezhavas. The famous vadakkan pattukal or the northern ballads contains the stories of these medieval Kalari warriors. These ballads are divided into two groups-the 'Thacholi pattukal', which tells the story of the Nair Thacholi family and the 'Puthooram Pattukal', which tells the story of Ezhava Puthooram family. The southern style, was practiced largely by the Nadars and has features distinguishing it from its other regional counterparts. Northern kalaripayattu is based on elegant and flexible movements, evasions, jumps and weapons training, while the southern "Adi Murai" style primarily follows the hard impact based techniques with priority on empty hand fighting and pressure point strikes. Both systems make use of internal and external concepts. Some of the flexibility training methods in northern Kalaripayattu are applied in Keralan dance forms and kathakali dancers who knew martial arts were believed to be markedly better than the other performers. Some traditional Indian dance schools still incorporate kalaripayattu as part of their exercise regimen.

Tamil sage Agastya is regarded as the founder and patron saint of southern kalaripayat, silambam and varmam -an ancient science of healing using varmam points for varied diseases. along with Lord Parasurama, especially in Kerala.

The art was disseminated through schools known as kalari, which served as centres of learning before the modern educational system was introduced. Still in existence, kalaris served as meeting places for the acquisition of knowledge on various subjects ranging from mathematics, language, astronomy and various theatrical arts. More specifically, martial arts were taught in the payattu kalari, meaning fight school.

In the 11th and 12th century, Kerala was divided into small principalities ruled by chieftains that fought wars among themselves. In such wars, one-on-one duels or ankam were fought by Chekavar on an ankathattu, a temporary platform, four to six feet high. Ever since the pre-medieval era, Kaniyar, the traditional astrologer caste men of Kerala, particularly from northern region, were assigned as the preceptors of Kalaripayattu, hence, till the last century, they were known as Panickar and Asans in northern and southern regions of the state, respectively. Many of their families still maintain what remains of their old Kalaris , as heritage.

The Mappila Muslims adopted and practiced Kalaripayattu as their own. The ballads of North Kerala refer to Muslims trained in Kalaripayattu. For instance, the hero of the northern ballads Thacholi Othenan (Manikoth Thacholi Udayanakurup) bowed before Kunjali Marakkar, the Muslim commander of the Zamorin, and offered him presents before opening his kalari. The traitor who killed Thacholi Othenan was also a Mappila discipline of Mathilur Gurukkal. Some Mappilas were trained in Hindu institutions known as Chekor Kalaris. The Paricha Kali is an adaptation of Kalaripayattu, and the Mappila tradition of this art is called Parichamuttu.

It is mentioned that some panikkars had between 8,000 to 9,000 disciples, who were trained as fighting forces for the local rajahs. One of the most prominent Ezhava panikkars was Arattupuzha Velayudha Panikkar, whose kalari was located at Alappuzha.

Kalaripayattu training and uzhichil(massage) centers :

    Ens Kalari Kumbalam
    Ens Kalari
    CVN Kalari
    Agasthya Bharatha Kalari
    Nava Bharatha Kalari Sangam, Kochi

Decline and revival

Kalaripayattu underwent a period of decline when Velu Thampi Dalawa reduced the allowances of Nair warriors in the Thiruvitankoor army in the 1800s. These soldiers indeed joined British army and went on and killed Velu Thampi Dalawa. The British eventually banned Nairs from practicing kalaripayattu and the Nair custom of holding swords, so as to prevent rebellion and anti-colonial sentiments.

The resurgence of public interest in kalaripayattu began in the 1920s in Thalassery, as part of a wave of rediscovery of the traditional arts throughout south India[9] and continued through the 1970s surge of general worldwide interest in martial arts.[18] In recent years, efforts have been made to further popularise the art, with it featuring in international and Indian films such as Ondanondu Kaladalli (Kannada), Indian (1996), Asoka (2001), The Myth (2005), The Last Legion (2007) and Commando (2013).

Kalaripayattu Performing Video

Kummattikali (Kummatti Kali)

2015-07-19T02:39:00.002-07:00

Kummattikali or Kummatti Kali is the famous colorful mask-dance of Kerala, prevalent in Thrissur District, Palakkad District and parts of South Malabar. During the festival of Onam, Kummattikali performers move from house to house collecting small gifts and entertaining people. Kummatti dances are rampant in the Thrissur district during Onam. Pristine or original form of Kummattikali can be seen in the Bhadrakali temple in Palakkad district.

About Kummattikali

Kummattikali or Kummatti Kali is the famous colorful mask-dance of Kerala. During the festival of Onam, Kummattikali performers move from house to house collecting small gifts and entertaining people. Kummatti dances are rampant in the Thrissur district during Onam. Onlookers, especially children take great delight in their performance.

Costumes

The costumes are a most interesting facet of Kummattikali. The dancers don a heavily painted colourful wooden mask depicting faces of Krishna, Narada, Kiratha, Darika, or hunters. These masks are usually made out of saprophyte, jack fruit tree, Alstonia scholaris, Hog Plum tree or the Coral tree.

The dancers wear skirts woven out of plaited grass. Some cover their whole body with bunches of grass for a more bushy appearance. The semblance is made more joyful with the 'talla' attached externally to the mask giving the appearance of a toothless open mouth. Dancers also hold and manipulate long sticks of residuary agricultural produce called 'Kummattikali': it is from this that the dance derives its name. Their dance is related to Shaiva myth. 'Thamma' (an old woman) walks in front with the help of a stick. Thamma is symbolic of mother of every being and everything.

Kummatti dancers are a sight to watch as they move around from house to house collecting jaggery, rice, or small amounts of cash. Onlookers, specially children take great delight in their performance.

Performance

The rhythm for the dance movements is provided by vibrating the string of a bow like instrument called an Onavillu. Areca nut wood is used to make the bow and the strings are beaten with a narrow bamboo stick.

The themes of Kummattikali are mostly taken from the stories of Ramayana, Darika Vadham, the story of Shiva and folk tales like Manjan Nayare Pattu.

It may be noted that folk art of Kerala can be classified into two broad categories - ritualistic and non-ritualistic. Ritualistic can be further divided into - Devotional, performed to please a particular god and goddess and Magical Art Forms. Theyyam, Thira, Poothamthira, Kannyar Kali, Kummattikali, etc. are some of devotional art forms.

Kummatti Kali Performing Video

Puli kali (Pulikkali )- Tiger Dance by Man

2015-07-19T02:23:00.001-07:00

Puli Kali ("Puli" = Leopard/Tiger & "Kali" = Play in Malayalam language) is a colorful recreational folk art from the state of Kerala. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and Thakil. Literal meaning of Pulikali is the 'play of the tigers' hence the performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. The folk art is mainly practiced in Thrissur district of Kerala. Best place to watch the show is at Swaraj Round, Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, where Pulikali troupes from all over the district assemble to display their skills. The festival attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city. Pulikali is also performed during various other festive seasons.

Pulikkali is a colorful recreational folk art . It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and Thakil. Literal meaning of Pulikali is the 'play of the tigers' hence the performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. The folk art is mainly practiced in Thrissur district of Kerala. Best place to watch the show is at Swaraj Round, Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, where Pulikali troupes from all over the district assemble to display their skills. The festival attracts thousands of people to the city.

The origin of Pulikali dates back to over 200 years, when the Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran, the then Maharaja of Cochin, is said to have introduced the folk art, who wanted to celebrate Onam with a dance that reflected the wild and macho spirit of the force. Later, Muslim soldiers of the British Army stationed in Thrissur in the army cantonment area (Pattalam Road) used to celebrate with great fervor. They popularised the folk genre with steps and body language peculiar to a tiger being stalked by a hunter, enacting a play of the hunter and the beast. Along with the celebrations, they used to perform the art form decked as tigers with peculiar steps resembling the tiger, then known as 'Pulikkettikali' which was immensely enjoyed by the locals. Pulikali in Thrissur is held in memory of this event.

Over the years, there has been changes in the adornment of Pulikali dancers. In the early days, masks were not used at all and participants would have themselves painted all over, on their faces as well. But now, ready made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards and mustaches are used by the participants along with the paint on their bodies. The tigers also wear a broad belt with jingles around their waist. The festival in Thrissur has now become an all peoples event with huge response from people, especially youths who come forward to participate in the festival, and also from sponsors. The event is organized by the Pulikkali Co-ordination Committee, a unified council of Pulikkali groups formed in 2004 in Thrissur to preserve and propagate the art in all its true hues and tones. The Thrissur Municipal Corporation give a grant of Rs 30,000 for each Pulikali troupe.

A striking feature of this folk art is the colorful appearance of the performers. A particular combination of tempera powder and varnish or enamel is used to make the paint. First of all, the dancers remove the hair from the body, and then, the base coat of paint is applied on them. It takes two to three hours for the coating to dry. After that, the second coat of paint is applied with enhanced design. This entire procedure takes at least five to seven hours. A large number of artists gather to apply paint on the tigers. It is a meticulous process and often starts from the wee hours in the morning. By afternoon the Pulikkali groups or 'sangams' as they are called, from all four corners of Thrissur move in a procession, dancing, pouncing and shaking their bellies to the beat of the drums through the streets to the Swaraj Round, Thrissur situated in the heart of the city through Palace Road, Karunakaran Nambiar Road, Shornur Road, A R Menon Road and MG Road.

Scenes such as the tiger preying on an animal, and a tiger being hunted by a game-hunter are enacted beautifully in between. Thousands of spectators line the streets enjoying the dance, cheering the dancers some of them even trying to join in. The groups assemble at Naduvilal in the Swaraj Round, Thrissur in front of the Vadakkunnathan Temple and offer a coconut each to the deity of the Ganapati shrine (Naduvilal Ganapati Kovil) here, before going on a procession around the ground. The procession also include floats from each village. The different troupes vie with each other to make the best floats as well as the best dressed tigers.

Puli Kali Video

Koodiyattam

2015-07-19T02:12:00.001-07:00

Koodiyattam (Malayalam: കൂടിയാട്ടം, Kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ, Sanskrit: कूडियाट्टम्, Kūḍiyāṭṭam), also transliterated as Kutiyattam, is a form of Sanskrit theatre traditionally performed in the state of Kerala, India. Performed in the Sanskrit language in Hindu temples, it is believed[by whom?] to be 2,000 years old. It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

About Koodiyattam

Koothu (കൂത്തു്) means dance or performance in Malayalam. It is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country.

Kootiyattam [kutiyattam], meaning "combined acting," signifies Sanskrit drama presented in the traditional style in temple theatres of Kerala. It is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre. It has an attested history of a thousand years in Kerala, but its origin and evolution are shrouded in mystery. Kutiyattam and chakyar koothu were among the dramatized dance worship services in temples of ancient India, particularly Tamilakam (modern-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Both kootiyattam and chakyar koothu find several mentions in ancient sangam literature of south and also in the epigraphs belonging to subsequent Pallava, Chera, Chola periods in Tamil Nadu. Inscriptions related to the dramatized dance worship services like koodiyattam and chakyar koothu are available in temples at Tanjore, Tiruvidaimaruthur, Vedaranyam, Tiruvarur, and Omampuliyur. They were treated as an integral part of worship services alongside the singing of tevaram and prabandam hymns. There are mentions in epigraphs those forms of dramatized dance worship services that are called aariyam that mostly had Sanskrit scripts for plays.

Several ancient kings and members of other professions are listed to have authored several works for these services. There is evidence of these services being done all over ancient subcontinent during time of cholas and pallavas. A Pallava king called Rajasimha has been credited with authoring a play called kailasodharanam in Tamil that has the topic of Ravana becoming subject to Siva's anger and being subdued mercilessly for the same. For examples a fragmented inscription at the door step of an ancient Shiva temple (now non-existent) in Pegan in Burma finds mention of these services.

It is believed that Kulasekhara Varman Cheraman Perumal, an ancient king of Tamil Chera dynasty, who ruled from Mahodayapuram (modern Kodungallur), reformed Koodiyattam, introducing the local language for Vidusaka and structuring presentation of the play to well-defined units. He himself wrote two plays, Subhadraharana and Tapatisamvarana and made arrangements for their presentation on stage with the help of a Brahmin friend called Tolan. These plays are still presented on stage. Apart from these, the plays traditionally presented include Ascaryacudamani of Saktibhadra, Kalyanasaugandhika of Nilakantha, Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana, Nagananda of Harsa, and many plays ascribed to Bhasa including Abhiseka and Pratima. The Kutiyattam performance was performed in specially designed temples called koothambalams.

The use of Buddhist themes for plays is a very controversial and moot issue and seem to be a later interpolation not existing since ancient times for the latter not being a then-legal vedic system.

Kuchipudi

2015-07-19T02:04:00.001-07:00

Kuchipudi /kuːtʃiˈpuːdi/ (Telugu: కూచిపూడి) is a Classical Indian dance from Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and also the surname of the resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

The Kuchipudi is a dance-drama of Nritta, Nritya and Natya. The Nritta consists of teermanams and jatis, the Nritya of Sabdams, and the Natya of acting with mudras for the songs. Nritta encompasses steps and movements in the form of patterns of dance which, though ornate in themselves, have no meaning to convey.

Kuchipudi performances are dance dramas, commonly referred as Ata Bhagavatham. In a Kuchipudi performance, each principal character introduces himself or herself on the stage with a small composition of dance and song, specially designed to identify the character. Kuchipudi costumes look similar to Bharathanatyam costumes. Elegant foot work is an important aspect of Kuchipudi. Some special performances include those of dancing on brass plates and moving the plate with the feet to the tune of accompanying music. The Indian dance is one of the oldest art that has been through a steady development for nearly two thousand years. The Indian classical dance has its origin in the temples where it was used to illustrate the Hindu mythologies.This art was performed in the temples by the Devadasis, ladies who dedicated themselves to God. With the passage of time, this form of art was used both as a means to worship God and a way to express one's emotion or state of mind.

Bharatanatyam (Bharatha Natyam)

2015-07-19T01:58:00.001-07:00

Bharathanatyam (Tamil: பரதநாட்டியம்) is a form of Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu. It was described in the treatise Natya Shastra by Bharata around the beginning of the common era. Bharata Natyam is known for its grace, purity, tenderness, expression and sculpturesque poses. Lord Shiva is considered the God of this dance form. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all over the world, although it is more commonly danced by women.

Bharathanatyam is one of the oldest form of dance. This form of dance is based on the ancient text on dance. Bharatha stands for Bhava(mood), Raga(music), and Tala(rhythm), while Natyam stands for Nritta. Movement, mime and music are given equal importance in Bharatha Natyam. A Bharatha Natyam performance is rendered by a solo artist, or a duo, or as a group.
Bharathanatyam is poetry in motion. A Bharathanatyam performance involves Alarippu-the invocation of God, Jathi Swaram-a note combination, Shabdam-a combination of notes and lyrics, Varnam-a combination of pure dance and abhinaya, and Thillana-the finale. The costumes used in a performance are elaborate. The dancers dress in specially designed colorful silk costumes and wear head ornaments, necklaces and bangles. Flowers are wound around their long plait. According to the Natya Shastra by Sage Bharatha, Nritta, Nrithya and Natya are the three aspects of dance. Nritta means pure and simple dance.

This involves movements of the body and limbs, for a decorative effect, without conveying any meaning. Nrithya lays emphasis of expressions, to convey the meaning of the rendering. Nrithya involves facial expressions, gestures and symbolic poses. Natya includes drama through the use of spoken word, apart from Nritta and Nrithya.

Mohiniyattam a semi classical dance

2015-07-19T01:45:00.002-07:00

Mohiniyattam is a semi-classical dance form of Kerala, India. It is performed by women. The word Mohini means a maiden who steals the heart of the onlooker. It is thought that Vaishnava devotees gave the name of Mohiniattam to this dance form. Legend says that Lord Vishnu took on the guise of a Mohini, the arch enchantress, to enthrall people.

Mohiniyattam, also spelled Mohiniattam (Malayalam: മോഹിനിയാട്ടം). Believed to have originated in 16th century CE, it is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. It is considered a very graceful form of dance meant to be performed as solo recitals by women.

About Mohiniyattam

The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". There are two arguments on the etymology of this dance form. One being the historical lineage and the other being the mythological lineage. According to historical lineage it says that similar to most other classical dance forms of India, this dance form too was once practiced in some of the temples in India and was later brought out to the common audience where it went through numerous stages of changes. Then the mythical lineage is explained with two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi (ocean of milk and salt water).

In the second story Vishnu appears as Mohini to save Lord Shiva from the demon Bhasmasura. The name Mohiniyattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu; the main theme of the dance is love and devotion to God, with usually Vishnu or Krishna being the hero. Devadasis used to perform this in temples. It also has elements of Koothu and Kottiyattom. Mohiniyattam is a drama in dance and verse.

Mohiniyattam was popularized as a popular dance form in the nineteenth century by Swathi Thirunal, the Maharaja of the state of Travancore (Southern Kerala), and Vadivelu, one of the Thanjavur Quartet. Swathi Thirunal promoted the study of Mohiniyattam during his reign, and is credited with the composition of many music arrangements and vocal accompaniments that provide musical background for modern Mohiniyattam dancers. The noted Malayalam poet Vallathol, who established the Kerala Kalamandalam dance school in 1930, played an important role in popularizing Mohiniattam in the 20th century.

The three pillars Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Sri Vallathol Narayana Menon (a poet and founder of the institution, Kerala Kalamandalam) and Smt. Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma (considered “the mother of Mohiniyattam”) contributed to the shaping out of the contemporary Mohiniyattam during the later part of the 20th century. Guru Kallyanikutty Amma cleared the mythical mystery behind the name of this dance form and gave it the most convincing explanation based on truth, social and historical evolution, interpreting Mohiniyattam as the dance of a beautiful lady than that of a mythical enchantress from heaven.

Kathakali

2015-07-19T01:32:00.001-07:00

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकेळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

About Kathakali

Kathakali has its origins almost 1500 years ago in the early ritual folk dances and dance dramas of Kerala, in southern India, such as the dances associated with the cult of Bhagavathy (Thiyyattom, Mudiyettu, and Theyyam), that were performed at religious festivals by actors wearing elaborate masks, colorful costumes and headdresses, and intricately painted faces.; and socio-religious and material dances such as the Sastrakali and Ezhamattukali. Ashtapadiyattom, a dance drama based on the Gita Govinda of the twelfth-century poet Jayadeva, told the story of Krishna embodied as a humble cowherd, his consort Radha, and three cow girls. In 1655, Manavedan, the Zamorin Raja of Calicut, wrote Krishnagiti, a dance drama to be performed as Krishnattom (Krishnan; attom (enactment)) on eight consecutive nights, incorporating elements of Ashtapadiyattom and Koodiyattam, another form of Sanskrit ritual dance drama. The performance of Krishnattam was strictly restricted to the Guruvayur Temple, palaces of the members of the Zamorin's family, and temples and houses of Namboodiri Brahmins within the jurisdiction of the Zamorin's empire. Krishnattam told the story of Krishna, using dance and mime, while the narrative was sung by musicians. According to legend, Kottarakara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakara (once a province of Kerala), a great admirer and promoter of traditional art forms, invited the Zamorin to present Krishnattom in Kottarakkara. The Zamorin refused, saying that Krishnattom was not for the unsophisticated audience of southern Kerala. In response, Kottarakara Thampuran composed several plays and created Ramanattom (Raman; attom(enactment)), also performed on eight consecutive nights. At first, Ramanattom enacted stories from Ramayana and other epics, but as it evolved into Kathakali., it began to encompass many stories. Kathakali shared similarities with both Ramanattom and Krishnanattom, but incorporated several outside elements from the folk and martial arts of Kerala which contributed to its popularity. The increasing use of the local language, Malayalam (as a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called Manipravaalam) made it more popular among the masses, who could not understand the ancient Sanskrit language. In time, masks were discarded in favor of more elaborate facial make up. Around the seventeenth century, acting became separated from singing, leaving the actors free to concentrate on dramatic expression. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, Prince Kottayam wrote four plays based on the Mahabharata, liberating Kathakali from adherence to any particular Hindu epic and distinguishing it from Ramanattom. Emotion expressed in the face became central to performances, and he introduced a white frame around the face, and red features on a green background, to emphasize movements of the facial features. In the eighteenth century, Kapplingattu Nampoothiri (b. 1740) introduced a number of innovations that shaped Kathakali as it is performed today. He improved the percussion accompaniment, and standardized the use of alarrca, the inarticulate cries made by demons and animals. He further borrowed mudras from Koodiyattam, and harmonized their use with body movements. He clarified and defined the five types of character and strengthened the use of three-dimensional makeup. He also developed the “kathi,” (knife) character type, which combined noble features with evil qualities, as the central role in Kathakali plays. Kathakali was traditionally performed during religious festivals. Several Hindu ethnic groups participated in the performance of Kathakali. In its early days, the Nair community dominated because they were often well-versed in the martial art, Kalarippayattu, which is used in Kathakali training and, in a mild form, on the stage. Kathakali, as it is performed today, is just more than four centuries old. It is no longer restricted to temples, palaces and religious festivals, but is often presented in theaters and at special events as entertainment, and is performed far more frequently than the older forms of dance drama to which it is related.

Vallathol Narayana Menon is credited with revitalising Kathakali. He stimulated the world's interest in this art during his tours abroad between 1950 and 1953. The revival of the art of Kathakali in modern Kerala was mainly due to the efforts of Vallathol and the Kerala Kalamandalam.

Kathakali Video

Ottamthullal

2015-07-18T23:57:00.002-07:00

Ottamthullal (or Ottanthullal, Malayalam:ഓട്ടന്‍ തുള്ളല്‍, pronounced [oːʈːamt̪uɭːal]), is an art form Kerala state, India. It was introduced in the 1700s by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Malayalam language poets). It is accompanied by a mridangam or an idakka (drum and cymbal).

Ottamthullal is an art form in Kerala. It was created by Kunchan Nambiar, as an alternative to the Chakyar koothu. Ottanthullal, is a dance-drama performing art. Kunchan Nambiar used it as a medium to protest against the prevalent socio-political structure and prejudices of society in his time. It went on to become the most popular folk art presented in Kerala temples.

The distinguishing factor of Ottanthullal is the performer himself singing and playing the story, which is a tedious task. Another person will recite the same verses. The accompany instruments for Ottanthullal are Mridangam and Idakka.

History

Ottamthullal has its origins in the classical principles of Natya Shastra, a treatise on art originating in the 2nd century B.C. The word Thullal means to jump or leap about in the Tamil language. Tradition has it that Nambiar, the poet, fell asleep while playing the mizhavu for a Chakyar Koothu performance, inviting ridicule from the chakyar. In response, Nambiar developed Ottamthullal, which parodied prevalent sociopolitical questions and regional prejudices. The chakyar complained about Nambiar's production to the king of Chembakassery. The king banned performances of Ottamthullal from the Ambalapuzha temple complex. Closely related art forms are Seethankan thullal and Parayan thullal. Mathur Panikkar popularized Ottamthullal for modern audiences. Ottamthullal competitions are held and the art form may be used to spread a social message.

Performers

In Ottamthullal, a solo performer, with green makeup and a colourful costume (decorated with a long red and white band and painted wooden ornaments), acts and dances while reciting dance Thullal (lyrics). A chorus or one artist or more, repeats each sentence as it is completed. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru likened Ottamthullal to a poor man's Kathakali. More recently, Ottamthullal has been performed with a solo female actor and with an ensemble cast.

Ottamthullal kalyana sougandhikam

Gulikan Theyyam (Kuliyan Theyyam)

2014-12-15T04:54:00.002-08:00

Guligan Theyyam is worshipped as the Lord Shiva. In every Kaliyattam, the performance of Guligan Theyyam is inevitable. Among the Guligan Kavus, the most famous and most powerful one is situated at Nileshwar popularly known as the Benkanakavu [Venganakavu]. This Benganakavu is situated at the nerve centre of Nileshwar.

The 'Kanhiram' tree with the supposed weapons of Guligan and Padinhare Chamundeswari, in the premises of Benkanakavu, is believed to shower blessings on thousands of devotees in and around Kasaragod district. Devotees from Tulunadu to the Valapattanam river pay their respects to the Kavu for its immense power. The mysterious lamp of the Kanhiram tree that surrounds the tree is Tharavadu, Kazhakakkar, and Kolakkar, together organize the Theyyam festival in the Benanakavu once every two years.It is also performed in other temples. In Kozhikode near Nadapuram, a temple named Pattare Paradevatha Kshethram also performs gulikan theyyam annually at midnight on March 12.Marathakkad sri iver paradevatha kshethram,kuppam,taliparamba on makaram 25 to makaram 28

brightly lit up on every Tuesday and Friday after 10 pm. The prosperity of the people in the neighbouring places is believed to be on account of the presence of the God Guligan in Benkanakavu. The adjacent Koroth Nair

Kannangad Bhagavathy theyyam

2011-12-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

Kannangad Bhagavathy theyyam is believed to have originated from mahadevan. Father of Kannangad bhagavathy is considered to be Vayathoor Kaliyar.

Kannangad Bhagavathy is the God to people haling from the caste Maniyan. Maniya's traditional tasks were agriculture and cattle growing.

Once upon a time, folks all around the Malabar, including famous personalities and scholars arrived for the famous Maholsava of Kalee pareeswaran, dad vayathoor kaliyar was afraid, kannangad bhagavathy would harm these people in some way.

So he chained kannangad Bhagavathy against a big rock till the procession is complete. Father ordered to close one eye and one ear and stay in peace in the shade where she was chained.
The big procession which followed removed the hot temperment from bhagavathy and she became "Shantha Swaroopini".

This made her father vayathoor kaliyar so happy. He gave Bhagavathy holy weapons and blessed her. Bhagavathy travelled to Udhinnoor kovilakam and idolised there.

Once payyannoor and surrounding areas were affected by severe small pox. Even the thanthri from subrahmania temple was effected. Komaram of muchilott bhagavathy set out from koroth. Komaram of Muchilott Bhagavathy along with that of Kannangad Bhagavathy tried together to eradicate the epidemic. By then it was too late for the komaram to return and it was impossible to return for the day.

The holy weapon of muchilott bhagavathy was placed in Poonthuruthy kannangad. Thus poonthuruthy kannangad got renamed to poonthuruthy muchilott. Soon every muchilott kaav had given a holy place for kannangad bhagavathy.

Kannangad and Muchilott Kaav

Right from the days, extracting oil from coconut were the traditional job followed by the vaniyas. One such person was pattoli chettiyan.

He used to do his trade in an area called 'Kotti' and would donate the rest of the oilsto an old lay in kuthoor for lighting the lamp for kannanga bhagavathy.

One evening, a bit intoxicated, pattoli chettiyan asked this old lady, if the bhagavathy was soo poor, why should she stay here, rather her let her come with me. When pattoli chettiyar reached home, after the bath he found that the oil vessel he used to donate the oil to bhagavathy was overflowing wtih coconut oil and he wans amazed at this scene. Jyothishi's identified precense of kannangad bhagavathy. Thus bhagavathy was given a place in pattoli chettiyar's residence. This was the begining of association between kannangad bhagavathy and vaniya caste.

Muchilott Bhagavathy Theyyam

2011-12-21T03:51:00.000-08:00

In the place called Rayara Mangalam there lived a bhramin couple who were constantly praying rayaramangalam bhagavathy to bless them with a kid. One fine day, devi appeared in front of them and blessed them and subsequently a girl child was born to them. The beautiful kid who was the present of devi was named Deva Kanyav.

The girl was a devotee of rayara mangalam bhagavathy and amused everyone with her ability in dance and other art forms.

Muchilott Bhagavathy Theyyam

Agni was too reluctant to burn Deva kanyav. The theeyan who came that way was requested to put the dry coconuts into the fire. He ran away thinking not to help a suicide.

As she grew up, her parents took her to maniyott gurukulam. The kid showed uncharacteristic ability and scholar in all forms of education.

As per bhramin culture, at the age of 12, deva kanyav's marriage was set to happen. Devakanyav out up a single request in front of the brahmin society and her parents. The person who was going to marry her should be a scholar and he should be defeating deva kanyav in the scholar arguments.

A big arena was set and scholar and eminent personalities from far flung areas made themselves present hoping to tie the knot around devakanyav's neck.

The discussions and arguments over various subjects were carried out and all the scholars were defeated one by one.

Some of the brahmin scholars feared that if this girl was let alone, it would pose threat to the whole community and she ought to be expelled from the society.

On the third day when the marriage day was supposed to be, some of the scholars asked devakanyav, which is the most important sensation, the answer was quick, Love(Kaama). The set forwarded the next question, which is the most unbelievable pain, she had answer for this. It was the pain bearing by mother during the birth.

The band of scholars accused that devakanyav should be experienced in either of this, or she wont be able to comment authoritatively on such a subject.

She was expelled from the gurukula home and the whole society. The marriage was broken.

Devakanyav, dejected, setout from her home to prove her purity. She reached, Echikulangara temple and started praying Shiva. After 40 days, devan appeared and asked her, "Inorder to prove your purity, create a Home-Kunda and take offerings from the bytravelers and burn your physical body".

Next day, devi got up, took her bath and set out towards the south. When she reached the land of Panakkacheri Nambi(Karivalloor), she had the intution that it is the right place for burning her physical body.

Deva kanyav gathered logs from forest, created a fire area and fire from her inner self. She started praying Shiva, completed 3 round around homa kunda, removed one Chilanga(Anklets) and descented herself into the fire.

The next bytraveller was a vaniyan. He was carrying his pot of coconut oil on his head. Deva kanyav requested to pour the oil in to the fire. Praying to extinguish the fire, vaniyan poured the whole coconut oil into it.

In the next instance, Devi gave blessings to vaniya and disappeared.

MELERI HISTORY

The vaniyan, with his legs moved the burning charcoal and tried to see whats inside the burnt wooden logs area, but found nothing. Devi who gave her physical body into the burning homakunda was totally disappeared.This is the history of Meleri. Now during the kaliyattam, youngsters run through the burning peices of wood.

MYTH BEHIND GUY JUMPING WITH POT OF WATER

Vaniyan came back to his home, kept his pot in the room and laid down in deep sorrow. The pot got filled with oil and started jumping in itself. As a rememberance of this incident, a person jumps with pot of water on his head along with the procession during koodiyattam of muchilott bhagavathy.

After burning the physical body in the fire, devi came to Kailasa in front of Shiva and requested him to enlighten her with the purpose of her birth. She being the protector of all the fourteen world, purpose of her birth is to protect the people in the small world(Earth) from epidemics like small pox measels and leprocy. Devi was quizzikal as to how the people who once expelled her from earth would welcome her once again to their society.

Shiva informed that every one would welcome her with all their will. He would also provide her with all the requirements that would come handy to her on the way.

Devi first descented at Perinchelloor. Travelled towards north to reach karivalloor. She reached the house of muchilott padanayar. Devi decided to rest in the shades of trees. In the afternoon, devi felt thirsty due to the summer heat and decided to descent into the well(Manikkinar) of muchilodan Padanayar. Meanwhile, the wife of padanayar reached near the well to fetch water. To her astonishment, she found the gazing and wonderful sense of devi in the well. She ran to call pada nayar. But devi disappeared and made herself into the palm tree infront of muchilott padanayar's house.

In the morning, padanayar found the palm tree in a burnt state. Padanayar cut the palm tree and created twelve bows for muchilott kotta(Fort). All the eleven bows were transferred to the fort, but no one could move the twelveth one. Astrologers found there the precense of Shiva's daughter Muchilott Bhagavathy.

One day, padanayar had a dream in which Muchilott Bhagavathy wanted a place in one of the rooms of padanayar. Padanayar was more than happy to give the place for Bhagavathy.Thus devi was also known as Muchilott Bhagavathy after Muchilodan Padanayar.

Para Devatha Theyyam (vishnu-moorthy-theyyam)

2011-12-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

Malabar region especially kannur and kasargod are blessed with a lot of theyyams and kaav. There are a lot of Vishnumoorthy kaav throughout malabar. But kottappuram is considered as the origin of vishnumoorthy. History of Vishnumoorthy dates back to olden days in an old tharavad called "Kottappuram".

The emperor of Kottappuram was kuruvatt kurupp. There lived a boy servent at his palace called Kannan. He was later known as palanthayi kannan. Palanthayi kannan is believed to be in a cast called Ettillam Karuvan which is a subcaste of Theeya. One day paalanthayi kannan and the daughter of Kurupp were playing together and when Kannan was plucking mangoes from tree, one of them accidently fell on the head of the daughter. Though the incident was accidental, other evil minds twisted the stories and made that intentional.
Kurup who was too short tempered started creating plans to take life of Kannan.

Some kind-hearted people informed Kannan about the upcoming danger and thus kannan fled to a remote village of mangalore. In mangalore, he was given shelter by an old lady who was a devi devotee. Kannan lived there serving the old lady just like her own son.

Time flew past and kannan became a well matured youngster. By then kannan was too eager to meet his parents and relatives and to spend time where he grew up.

The old lady insisted that going back would mean disastrous and harmfull for his life. But fate was never meant to be turned away.

Kannan came back to his native place and kuruvatt kurupp came to know about this.

Unaware of the upcoming crime and evil, Kannan descented into a pond to wash his face and legs. Kurupp, hidden, secretly attacked Kannan and killed him with a sword.

The blade was abondoned in the pond. It came out from the water and started to juggle above the pond water.
Consequently there were disasters happening in Kurupp's family. His cattles and other earnings were lost. Family members suffered from ill health and mental disorders.

Jyothishi's were brought to his home and found that it was because he killed Kannan. When kurupp begged for a solution, jyothishi's said that there was presence of Narasimhamoorthy and it was to be made happy.

Narasimhamoorthy insisted that its required to devote Kannan with Silver and devote Narasimha's Roopam with Gold. It was asked to get in touch with devotee Palayi Krishnan Parappan who was the perumalayan during that time. Parappan was totally astonished by this request and was praying to Narasimha for showing him how Vishnu moorthy need to be performed and the poems and figures. Parappan started preparing for getting himself ready for the event. He took religious observance and waited eagerly for the enlightment. One night Narasimha showed his precense in dream and suggested a costume and decorations for vishnu moorthy. But parappan mentioned that those caricature was beyond his ability. Narasimha showed him subsequent other alternative form and parappan selected the one he could perform. The current vishnumoorthy costume and decoration is considered to be selected by Palayi parappan.
Thus Vishnumoorthy Theyyam was first performed for the well being of Kurupp and Since then, vishnu moorthy was considered to be the God of Karuvan caste and performed in almost all the vishnumoorthy kaav and muchilott kaav. In muchilott kaav, vishnu moorthy is assigned a real high place at the right side of kaav. Vishnumoorthy theyyam performs Narasimha moorthy's avatharam lakshyam and the assasination of hiranyakasyapu. The performance of theyyam, clearly visualise these dance steps. After hiranyakasyapu assassination, its also shown in real beauty, gracing of prahladan and his devotee mother. The flower shower by devas are also pictured in the performance of Vishnumoorthy theyyam.

Theyyam (theyyattam) is a ritual dance form popular in northern Kerala. Theyyam is normally performed in temples/Kavu/kOOttam mostly in Kannore and Kasrgode districts in few places in Kozhikode district. The name theyyam is derived from the malayalam name for God (daivam). During the ritual the artist is considered as God and they complain ask for blessings as if they are talking to God.

In the whole lot of theyyams and thiras mother godess theyyams are the most prominent and of utmost importance. Bhagavathy, Kaali and Chamundi all come under Mother(Godess) theyyam. The most important theyyam among the whole lot of mother theyyam is "Thayi para Devatha". This theyyam is also known by the name "Kola Swaroopa Thingal Thaai". Kolathiri dynasty offered a place in thiruvarkaad, also known as maadayi kaav and thus thayi para devatha was known by the name Maadai Kaavil Achi. This theyyam is considered as eradicator of all diseases and difficulties.

this theyyam also know as vishnu moorthy theyyam

Pottan theyaam

2011-12-21T02:47:00.000-08:00

Pottan theyyam Face Mask (Mukam Moodi)

Pottan Theyyam makes every one stand at their toe. Its prologue, Thottam paattu shoots questions towards the bosom of a State divided into irrational fragments of a void caste system. Rubina Shagin talks with a veteran Theyyam artist narrating the interesting incidents of ‘becoming’ and the ‘one-step-above-human activity’ involved in the performance . The One of the most verity art from theyaam from kerala god's own country.

Shrieks and roars quivered the dusky ambit of the pompous Bhagavathy temple. The crowd gathered around stood breathless, their hands folded in reverence and fear…the red flames radiated from the pyre nearby flushed their cheeks more, the numb mass tighten their legs in the dark. Suddenly with a piercing shrill of alarm the God came out of the temple in a frenzied spell, dressed in ribbons of tender coconut leaves tied around the whole body, his anklets jingled in an alarming rhythm, He threw himself into the scarlet fiery heap of burning logs.. Lying on the red cinders he laughed and laughed, then put his folded leg on the other lay there as the mightiest, again laughing at the whole world ..then rolled on the flames..again laughed. People around were spell bound, speechless..

It was Theyyattam.. the time-honored religious ritual still alive in Kerala Malabar. It was not a showcase piece exhibited in order to lure the foreigners. It is all about Theyyam, the crude tongue of Daivam,meaning God. It was their God whom the people around revered in fear and piety.

In Kannur and Kazargodu Districts of the Kerala State Theyyam performance is a religious ritual and is being performed in many temples annually and homes in separate events. As for the Landlords and the rulers, the Theyyam was expected to bring prosperity to their domain. People believe that Theyyam can do away with all their troubles and bring them riches. So everyone regardless of caste and cult, make oneself prepared for this practice of ritual in their homes or near by temples.

Pottan theyyam In Fire (Nerippu)

God talks

Risen from the pyre of beliefs and penances, the man who was impersonated the deity came out, after the blessing ceremony, raw as the old Kallen Damodaran and began to narrate the other sides of this highly perilous and breath-taking performance.

“I ve been performing this ritual since my early youth stage, at about 21 years..it is a privilege to put on the attire of Thaivam, I take it in its pious sense, nothing whimsical or fancy about it. It is the game of God..”

As for any religious ritual, Theyyattam is also being performed with a lot of ritualistic activities prior to the performance. After getting the Adayalam, an honor from the chief of the temple authority the performer lives under rigorous abstinence and self-restrictions unto the day of performance. “Only because of this intense ‘vrataa’ (penance) we are able to perform such an adventurous act.. if some one happened to deviate from that strict observance, he and his family would have to undergo severe wrath of God, besides the burns from the pyre”, says Damodaran firmly.

call back pottan theyym from fire (Nerippu)

Theyyam a call behind

Theyyam Kaliyattam, the sacred dance performance of Gods and Goddesses carry umpteen myths that strengthen its impact even in this era of Chandrayan. Significantly two myths uphold this ancient religious ceremony. Narration of this pull-back gives a grant depiction of the social order prevailed at that time, which unfasten a thoroughfare to know about the history also. In the various Theyyam forms, Pottan Theyyam that Damodaran has been performed for the last 60 years, stands apart with its unique tapestry of truth in its essence.

Thottam Pattu, the opening song of the performance in old Malayalam jargon tells you the satirical story of a domain that was and is bound to the cast and creed cult.

Pottan Theyyam Home Visit

“Vazhi thetty vazhy thetty po pulapotta..

Enthina chovvare vazhi thettunnathu?

Ningale kothiyaalum chora onnalle…

Ningal pale perum mannathu koodumbol..

Naangal pale perum kaavil kuudunnu..

Nhangale kuppayile poovanu chovvare..

Ningale deevane poojikkunnathu chovvare…

…”

When Damodaran stops singing this song in its particular slang and rhythm, it silently asks us for introspection.

When Sankaracharya, the preceptor of Advaita theory (All are one along with God), on his way tosarvagnapeedhom (the Ultimate Knowledge) meets the lower caste Pulaya Pottan accompanied by his wife and his dog, he asked them to clear off the way in order not to ‘pollute’ him. It mirrors the stinking stories that once existed here when the lower castes were considered to be untouchable to the privileged ones. At this context, the Pulaya Pottan asks the scholar monk, “If there is a cut on the body, the blood will come out and the blood of mine and yours will have the same color. So, what is the difference between us?” Like this he points out a lot of similarities in both and makes the scholar ‘enlightened’ so as to attain his pinnacle of knowledge. Sankaracharya realizes the Lord Siva inside that Pulaya Pottan and the other two, Goddess Parvathy and Nandikeswara.

The rational discourse of the Pulaya Pottan became the Thottam Pattu in the slang of amateurish Malayalam. Those who give an ear to the lines keeping off his eyes from the hypnotizing visions can understand what Sankaraacharya had realized out of it.

Kallen Damodaran narrates another tear-stained story of Pottan Pulayan’s origin. He began to talk of the Alankaran also a Pulayan (one of the many lower castes in Kerala). Even though born toPulaya parents Alankaran was a whiz kid. He grew in a society which always treated him and his community with disgust. But he mastered the Vedas, forbidden to the lower castes. Once he had a debate with a Brahmin (the higher caste) as in the other story. He ordered Alankara who came across him to move away from his path. He didn’t move instead he retorted, “If the problem is with the way, I shall divide the way into two to travel for both of us”, Then Alankaran split that path using his wooden wand. The angry Brahmins later caught him and tied up his limbs threw him into a heap of fire. Being intellectual and gifted with divine knowledge, Alankaran laughed and laughed in the fire and finally succumbed to the fate, scribbled by the privileged ones.

“That is why the Theyyam laughs lying upon the fire…” for a moment Damaodaran goes back to the memories never marked in history.

Thottm paattu a social satire

It is said that Pottan Theyyam is performed to spread the message against the cast and creed system that still exists in the society. The song and the ritual uphold the values of knowledge as mightier than the alms that rendered on birth. Theyyam being performed amidst the audience which consists of all religions and castes roars this basic fact from the roofs.

“ I m belonging to Pulaya family. Only such lower castes are chosen to guise as Theyyams. So this is a time of honor for us. Members of the privileged castes take away their pre-eminence in this context and they even seeks blessings from us..”, says a proud Damodaran. “ but we should call the higher castes first in he blessing ceremony at the end of the session..”, he added.

More over, in Literature also Thottam paatu has its own contribution. In fact, the THOTTAM PAATTU of POTTAN Theyyam is considered to be the first lyrical form in Malayaalam that retorted against the caste discrimination.

Pottan Theyyam – performance

“ I used to perform this ritual only in Mundayattu Bhagavathy Kavu, Pappinissery, Kannur. But I get a lot of requests from near by homes to play the same there….and I go there often.” said Damodaran.

Earlier, lower castes were not permitted to enter into temples where the chief-in-charge will be a Brahmin. So since the remote Dynasty times this art form has been performed in courts, royal houses and in Kavu where lower castes meet no hurdles. While temples are having Brahminical authority and idol-worship, Kavu is ‘attainable’ to lower castes, where they can guise and worship Theyyam, along with serpent and tree-worship.

Theyyam is performed from thulamto edavam (October – May) excluding the monsoon season. The art is performed at the last‘yaamas’(last 3 hours of night), normally till 6:00 in the morning. However, the arrangements start right from the previous afternoon

“The same performer is transforming into three Godly forms, first as Pulamaruthan(Lord Nandi), then as Pulakkaali (Goddess) and finally as Pula Pottan (Lord Siva), by changing the face-masks. Thottam paattu gears up the performance which will be followed by the traditional temple orchestra.

Nivedyams (food for the deity) are bestowed first to the pulamaruthan. These include all the pulses, coconut, groundnut, raisins, jaggery, pappadam, plaintains, and even the blood of a cock, and a pot of toddy.

Costumes makes the common man the much adored deity and thus costumes and face masks have a significant role in this ritual. After make-up, the performer looks on into the mirror and transforms himself in a frenzied manner into the deity form. Then in a frantic move he comes out of the Palliyara to perform in front of the mammoth gathering.

Pula pottan is the one who jumps into the burning embers making the spectators awestruck. But we can see that his assistants pulling him from the fire, but he never yields. When asked about the ploy of this seemingly adventurous act, Kallen Damodaran replied “ It’s Lord Siva who plays there and He is there to protect me. I ve been performing for the last 60 years and I don’t remember of any burns..” Some are of the opinion that the tender coconut leaves tied around the body help them combating the heat. But if scrutinized, we can see that it is only a thinner covering when compared to the red-hot ambers.

Parassinikkadavu Temple

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Parassinikkadavu Temple

The famous Muthappan (Siva) Temple (Parassinikadavu Madappura) is on the banks of the Valapatanam river.According to tradition, the main abode of Muthappan was Puralimala near Mattannur. The story goes that Muthappan appeared in the form of a child before one Padikutti Amma. The child had an insatiable appetite for liquor, fish and meat and became a nuisance to the family was therefore turned out from the house.
Armed with a bow and arrow Muthappan wandered from place to place and eventually reached Puralimala. At Kunnathurpadi, on his way to Puralimala, he climbed on to the top of a palmyra tree near the house of one Chandan and drank toddy.
Chandan who happened to arrive on the scene, is said to have been turned into a rock at the gaze of Muthappan. Here Muthappan completely disappeared from the scene and nothing more was heard of completely disappeared from the scene and nothing more was heard of him. It is believed that he came down to Parassinikadavu.

According to tradition, a member of the Vannan community at Parassinikadavu found a metallic arrow on the trunk of a Kangira tree and having felt something divine about the place, reported the matter to the senior member of an ancient Thiyya family in the neighbourhood. The latter, who felt the divine presence of Muthappan, immediately performed the necessary ceremonies and offered worship to him.
It is an accepted dictum here, that whatever is received by way of gifts or offerings should be spent for the benefits of the pilgrims. The daily offerings made to Muthappan are also different from what they are in other temples. It has been customary to offer toddy, fish and meat as ‘nivedyams’ to this deity. People of all castes and communities including
People of all castes and communities including members of the Muslim as well as Christian communities are known to donate sums of money as vazhipadu of Muthappam. The annual festival which falls on December 1st, provides a special occasion for pilgrims to throng the Parassinikadavu temple.
The temple is situated 20 kms, north of Kannur town.

Temple Festival Procession

Tradition has it that for the Annual Festivial (‘Ulsavam’) of the Muthappan Temple at Parassinikkadavu to start a procession led by a male member of the “Thayyil” clan of Thayyil, Kannur begins from the family home & terminates at the main altar of the temple with a ‘pooja’ (prayer) to the Gods.

Muthappan theyyam

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Sree Muthappan is a Hindu deity worshipped commonly in Kannur district of north Kerala state, South India . Muthappan and Thiruvappan, are considered to be a manifestation of Shiva and Vishnu , and hence Muthappan wholly represents the idea of Brahman , the unity of God, as expressed in the Vedas .

Worship of Muthappan is unique, in that it does not follow the Sattvic (Brahminical) form of worship, as in other Hindu temples. The main mode of worship is not via idol worship, but via a ritual enactment of Muthappan, performed daily at the Parassini Kadavu temple. Fish is used as an offering to Muthappan, and people of all castes, religions and nationalities are permitted to enter the temple and take part in the worship.

Muthappan is also the principal deity in the ritualistic Theyyam dance ( Muthappan Theyyam ) performed in the famous Parassinikkadavu temple . The ritual performers of Muthappan Theyyam belong to the tribal community of Kerala. It is unique because in Kerala both the upper-caste Brahmins, and the lower-caste tribals, both have a significant contribution to the major forms of worship

Story of Muthappan

The Naduvazhi (landlord) Ayyankara Illath Vazhunnavar was unhappy as he had no child. His wife Padikutty Antharjanam was a devotee of Lord Shiva. She offered several things as sacrifice to the God Shiva. One day in her dream she saw the Lord. The very next day while she was returning after a bath from a near by river saw a pretty child lying in a flower bed. She took the child home and brought him up as her own son.
The boy used to visit the jungle near by their house (mana)for hunting with his bow and arrows. He would take food with the poor and with the backward communities. As these acts were against the Namboothiri way of life, his parents earnestly requested him to stop this practice. But the boy turned a deaf ear to their warnings. Ayyankara Vazhunavar became very disappointed.
One day the boy went to his parents and shown his parents his divine form (visvaroopam) with bow and arrow and fiery eyes. His parents understood that the boy was not an ordinary child but a God. They prostrated in front of him and ‘He’ blessed them.
The God started journey from Ayyankara. The natural beauty of the Kunnathoor stopped him from his journey. He was attracted by the toddy of palm trees.

Chandhan (name of a toddy tapper who was illiterate and uncivilized knew of his toddy being stolen from his palm trees every day. So he thought of guarding his palm trees. While he was keeping guard at night, an old man was found stealing toddy from his palms. He got very angry and tried to shoot the old man using his bow and arrow. While he was about to aim an arrow at him, he fell unconscious.
Chandan’s wife who came there seeking for her husband saw him lying unconscious. She cried broken heartedly. When she looked up she saw an old man at the top of the palm tree, she called “MUTHAPPA ” (as if addressed to a grandfather, Muthappan means grand father in Malayalam language). She earnestly prayed to God to save her husband. Before long chandhan regained consciousness.
She offered boiled grams, slices of coconut, burnt fish and toddy to the Muthappan (Even today in Sree Muthappan temples the divotees are being offered boiled grams and slices of coconut). She sought benediction from him. Muthappa choose Kunnathoor as his residence at the request of Chandhan, this is the famous Kunnathoor padi.
After spending some years at Kunnathoor Sree Muhtappa decided to get more favorable place as his residence so that he could fulfill his aim of reincarnation. He shot an arrow up ward from Kunnathoor. The shaft reached at Parassini where the famous Parassini Temple resides now. The arrow which was emitting glow from the Theertha (sacred water ) near the temple was received with evotion and placed on the altar of the temple. Since then lord Muthappan is considered as residing at Parassinikkadavu.

Another Story

As a boy, Muthappan was rebellious. He was a great hunter and would skin the animals that he killed and wear their skins as clothes. One day, he came across a coconut tree that was being tapped for toddy, the liquor fermented from coconut sap. He climbed the tree and emptied the jar that was holding the toddy. When the toddy tapper returned and saw Muthappan, he immediately challenged him. Muthappan turned the man to stone for daring to address such a powerful god in this manner. During performances of Muthappan theyyam, the performer consumes the toddy liquor and passes it around to the spectators. Hence, Muthappan “breaks” the temple rules by allowing alcohol into temple grounds.

Sree Muthappan and Dogs

Sree Muthappan is always accompanied by a dog. Dogs are considered sacred here and one can see dogs in large numbers in and around the temple.
You can see two bronze carved dogs at the entrance of the temple to symbolise the trustworthiness of bodyguards of God. When the prasad is ready it is first served to a dog that is always ready inside the temple.

Local legends enhance the importance of dogs to Sree Muthappan, one such story is as follows:
A few years back temple authorities decided to reduce the number of dogs inside the temple, they took some dogs and puppies away. Surprisingly from that very day, the performer of the Sree Muthappan Theyyam was unable to perform (it is said that the sprit of Sree Muthappan enters his body and the performer becomes God till the theyyam performance is finished). Since the dogs was taken away from the temple, Sree Muthappan does not enter the theyyam performer’s body. Knowing this, the Dogs were bought back to the temple. From that day onwards theyyam performance was as usual.

Theyyam

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Theyyam or Theyyaattam is a pattern of hero worship performed in Kolathunaad, a territory comprising the present Cannanore District and Badagara Taluk of Kerala State. It is a ritual and a folk-dance form supported by a vast literature of folk songs. Theyyam is a corruption for Deyvam ‘God’. 'Aattam' means dance. Thus 'Theyyaattam' means the God’s Dance.

Muchilottu Bhagavathy Theyyam

In Kolathunaad and other places (Southern portion of Kolathunaad), Theyyam is known as Thira orThirayaattam. There, the performance is conducted on a masonry stage called Thara and the wordTharayaattam was probably changed into Thirayaattam in course of time. The term Thirayaattamitself may mean beautiful dance.

The person who plays and personifies the deity is generally called ‘Kolam’. The word Kolam means figure or shape or make-up in Tamil and Malayalam. In Tulunad, north of Kolathunaad, the custom ofKolam dance is widely prevalent as a form of worship of the Bhootas or spirits. There, the dance was conducted before the sthaanams, where the Bhoothas or the spirits used to reside.

As the result of Aryan colonization of Thuluva and Kolathunaad, the Brahmanical religion became deep rooted in this territory. The Brahminic concepts of Gods and deities were accepted by the indigenous people of Kolathunaad. But even then the old folk-cult of Velan Veriyat and spirit worship remained as a system of worship for the native. The rituals remained unchanged and the tradition was not abandoned by the people. Vishnumoorthi, Pottan, Chaamundi, Rakteshwari and Bhagavathibecame new deities for the village folk of Kolathunaad along with their primitive deities of spirits and heroes.

The cult of Bhagavathi became so dominant in the social life of Kolathunaad that no village of this area could be found without a shrine or kaavu of a Bhagavathi. The Bhagavathi at Maappiticheri was known as Maappiticheri Bhagavathi and the Bhagavathi at Kannangot was known as Kannangot Bhagavathi. Many of these Bhagavathis have their own Theyyaattam or Thirayaattam at their shrines as annual festivals. Some of these Bhagavathis have big temples and daily offerings strictly conforming to the Brahmanical ritualism.

Performers

theyyam Perfomer Sri. Rajan Panicker from cheruvathur

Velan is one of the castes that performs Thirayaattam or Theyyaattam in Kolathunaad. The termVellaattam which denotes the introductory performance of the deity in the evening without ceremonial make-up and dress, represents the combination of the words Velan and Attam. Thus Velan is a noted authority of this folk dance. In Kolathunaad and other areas the Velan is known by the term Munnuttonand northern areas of Kolathunaad by the term Anjutton.

Besides the communities of Velan, Malayan and Vannan are the predominant communities that perform Theyyams in Kolathunaad. Both these castes are the indigenous tribes of Kerala. Among them there are good traditional physicians and good folk-dancers. The tradition of folk-dance in Kerala was kept alive by these people. Even though they are untouchable to the Brahmins, the Theyyamsperformed by them were worshipped by Brahmins also. This native tradition, caused the cultural integration of the migrated Brahmins with the native people.

The other communities which perform Theyyaattams are Mavilan, Vettuvan, Pulayan andKoppalan. These tribes used to perform Theyyaattams in memory of their deceased ancestors. But these Theyyaattams are not so colourful and artistic in comparison to those of other castes like Velan,Vannaan and Malayan. The Theyyaattam by Pulayar and Vettuvar remain good examples of the spirit worship done by these tribal people.

Costumes and Make-up

One of the salient features of Theyyaattam is its colourful costume. The typical waist dress of heroes is found in Kativanoor veeran. This is called Arayota or Vattoda or Atukkum Chiraku and made out of splices of bamboos and covered by red cloth. For a few Theyyams, especially the ones played with Malayan, this waist dress is woven out of coconut leaves. The Theyyams likeVishnumoorthi and Pottan require this dress especially as they leap into the fire.

Above the waist dress the naked body is painted with different native colours. The particular system of painting the body of a Theyyam differs from that of other Theyyams. Parunthuvaal Ezhuthu(eagle’s tail) and Anchupulli Ezhuthu (five dots) are some technical terms for body painting. For painting the faces of the players Praakkezhuthu, Sankezhuthu, Naagam Thathal Ezhuthu, Varezhuthu, Narikurichezhuthu and Kattaramezhuthu are a few well known systems widely adopted. The head-dress or Muti also differs from Theyyam to Theyyam. Some well known Mutis used forTheyyaattams are Pookkatti, Ponmuti, Vattamuti, Chattamuti, Valiyamuti, Kondalmuti,Puthachamuti, Onkaramuti and Peelimuti.

These Mutis are made out of bamboo splices and wooden planks which are covered with coloured cloth, flowers and coconut leaves. In new Mutis, peacock feathers are also used. The Theyyams ofKshetrapaalan and a few Bhagavathis use nearly 50 or 60 feet high long crowns or Mutis made out of arecanut tree and bamboo splices. These crowns are supported by long bamboos which are held by several helpers to keep the balance when placed upon the head of the player. According to the local customs, these long crowns are either covered with coloured cloth or thatched with coconut leaves. Some Theyyams of Bhagavathis wear a silver diadem of small serpents heads crowned with red flowers. A huge golden collar elaborately carved of wood and set with fancy jewels is worn in some items. The female deities wear ornaments and a wooden breast called mularu. The Theyyams ofOthenan and Baali wear round crowns called kireetam. The same kireetam is used in Kathakaliperformance. In a few Theyyams like Pottan, masks made out of the leaf sheaths of arecanut and wooden planks are used.

The breasts of goddesses are generally covered with glittering ornaments and make-up known asEzhutharam (Seven models). All male and female Theyyams wear bangles called Katakam andChutakam and small anklets on the feet. In the case of Bhagavathis in Roudra mood, (fearful appearance) torches are appended to the waist and the crown produces a terrible appearance.

Musical Instruments

Drum, Cymbal, Kuzhal, Perumbara, Conch, Cherututi, Utukku and Chermangalam are well known musical instruments used in Theyyaattam. The rhythm of the playing of these instruments varies fromTheyyam to Theyyam. The continuous playing with measured interludes helps to make the performance very interesting. According to the rhythm of the instruments, the same instrumental players recite Thottams also of the particular deity.

The Thottam or the song related to the particular Theyyam deity is recited by the player and by the singers in the background.

Performance

The Theyyam dance is classified as Thaandava or the masculine and Laasya or the feminine. Both styles are adopted in Theyyaattam according to the context and character of the deity. Inward, outward and circular movements with agile and light steps give these dances a more graceful style. The measures and steps of the dances correspond to the words of the song. Chekor Kalasam, Onnaam Kalasam, Eduthu Kalasam, Chavitti Thullal, Parakkam and Thiriyal denote the various processes of the dance.

Generally, this festival and its performances continue for three days. On the night of the first day, the performance starts at the kaavu with drumbeats. After this, there is the kolam dance and the Thottam which reveal the summary of the rituals that would be performed on the next day.

The pooja is conducted to the deities, who are not only in the temple but also outside the sanctum–sanctorum. As a prelude to the performance, the ilamkolam or vellaattukolam arrive with kotivilakku in their hands. Their make-up is very simple. No formal make-up is made on the face.

The player prays for the appearance of the particular deity. The prayer or murmuring is called orayalor prophecy. He recites a few lines and requests for the presence of the deity, which is called Varavili. Each Theyyam has its own separate varavili or praising the deity. On concluding the Varavili, the player begins the dance with its several attractive kalaasams.

Finally, he distributes Adayaalam or Kuri (Powder of turmeric) to his devotees along with rice. While giving adayaalam to his devotees, the player pronounces blessings also. If the performance is in a household shrine, the player would declare that the deity would reside in the house and create prosperity and pleasure for ever. When the Theyyam speaks during the time of bestowing blessings to the persons of different communities, the player addresses them in symbolic terms referring to their castes.

At the end of the performance the devotees donate coins to the shrine. Finally the musical instruments are played once again and the devotees throw rice towards the Theyyam and he casts off the crown in front of the shrine.