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.
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.
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 :
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).
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.
