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 Mohiniyattom
As the name denotes, it is an amorous (Lasya) dance performed in slow,
elegant and sensuous pace with formulated hand gestures translating
the song to which it is performed. The tuft knotted at the side of the
head adorned by a garland of jasmine circling it, the dancer with
normal facial make up and clad in gilded sari with series of pleats
and jacket sways her body to the rhythm of orchestrated background
music. It presents naturally beautiful dancer in her natural beauty.
Mohini means enchantress and Attam is dance. Legends say that. Once
the ocean of milk was churned by the gods and demons to extract the
elixir of life and immortality. The demons made away with this divine
brew. Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of the panicky gods and assumed
the female form of an amorous celestial dame Mohini. Captivating the
demons with her charms, Mohini stole the elixir from them and restored
it to the gods. Slow, graceful, swaying movements of the body and
limbs and highly emotive eye and hand gestures are unique to this
dance form
Krishnattam, is another form of dance drama enacted in Guruvayoor
Temple depicting the frolics and divinity of Lord Krishna. The
traditional performance lasts for eight days and covers the whole span
of Krishna's life from his birth to 'Swargarohanam' (ascension to the
heavens) Orchestral accompaniments are Maddalam, Ilathalam and
Chengila. The visual effect is enhanced by varied and colorful facial
make-up with larger-than-life-masks, made of lightwood and cloth
padding, for certain characters. The characters that do not wear masks
have specific facial colours. The predominant colours used are dark
green, flesh tint and deep rose. Most of the characters wear red vests
and flowing 'Uthariyams'. The characters of Krishna, Arjuna and Garuda
wear dark blue vests.
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Thiruvathirakali is a dance performed by women singing in praise of
Lord Shiva, to attain everlasting marital bliss. This dance is
performed on Thiruvathira day (the sixth lunar asterism) in the
Malayalam month of Dhanu (December- January). The dance is a
celebration of marital fidelity and the female energy, for this is
what brought Kamadeva (the god of love) back to life after he was
reduced to ashes by the ire of Lord Siva. The sinuous movements
executed by a group of dancers around a nilavilakku ((pedestal wick
lamp), 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.
'Kalari'
is a school of martial arts derivative of the Sanskrit word 'Kholoorika'
meaning military training centre and 'payattu' the fight. It is a form
of martial arts
practiced by Hindus. It is believed that sage Parasurama who built
temples along south India introduced this art. There are historical
evidences of Kalari dated back to the 12th Century and historians
believe that it is the oldest form of martial art in the world.
Kalarippayattu training is imparted inside the Kalari (Coliseum),
which is rectangular in design and always aligned, east west, with
idols of all the presiding deities of the art at each corner of the
Kalari. . The deities and the Gurus are worshipped before the
beginning of the practice with all rituals and singing of hymns as in
a temple.
This art includes seven shasthras (sciences) like Vastu, Jyothi, Marma,
Ayurveda, Asana, Tantra and Mantra. The pupils are trained in
self-discipline and physical culture.
Initially the student body is toned pliable, agile and versatile by
regular massage by feet and hands with medicated oil. Then trained to
wield Kuruvadi (short sticks), spear, dagger, sword, shield, etc. The
most advanced course of training is wielding of 'Urumi' a thin springy
three-meter long double-edged sword worn around the waist locked like
a belt. It can be drawn unwound in a flick of a moment when required.
It is highly lethal for an adept wielder can aim it to swirl around
the neck of the opponent and, at the slightest jerk, the head will
roll on the floor of the arena.
Flying feats, daring onslaughts and dodging with dexterity are the
ways in combat. Defensive and offensive strikes with lightning speed
are its peculiarity. There are customarily eighteen 'adavu' (tricks)
in this warfare. Seventeen, fighting with all the weapons one by one,
the eighteenth being 'Poozhikkadakan', a feat producing a cover of
whirlwind of dust around the combatant by stamping the earth and swift
circular movement to camouflage him from the opponent and to take him
by surprise with sudden retaliatory death blow.
Chavittunatakom, a Christian art form evolved in Kerala during
Portuguese Colonization. It bears definite traces of the European
Christian Miracle Play. In this musical drama, the actors wear
Greco-Roman costumes and have traces of the European Christian Miracle
Play. The Chavittunatakom is performed either on open stages or in a
Church. The language is a colloquial mix of Tamil and Malayalam. The
peculiar feature of this art is the artistes stamping (Chavittu) the
dance floor producing resonant sounds to accentuate the dramatic
situations.
A dance
form of the Malabar Muslims preformed during a wedding. It is an all
girls' performance in the bridal chamber. Maidens sing and dance
around the bride. The Songs of Mappilappattu, are first sung by the
main singer and are repeated by the chorus. The themes are often
teasing comments and innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial
bliss. Today, Oppana is one of famous performing art presented as a
stage item.
Kakkarissi natakom
Kakkarissi natakom is a satirical dance-drama based on the puranic
legends of Lord Siva and his consort Parvati when they assumed human
forms as Kakkalan and Kakkathi - a nomadic tribe of fortunetellers.
The script is a blend of Tamil and Malayalam. The chief characters are
Kakkalan, Kakkathi, Vetan, Velichappadu, Thampuraan and the ubiquitous
Jester. The Dholak, Ganchira, Chenda and the Harmonium provide the
background score.
Kolkali
A folk art mainly of the agrarian classes, Kolkkali is a rhythmic
dance with the dancers wielding short sticks. The rhythm of this dance
is set by a harmonious synchronisation of the tapping of the feet to
the striking of sticks. The movement is circular and the artists sing
as they dance and strike the sticks in unison. Though the dancers
break away to form different patterns, they never miss a beat. In
Malabar, Kolkkali is more popular among Muslim men.
Koodiyattom
The literal meaning of the title being concomitant dancing, it is
another temple opera performed jointly by Chakyars and Nambiars. They
present mythological plays in Sanskrit through nine nights. It is an
old form of art improved by Poet Thola, now performed only in certain
major temples like Irinjalakkuda, Perinjanam, Kottiyur, etc.
Koodiyattam literally means "acting together". Koodiyattam evolved in
the 9th century AD, based on Sage Bharatha's 'Natyasasthra' who lived
in the second century. Koodiyattam is basically a temple opera
performed jointly by Chakyars and Nambiars community. The Chakkiars
provide the male cast and the Nangiars playing the female roles. The
Nangiars beat the cymbals and recite verses in Sanskrit, while in the
background Nambiars play the Mizhavu, a large copper drum. The Koodal
Manickyam temple at Irinjalakkuda and the Vadakkumnatha temple at
Thrissur are the main centres where Kootiyattam is still performed
annually. Ammannoor Madhava Chakkiar is an unrivalled maestro of this
rare art.
Thullal
Thullal is a solo performance combining the dance and recitation of
stories in verse. Staged during temple festivals, the performer
explicates the verses through expressive gestures. The themes are
based on Indian mythology. This satiric art form was introduced in
the18th century by the renowned poet Kunchan Nambiar. Humour, satire
and social criticism are the hallmarks of Thullal. The Thullal dancer
is supported by a singer who repeats the verses and is accompanied by
an orchestra of mridangam or thoppi maddalam (percussions) and
cymbals. There are three related forms of Thullal - Ottanthullal,
Seethankanthullal and Parayanthullal - of which the first is the most
popular. The three are distinguished by the costumes worn the
performer and the length of the verses.
Ottanthullal
Ottanthullal is one of the most distinguished of all the Thullal arts.
The origin of Ottanthullal is really interesting - Kunchan Nambiar,
the drummer, was playing Mizhavu for Chakyar koothu. One day, against
all precedence, he happened dozed off by sheer inactivity caused by a
prolonged talk by the Chakyar after a recital of poem that needed the
rhythmic support. When the Chakyar abruptly started reciting another
lyric, having had no rhythmic response from the drummer looked back
and found him dozing. He not only got him up but also ripped him down
by humiliatingly sarcastic comments and jokes on his person. Nambiar
hanged his head in shame and silently walked off. Instead of crying
over the incident in self-contempt, he sat through the whole night,
with a vengeance, and wrote a poem depicting an episode from
Mahabharatha in a never-to-fore metric and rhythmic pattern. He also
devised a special kind of dance for its exposition. The legend is that
he presented it the very next evening at the same temple where he was
humiliated on a different platform at the same time the Chakyar had
begun. By the novelty, wittiness, enjoyableness and acridity of the
programme he attracted all the audiences that had surrounded Chakyar
to his show. It was the birth of a new art form that he named as "Ottanthullal". Impressive
costume down the waistline and colourful crown are copied from
Kathakali, with slight variations. Ornaments are made up mainly of
tender leaves of coconut and beads. It is a solo dance with the
artiste himself singing the verses to the accompaniment of Mridangam
and timing with a refrain repeater singing in the background. Usually
the performance lasts a couple of hours.
Duffmuttu (Parichamuttu)
Duffmuttu is a group performance popular among the Muslims of Malabar.
Duffmuttu is staged as a social event during festivals and nuptial
ceremonies. The artistes beat on a quaint round percussion (Daffu).
The leader of the group sings, others form the chorus and move in
circles beating the daffu rhythmically. The songs are often tributes
to martyrs, heroes and saints.
Chakiarkoothu
Koothu is a socio-religious art performed in the Koothambalam or the
Koothuthara of temples, either independently or as part of Kootiyattam.
Chakar Koothu is a mono-act mainly among the upper caste Hindus. It is
a solo narrative performance interspersed with mime and comic
interludes. . The Chakar (Actor) acts the role of all the characters,
to the accompaniment of the "Mizhavu" played by the Nambiar and the
Cymbals by the Nangiar. He recites the scriptural poem narrating the
stories from the epics (The Ramayana and The Mahabharata), and
annotations with witty and humorous examples and anecdotes. There are
different versions of Koothu. Some of them are
Nangyar Koothu
- performed by the Nangiars or the female members of the Chakkiar
community. This a solo dance drama centered on the legends of Sree
Krishna The art form is performed in temples like Vadakkumnatha temple
at Thrissur, Sri Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha, Koodal Manikyam
temple at Irinjalakkuda and Kumaranalloor temple at Kottayam.
Tholppavakkoothu
Tholppavakkoothu, literally meaning 'leather puppet play', is a ritual
art performed in the Kaali temples of Palakkad district. The story of
the play is based on the epic Kamba Ramayana. The play covers the
whole gamut of events from Lord Sree Rama's birth to his coronation as
the King of Ayodhya. This shadow play is presented in the 'Koothumadam',
a specially constructed oblong playhouse on the temple premises. Each
puppet is of an average height of 80 cms and is cut out in different
postures. The puppets are arranged behind a long white curtain
stretched across the Koothumadam. Behind this, on a split bamboo pole,
is placed a row of wick lamps burning inside coconut halves. The light
from these lamps cast the silhouettes of the puppets on the curtain.
The chief puppeteer is known as 'Pulavan'.
Theyyam
A ritual dance performed in Temples in fulfillment of vows of
devotees. Theyyam, the local deity is believed to bless and arbitrate
between the farmers and the Landlords. It is purported to be the dance
by the Goddess Herself. The dancers are men in feminine attire wearing
costumes made of palm leaves, cloth and brass jewellery, ferocious
masks and big head gear, some extending up to forty feet in height.
The pace of the dance is set to the beating of Chenda (drum). The
artiste invested by the goddess in his person falls in a trance,
dances deliriously to the mounting tempo and conveys, as an oracle,
the goddess's acceptance of the vow and blessings or otherwise.
Markkam Kali
It is a
counterpart of Thiruvathira Kali played by women belonging to the
Christian community. The dancers attired in traditional white mundu (dothi),
chatta (Jacket), rich jewellery including Mekkamothiram (an ornamental
ring worn by the Christian ladies on the upper lobe of the ear, now
considered old fashioned). The dancers sing in praise of Jesus Christ
to the varying rhythms of drum beating.
Cherumarkali
It is a harvest dance in which the dancer, both men and women move in
a swift rhythm, linked in a back lock or holding arms. The costumes
are in striking red and white.
Kaalavela
It is a spectacular procession of huge, gaudily decorated motifs of
bulls (Kaala).
Kalampattu-
Kalamezhuthu Pattu
Kalampattu is an ancient folk art form performed around Kolam. It is
around 600 years old. It is a group performance by five to fifteen
people in Bhadrakali and Ayyappa temples. A picture of Bhadrakali is
drawn on the floor, using five colours. A series of songs (Kalampattu)
are sung to the accompaniment of nanthuni and elathalam. It is
performed through out the night.
Kaliyootu
It is an eight daylong colourful peformance, which re-enacts the
combat between goddess Durga and the demon Darika. The ritual is
performed in different stages. The climax of the play - the ritual
called Paranettu - is performed on the eight day.
Kannyarkali -
Deshathukali
Kannyarkali was born when dance and comedy were pitched in to add
vigor and colour to the martial training sessions. Today it is found
practiced by the Nair community of the Palakkad region. It owes its
origin to the pursuit of martial arts in this region, which was under
constant threat of attack from neighboring Konganadu. The art form
combines the agile movements of martial arts with the rhythmic grace
of folk dance performed around a nilavilakku (pedestal wick lamp).
Performed during March-April in temples, this art form is accompanied
by devotional folk songs. The orchestra includes ilathalam (cymbal)
and percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, edakka and udukku
(Country drums). A team of Kannyarkali dancers varies from six to
twenty in number and a performance usually lasts for four days. Each
day's performance is known by a different name: Iravakali, Anadikoothu,
Vallon and Malama. The last day's performance is presented by hill
tribes, in which women's also participate.
Kavadiyattam
Kavadiyattam, It is a ritual dance offering in Subramanya (Lord Muruga)
Temples. Basically of Tamil origin, Kavadiyattam is widely prevalent
in the Subramanya temples all over Kerala during the festival seasons.
Dressed in bright yellow or saffron robes, devotees performing
kavadiyattam smear vibhoothi (ash) all over their body. Each one
carries on his shoulder an ornate Kavadi - a huge bow, richly
decorated with peacock feathers, Kavadies are usually of different
sizes and shapes, (ranging from six to ten feet high) each with its
own significance. A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly coloured
artificial flowers; a mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock
feathers and ambalakavadi, one shaped like the gopuram (tower) of a
temple. The dancers dance balancing the Kavadi on their shoulder. The
rhythm of the dance increase with the rising beats of percussion
instruments like udukku, chenda, nadaswaram etc., accompanying the
procession.
Pulikali
- Tiger dance
Pulikali or 'Kaduvakali' (the dance of the tiger) is usually performed
during the Onam festival. Groups of three or more dancers with pastes
smeared over their body like the stripes on tiger's body, captivate
the viewers with their energetic dances. The Pulikali once performed
all over the State is now seen only in some parts of Thrissur and
Palakkad districts. The scenes enacted include the tiger catching a
goat, being hunted down and so on. This dance is accompanied by the
loud beating of traditional percussion instruments like the udukku,
thakil and chenda.
Poothanumthirayum
This ritual is found in South Malabar. It is an offering to Goddess
Kali. The main dancers dress up as Kaali (the Thira) and his troupe
dress up as the accompanying spirits (the Poothams) who were created
along with the goddess for the destruction of the evil demon, Daarikan.
The Thira wears masks and the spirits don semi-circular wooden crowns.
The dance is performed from house to house and on the premises of
village shrines between November and May every year.
Paana
This art form is popular in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and
Malappuram. Paana is performed to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakali.
It is a part of three-day festival. Paana or Pallippaana, is a ritual
art to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakaali. Paana is part of a
three-day festival. A canopy is made supported by 64 poles cut out
from Paala tree (Alstonia scholaris) and adorned with tender palm
leaves. The frond is erected near the shrine. A stump of Paala tree is
ceremonially brought to the site and planted. A non-figurative Kalam (rangoli)
is drawn in the centre using coloured powders. A ceremonial sword is
placed on a red cloth under the tree stump to signify the presence of
the goddess. At the last stages of rites, the oracle arrives and moves
in a trance around the canopy. The Para, a variation of the Chenda
(drum) is the main percussion.
Mudiyettu
Mudiyettu is a ritual dance preformed in Kaali temples of Ernakulam
and Kottayam. This dance is to celebrate the victory of Goddess over
the demon Daarikan. This dance is performed by Kuruppu and Marar
community of Kerala. The performers of Mudiyettu are all heavily made
up and wear gorgeous attire with conventional facial paintings, tall
headgears etc, to give a touch of the supernatural. The wooden
headgear has a mask of Kaali. An ornamental red vest and a white dhoti
complete the attire.
Arjuna Nritham
Arjun Nritham (The dance of Arjuna) is also called Mayilppeeli Nritham.
Legend is Arjuna, the most valiant of the five heroic brothers - the
Pandavas - of the epic Mahabharatha, was also a renowned singer and
dancer and is said to have propitiated goddess Bhadrakaali by a
devotional presentation. Today is performed by men in Bhagavathy
temples of Kerala. The name Mayilppeeli (peacock feathers) has derived
because the costumes include a garment made of mayilppeeli (peacock
feathers). The performers have their faces painted green and wear
distinctive headgears. This dance is presented either solo act or in
pairs.
The songs, which are strictly rhythm based, are called Kavithangal and
deal with various themes of the Puranas (ancient Hindu scriptures).
Each Kavitham is composed to suit a specific rhythm. Before each song
the dancers explain the intricacies of the particular rhythm about to
be employed and how this rhythm is translated into dance movements.
Percussion instruments like the chenda; maddalam, talachenda and
ilathalam (cymbal) form the musical accompaniment.
Valekali
This is a sort of martial dance performed by men. Velakali was
originated in Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district. Mathoor Panicker,
chief of the Chempakasserri army, promoted it to boost the martial
spirit of the people. The dancers are clad in the traditional clothes
and colourful headgear of the medieval Nair soldiers. The dancers
engage in vigorous movements and dexterous swordplay, to the
accompaniment of an orchestra comprising the maddalam, ilathalam,
kombu and kuzhal.
Kummattikali
Kummattikkali is a mask dance popular in some of the northern
districts of Kerala. The dancers, wearing painted wooden masks and
sporting sprigs of leaves and grass, go dancing from house to house. A
popular Kummatti character is Thalla or the witch; the others
represent various Hindu gods and goddesses. The songs deal with
devotional themes and are accompanied by a bow like instrument called
Ona-villu. No formal training is required to perform the Kummattikkali,
and often the spectators join in the performance.
Theeyattu
Theeyattu is a solo dance-drama performed in front of the Kalam or
Dhooli Chitram (ritual drawing with coloured powders). It is enacted
in some Bhagavathy temples of Thiruvalla, Kottayam, Thripunithura and
neighboring areas. The ritual starts with the invocation of Lord
Ganapathy, Lord Siva and goddess Saraswathy, after which the performer
dons a crown smaller but similar to the one used in Mudiyettu. The
most popular story narrated through a Theeyattu performance is that of
the duel between goddess Kaali and the demon Daarikan. The dance form
is usually performed by a small group of temple bound communities
called the Unni. Theeyattu is still a ritual offering made every
Friday at the Pallippurathu Kaavu temple near Kottayam town.
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