thiruvallaonline


BACK TO ART AND CULTURE

Folk Dances
Koothambalam: A special hall in the temple premises for ritual and art performance. Koothumadam: A stage specially erected for certain ritual and art performances in the temple.
	THEYYAM:The most outstanding of the folk arts of Kerala, especially in the northern regions. Also called Thirayattam, (because every thira or village performed this ritualistic art at the village temple). This primitive ritualistic art demands long hours of preparation. The Theyyam or Kolam, represents a mythological, divine or heroic character. There are over 350 Theyyams in northern Kerala.The hood, headdress, face painting, breast plate, bracelets, garlands and fabric of attire of each of these kolams are distinct and meticulously crafted according to the character presented. The instruments used are chenda and veekuchenda (drums), elathalam and kuzhal (horn). This art form is mostly performed in Bhagavathy temples. Performances are carried out between October and May. Thira is the major subdivision of Theyyam.

	PADAYANI:This spectacular folk event is associated with the festivals of a few temples in Southern Kerela,ie, Pandalam, Kadammanitta and chenganoor.This colorful ritual art is symbolic of the victory march of goddess Kali after she defeated the demon Darika. The art form has some resemblance to Theyyam.

THOOKKAM:The dancers are clad in dresses similar to that of kathakali. This rituastic art from is performed at Bhadrakali temples during March/April.

MUDIYETTU:This art form originated from the Shakthi cult and is presented in Bhadra Kali temples of south & central Kerala.

PARICHAMUTTUKALI:Similar to Velakali but performed by Christians, Thiyyas and few other commnuities in Palakkad, Malappurram, ernakulam & Kottayam.

	MARGAMKALI: A social entertainment among the syrian christans,more popular in Kottayam Dist.

KALAMPATTU: A group dance of Kerala tied up with Ayyappan and Bhadra Kali temples in north & north central Kerala. Drawing of the Kalam pictures is done using five vegetable colours.Kalampattu also called Kalamezhuthu pattu . This 600 years old artform is performed by a group of five to fifteen people in Bhadrakali and Ayyappa temples. The ritual is performed around a kolam - an elaborate picture, usually of goddess Bhadrakali isdrawn on the floor with five colors, under the light of blazing torches. The singers are neatly dressed,with the women wearing their hair on the sides of their heads. A series of special songs, kalampattu, are sung to the accompaniment of nanthuni and elathalam, two traditional musical instruments.

	OPPANA:This is performed by the females of the Muslim community on wedding days to entertain the bride or the bride groom.

KAVADIYATTAM: Associated with Subramaniya temples. This art form has a Tamil origin.

	PULIKALI: Known otherwise as Kaduva Kali or Tiger dance . It is a traditional art form of Kerala during festive seasons.Performers paint their bodies in bright yellow, red and black spots and lines to resemble tigers, and dance to the loud beats of percussion instruments like udukku and thakil. It is a common art form performed during the Onam season.

KAALAVELA:This is a folk art, noted for the procession of huge,colorfully decorated images of bulls.

KALIYOOTTU: An eight day long colorful folk ritual which re-enacts the mythical combat between Goddess Durga and the Demon Darika. This folk ritual has various stages. On the last and eight day, a ritual called Paranettu - is performed on a specially designed 100 feet high stage on which both the actors work themselves to a frenzy for a climaxic end.

KANNIYARKALI: A ritual art form with swift dance movements performed to the accompaniment of devotional folk songs and resounding beats of drums. Usually performed in temple festivals.

KAVADIYATTAM: A ritualistic dance of the Subramanya temples. The devotees adorn colorful robes.The kavadis are colorful bow-shaped wooden structures fitted with the plumes of the peacock.

VADITHALLU: Similar to Kolkali, a folk dance performed holding short sticks in both hands.

VELAKALI: A most elaborate and spectacular martial folk art of Kerala.. Fifty or more performers in the traditional attire of soldiers, bearing colourful shields and swords or long canes, dance with war like steps in perfect orchestration to the resounding beats of the thakil, suddha maddalam, elathalam, kuzhal and trumpets. A few martial art techniques of Kalaripayattu are also displayed in the course of this performance.

KUMBHAMKALI / KUMBHAMTHULLAL: Folk ritual dance of devotees of Lord Krishna,balancing pots on their head.

MAMANGAM: This huge and wonderful festival is a replication of the cultural extravaganza that used to be held every 12 years by the Zamorins (ancient rulers of Kozhikode) in the middle ages. Royal families, principalities and chieftains from all over Kerala used to participate in this great cultural event which was held on the grounds of the Thirunavaya Navamukunda Temple at Ponnani in the present day Malappuram district.

PATAKAM: This art form is very similar to Koothu on gestures and movements, but the narration is through prose and song sequences. The costume colour is predominantly red - a red head dress and a red silk wrist band. The performer also wears heavy garlands around the neck and thick lines of sandal paste smeared across the forehead. Patakam is also performed on temple premises.

POOTHAMKALI: A folk art commonly performed in the Bhagavathy temples of Malappuram. Pootham is the character who accompanied Durga in her combat with Darika. The performers, usually three in number, undergo a week of austerities before the presentation. Colourful and intricately designed face masks carved out of the pala and murikku trees are the highlights of the attire. The fifteen minute performance starts slowly and works up to a frenzy towards the end. The thudi provides rhythm to the dance, performed at night.

SARPPA PATTU: This snake dance is performed to satisfy the snake gods.

MAYILNRITHAM / MAYILATTOM:The famed Peacock Dance.

THATTUMELKOOTHU: A devotional dance performed on a special platform carried around the temple by devotees, even as the rituals go on.

THIDAMPU NRITHAM: 700 year old ritualistic art form of north Kerala. The dancer moves to the rhythmic beats of the chenda carrying the thidampu on his head. Seven artists accompany him on percussion instruments while two others hold aloft the ritualistic lamps. The artists wear lots of jewellery and a decorated turban known as Ushnipeetam.

THIYYATTU: A devotional offering to Bhadrakali and Sree Ayyappa. The performance usually starts at dusk. The artists sing and dance to the rhythmic music of the chenda, elathalam and chengila.

THOLPAVAKOOTHU: This art originated in the 18th century, also known as pavakoothu (puppet play) or nizhalattam (shadow play). An art of entertainment, is performed on the special stage called koothumadam in the temple courtyard.Puppets (pavakal) made of deer skin, usually representing four characters from the Ramayana, are arranged behind a long white screen, in front of bright wick lamps. The puppets are made to dance to songs from the Kamba Ramayana (the Tamil version of the epic). The performance starts late at night and extends till dawn.

THULLAL: Another version of Koothu, and is characterised by its simplicity of presentation, wit and humour. The inventor of this artform is Kunjan Nambiar. The dancer himself sings the lead to the accompaniment of the maddalam and elethalam. The three forms of Thullal are - Ottanthullal, Seethankanthullal and Parayanthullal.Colorful costumes are very much of an attaraction.

CHERUMARKALI: A harvest dance in which dancers, both men and women, move in a swaying rhythm, linking arms and donning red and white costumes.

KRISHNATTAM: A ritual dance in honor of one of the most famous gods of the Hindu pantheon, Sree Krishna. This group performance, based on the Sanskrit text Krishna Geetha, spans over eight nights. A dance with great importance for movements. The costume and makeup of Krishnanattam bear traces of resemblance to Kathakali and folk arts like Thiyattam, Mudiyettu and Theyyam. Musical instruments like maddalam, elathalam and chengila lend flavor to the performance. Krishnattam is an important dance performed in the Guruvayoor temple.