Kerala Arts Culture and Games
Yakshagana (Tulu: α▓»α▓òα│ìα▓╖α▓ùα▓╛α▓¿/Kannada: α▓»α▓òα│ìα▓╖α▓ùα▓╛α▓¿, yakß╣úagana) is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent (200 years) scholastic name for what are known as k─ôß╕╖ike, ─üß╣¡a, bayal─üß╣¡a, bayal─üß╣¡a, da┼¢─üvat─üra (Kannada: α▓òα│çα▓│α▓┐α▓òα│å, α▓åα▓ƒ, α▓¼α▓»α▓▓α▓╛α▓ƒ, α▓ªα▓╢α▓╛α▓╡α▓ñα▓╛α▓░). It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti…
Thiriyuzhichil is a dance ritual performed by Pulluvas in Kerala (South India) to alleviate the fear of snakes, to appease the snake and to be blessed with babies. This is more popular in the districts of Trichur, Calicut and Palghat and it is performed in Hindu Temples and shrines meant for snakes. By performing this,…
Theyyam (Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area (consisting of present-day Kasargod, Kannur Districts, Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad and Vadakara and Koyilandy Taluks of Kozhikode of Kerala. As a living cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs, it embraces…
Theeyaattam also known as Theeyaattu (T─½y─üttu) is a traditional dance form performed by the peoples of Theeyaattunni and Thiyaadi Nambiar,a sub-caste of Ambalavasi community in Kerala of southwestern India. There were two types of Theeyaattam – Bhadrakali Theeyaattu and Ayyappan Theeyaattu. Bhadrakali Theeyattu is performed by Theeyaattunnis (a Brahmin community in Kerala) whereas Ayyappan Theeyaattu…
Thacholikali is a folk art performed during the ‘Mandala Utsavam’, forty-one day annual festival at the Lokanarkavu Bhagavathy Temple. Lokanarkavu temple is situated 5 km from Vatakara, a small town in Kerala state of south India. This dance, performed during the festival resembles the martial art Kalarippayattu. Many of the traditional performing art forms of…
Sopana Sangeetham is a form of Indian classical music that developed in the temples of Kerala in south India in the wake of the increasing popularity of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda or Ashtapadis. Etymology The name derives from two Malayalam or Sanskrit words : Sopanam and Sangeetham. The word Sopanam refers to the sacred steps of…
Many ancient family houses in Kerala have special snake shrines called Kavu. Sarpam Thullal is usually performed in the courtyard of houses having snake shrines. This is a votive offering for family wealth and happiness. The dance is performed by members of a community called Pulluvar. In the first stage the pulluvan draws a kalam…
At olden times in Kerala, India, the people were divided into different castes (according to the work they did). A Pulluvan is a male member (female Pulluvatti ) of low caste group called Pulluvar. The term pullu means a bird of omen. The term pulluvan must have meant ΓÇÿa person who predicts from the sound…
Poothan and Thira is a ritualistic art form found in the South Malabar region of Kerala in India, in which people dance in costumes representing Poothan, Shiva’s lieutenant, and Thira, the goddess Kali, to the accompaniment of drummers. It is usually performed once or twice a year in villages or towns to cleanse them of…
Poorakkali (Malayalam: α┤¬α╡éα┤░α┤éα┤òα┤│α┤┐) 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…