|
|
|
| Home | Business Finder | News Today | Emergency | Ask Me | Kerala at a glance | What's on Today | |
|
Folk
Dances
|
| Name : PAANA | Tribe / Sect : | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description : PAANA IS A RITUAL DANCE TO PLEASE GODDESS KALI. THE FIRST PART OF THE DANCE IS CALLED PAANA PIDITHAM. IN THIS A BRANCH OF PALA TREE IS RITUALLY INSTALLED IN A SMALL TEMPORARY SHRINE, AS THE DEITY, AND POOJA IS PERFORMED. THEN DANCES ARE PERFORMED AROUND THE DEITY WITH BURNING TORCHES AND CANES IN THE HANDS. THE LAST PART OF THE DANCE IS VELICHAPADU THULLAL. | |||
| Name : KURAVAR KALI | Tribe / Sect : KURAVAR | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description :THE DANCE IS PERFORMED OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE WALLS IN CONNECTION WITH FESTIVALS. THE COSTUMES OF THE DANCERS ARE PECULIAR WITH CONICAL CAPS CALLED PALA THOPPI, WHITE DHOTHI AND RED SASH. THEY CIRCLE AROUND A TRADITIONAL LAMP AND DANCE TO THE TIMING AND RHYTHM SET BY PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS LIKE VEEKKAN CHENDA. | |||
| Name : SARPAM THULLAL | Tribe / Sect : PULLUVAR | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description : SARPAM THULLAL IS USUALLY PERFORMED IN THE COURTYARD OF HOUSES HAVING SNAKE SHRINES, AS AN OFFERING FOR THE WELL BEING AND HAPPINESS OF THE FAMILY. THE PULLUVAN AND PULLUVATHI WILL BE SINGING SPECIAL DEVOTIONAL SONGS SET TO TUNE AND RHYTHM BY NANDUNI AND KUDAM. AS THE SONG GATHERS MOMENTUM THE GIRLS GO INTO TRANCE AND BEGIN TO DANCE, SWAYING THEIR BODY SLOWLY AT FIRST AND STEADILY ASCENDING IN TEMPO. | |||
| Name : PARICHAMUTTU KALI | Tribe / Sect : THIYYA | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description : THIS IS A MARTIAL FOLK DANCE. THE PERFORMERS DANCE WITH SWORDS AND SHIELDS IN THEIR HANDS, FOLLOWING THE MOVEMENTS OF SWORD FIGHT. MARTIAL SONGS ARE SUNG THROUGHOUT AND THE STEPS AND THE STRIKING OF THE SWORDS AGAINST THE SHIELDS ARE IN PERFECT TIMINGS. | |||
| Name : PULAYAR KALI | Tribe / Sect : PULAYAR | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description : PULAYAR KALI IS A GROUP DANCE WHICH IS USUALLY PERFORMED AFTER THE HARVEST SEASON. THE SONGS ARE BASED ON THEMES RELATED TO METHOLOGIES LIKE MAHABHARATHA AND RAMAYANA. | |||
| Name : AYYAPPAN VILAKKU | Tribe / Sect : | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description : MINIATURE TEMPLES ARE CONSTRUCTED OUT OF TENDER COCONUT FROND AND PLANTAIN LEAF STALKS. SONGS ARE SUNG ABOUT AYYAPPAN AND VAVAR. TWO DANCER IN THE COSTUME AND MAKEUP OF AYYAPPAN AND VAVAR PERFORM, STRIKING WITH SWORDS AND DEFENDING WITH COCONUT FRONDS. IN THE LAST STAGE, A HUGE FIRE CALLED AAZHI IS LIT AND THE DANCERS JUMP INTO THE BURNING EMBERS STILL DANCING. | |||
| Name : KAALAYUM KUDAYUM | Tribe / Sect : | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description :THE DANCE IS PERFORMED AFTER THE HARVEST. MODELS OF OX AND HORSES ARE MADE OUT OF BAMBOO AND DECORATED WITH WHITE CLOTHES. UMBRELLAS OF FIVE TO SEVEN STOREYS ARE ALSO SIMILARLY MADE AND DECORATED WITH TENDER COCONUT FRONDS AND FLOWERS. THESE ARE THAN TAKEN FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. THE BEARER EXECUTE A VERY SIMPLE DANCE, MOVING LEGS TO LEFT AND RIGHT, FRONT AND BACK. | |||
| Name : KAVADIYATTOM | Tribe / Sect : | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description :MAINLY PERFORMED AS OFFERING IN TEMPLES WITH LORD SUBRAMANIA AS THE DEITY. HERE A NUMBER OF DANCERS DRESSED IN YELLOW OR ROSE CLOTHES AND SMEARED ALL OVER THE BODY WITH ASHES AND EACH WITH AN ORNATE KAVADI ON THE SHOULDER, DANCE TO THE RHYTHMIC BEATINGS OF INSTRUMENTS LIKE UDUKKU, CHENDA ETC. | |||
| Name : VELAKALI | Tribe / Sect : NAIR | Region : ALL | District : ALL |
| Description :IT IS A MARTIAL FOLK DANCE, DEPICTING ANCIENT WARFARE IN KERALA, WITH SWORDS AND SHIELDS AND DRESSED IN EXOTIC COSTUMES. THE DANCE ENDS WITH THE VICTORY OF GOOD OVER EVIL. | |||
| Name : PURATTU | Tribe / Sect : EZHAVA/PULAYA | Region : | District : |
| Description :IT IS A HUMOROUS FOLK-PLAY IN WHICH MANY CHARACTERS LIKE CHETTIAR, CHETTICHI, KURAVAN AND KURATHI ARE CLEVERLY IMITATED TO EVOKE LAUGHTER. | |||
| Name : KAMPADAVU KALI | Tribe / Sect : | Region : | District : |
| Description :THE DANCE IS PERFORMED IN CIRCLES AND THE DANCERS UTTER WILD WAR CRIES AS IT GATHERS MOMEMTUM. IT IS UNIQUE FOR ITS FOOTWORK AND THE STRIKING OF STICKS. THE DANCE IS ALSO CALLED KOLKALI. | |||
| Name :AMMANATTOM | Tribe / Sect : WOMEN | Region : | District : |
| Description :WOMEN PERFORM THE AMMANATTOM DANCE, USING FOUR TO TWENTY-FOUR AMMANAS WHICH ARE THROWN UP AND CAUGHT WITHOUT MISSING ONE. | |||
| Name :THOOKKAM | Tribe / Sect : | Region : | District : |
| Description :THOOKKAM IS AN OFFERING IN BAGAVATHY TEMPLES. THE DANCER GETS OVER A ONE WHEELED PLATFORM OVER WHICH IS A PILLAR LIKE UTHOLAKAM. THE HOOK ON THE UTHOLAKAM IS ATTACHED TO THE BACKSIDE SKIN OF THE DANCER AND HE IS SUSPENDED FROM IT. | |||
| Name : AIVAR KALI | Tribe / Sect : ASARI, MOOSARI, KARUVAN, THATTAN AND KALLASARI | Region : | District : |
| Description :IT IS OFTEN PERFORMED IN CONNECTION WITH TEMPLE FESTIVALS. IN THIS THE DANCERS DANCE IN RING FORM WITH SMALL STICKS IN THEIR HANDS, ALONG WITH SINGING. | |||
| Name : EZHAMATHU KALI | Tribe / Sect : VARIAR, PISHARADY | Region : | District : |
| Description :IN THIS A MEMBER FROM THE GROUP STANDS UP AND ASKS A QUESTION IN THE FORM OF A SONG. THOSE WHO FAIL TO ANSWER HAVE TO ENACT VARIOUS ROLES. | |||
| Name :PENTHARUMO KALI | Tribe / Sect : WOMEN | Region : | District : |
| Description A GRACEFUL GROUP DANCE OF WOMEN, IN WHICH THE DANCERS FORM TWO LINES. THE SONGS ARE IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. ONE PARTY REQUESTS THE OTHER TO GIVE THEM A GIRL AND THE OTHER REFUSES THE REQUEST. THIS IS REPEATED WITH OFFERS OF VARIOUS RANSOM. | |||