Ritualants of Kerala

(Immortal Symbols at the Verge of Irreparable Deterioration)

-Part 5-

Ivar kali

According to mythology 'Ivar Kali' was  performed by Pandavas,  with singing    and dancing  to gratify Bhadrakaali. It is presumed, that is the reason it is also known as 'Pandavar  Kali'. It was in Central Kerala  that this art form had  significant importance. Bells were tied to sticks and the dancers shook the sticks  while performing and when  the footwork was on,   the bells would  zingle  rhythmically. 'Ilathaalam'  ( a  kind of cymbals used for musical effect) was  used  as background instrument. Apart from stories of  Kaali,  other historical and  pauranic  ballads  were also  included as themes for 'Ivar Kali'. The members in the team  would repeat the lines  sung by the leader of the team,  while performing.

The   Ritualant   dance performances (aattam) and   dramatic narrations (kooththu) :

In Kerala,  there were  many types of  aattams   which were   associated with  the belief    of having  some 'curing effect'  to various  diseases. People believed  that abortions and barrenness in women  occurred  because they were possessed by   Durdevathas (spririts) like yakshan, gandharvan, kaaman, kanni, pretham, pisaachu, kurukalakki, pilla thinni etc.  which affected the body. The religious rites to release the women from the possessed nature of these spirits are known as 'garbha balikal'. People believed that these types of spirits can be kept away by decorating the floors with figures of deities, performing songs and dances    and donate offerings to   please the deities. 'Kendron Paattu' , 'Gandharvan Thullal',   'Kanal Kooththu',  'Kanalkalam Paattu', 'Theyyattu', 'Malayan Kettu', 'Kolam Thullal'  are the  significant  items of such performances. In northern Kerala, for safe childbirth, the vannaan  community submitted   the pregnant women infront of   naagaraja (king of cobras) and performed 'Kurunthini Paattu' .The practice of this art is to perform  with masks  depicting Kurunthini Bhagavathi and Kurunthini Kaaman .

It   was  believed  that the causes   for disease, poverty and other  problems were due the  movement of the evil spirits . Among the  ritualistic performances  that were practised to drive away such evil  spirits, the important ones were those  known as 'Kalianaattam', 'Vetanaattam',  'Garddika',  'Maariyaattam'  as well as 'Akanaal neekku' and 'dhaivam Thullal' etc. which were  performed in the karkitaka month of Malayalam calendar (mid July to mid August). While in Kannoor  district  'Pulaya' community  performed 'Kalianaattam',       in Kozhikode (Calicut) district  the same  was observed   by  the community  of 'Paanan' and 'Munnoottanmaar'. In northern Kerala  Maariyaattam  was more prominent among the 'Pulaya' community. In Vayanaad 'Garddika' was   prevalent  among the 'Atiyaan' community. In  southern/central Kerala among the 'Pulaya' community the ritualistic art that was more  famous  was Dhaivam Thullal or Chaavu Thullal.  'Akanaal neekku' was a ritual practised  for the atonement  of the soul of   those who died on certain bad days or under unnatural circumstances.  'Kalamezhuththu Paattu' is another variation  of this ritualistic practice.

There are a few other rites/practices of significance  which are included among the ritualistic practices and performances,   viz. the performance   of     Malayikooththu  in the Thekkum Paattu Kovilakam in Kannoor district,  the   Vannaan kooththu   in the northern districts of Kerala   and  the rites conducted  as  Chutala kooththu in the  crematorium  for  'Akkiththirimaar' (namboothiris - the brahmin community in Kerala ) who died after performing a yaga.

Ritualistic Dance Forms  ( In and Out   of Kerala)

Irrespective of the differences  in  time, place caste/community and language, there are many varieties  of  dance  forms prevalent in and around Kerala,  as well as  outside  the state and country . It is true that most of them influenced  ritualistic  practices. If some were  ritualistic dances connected  to birth, puberty, marriage, death and war,   others were religious  rites  related to deities, sun, moon, fire, air, cobras  and  atonement of souls of   close relatives. Apart from these,  history  records that ritualistic  dance practices had significant role for social  activities   related to hunting, fishing, agriculture,  warding off  disease and  spirits   etc.

It   is to be remembered  that  the ritualistic   performances were  observed  not  only in Kerala  but   these were  prevalent   in other countries,  world over . Some of them can not be omitted  with out a  mention  in this article. The dances performed at the time of birth by Keyan community, the  dances performed in  Indonesia, Andaman and Africa,  on the occasion of puberty, the marriage dances  in Hawai,  the war dances of  Polinesia and   the dances performed  after harvest   in Morocco,  are some of them. While remembering the  various  types of performances of  dances the world over,  we have to  recognise those that are practised in various corners of our own   land, India. The Naaga dance of Nagaland,   Keligopal of Assam, Layhare rabai of Manipur, the Jagar dance to ward off spirits  practised in  Himachal Pradesh,   Damyal  of Haryana,  the Bhangda of    Punjab, Jaddoor of Orissa, Garbha of Gujarat, Makho ba dyor of Bihar,  Desai dance of Bengal and  the Lion dance of Tamil nadu,  aren't these    famous ?

Translated by

Lakshmy N

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