BHARATANATYAM, the
most famous classical dance of India originated in
TamilNadu.
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Bharata Natyam was the
dance technique evolved in the South of India in Tamil
Nadu |
and
practiced in the temples of Shiva. It is a highly
specialised science with a traditional background
and rigid codes and conventions. Bharata Natyam
skillfully embodies the three primary ingredients
of dancing. They are bhava or mood, raga or
music and melody and tala or timing. The technique
of Bharata Natyam consists of 64 principles
of coordinated hand, foot, face and body movements
which are performed to the accompaniment of
dance syllables.
For many centuries Bharata Natyam has been performed
only by certain families in the district of
Tanjore, these inheritors of the craft being
known as 'Nattuvans'. The chief exponents of
this dance were the Devadasis or temple dancers.
They would perform the dance daily at the time
of worship or on festive occasions. It came
to be patronized by the Rajas and princes. In
course of time Devadasis started dancing in
the royal courts and thus its religious sanctity
was lost. |
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Bharata Natyam stands in the forefront of all the classical
dance arts now prevalent in India, owing to its religious
origin and its highly developed technique. It is the
form of dance most akin to the code compiled by the
sage Bharata Muni in his famous 'Natya Shastra'. The
modern form of Bharata Natyam presentation is the arrangement
of four Nattuvans of Pandanallur. They were the brothers-
Ponniah, Chinniah, Vadivelu and Sivanandam, who lived
in the eighteenth century. The Vidwan, Menaskshi Sunderam
Pillay of Pandanallur, the greatest teacher of Bharata
Natyam is a direct descendant of the four brothers.
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It was Rukmini Devi Arundale, the celebrated dancer
and scholar who took this Dance form out of the temple
and gave it a new respectability. She started a school
at Tiruvanmiyur, (the village just outside Madras) named
Kalak-Shetra. The age-old, 'Gurukulam' system of education
is still followed and many classes are conducted in
sylvan surroundings.
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In the Nataraja temple-(temple of the dancing Shiva)
at Chidambaram, poses of the classical Bharata Natyam
are sculpted around the shrines and on the gate ways.
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FOLK
DANCES |
Karagaattam
: kararagam is a folk dance with musical
accompaniment, performed balancing a pot on the head.
Traditionally, this dance was performed by the villagers
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in
praise of the rain goddess Mari Amman and river
goddess, Gangai Amman, performed with literature
with water pots balanced on their heads. In
Sangam literature, it is mentioned as 'Kudakoothu'.
This dance has two divisions - one, Aatta Karagam
and the other 'Sakthi Karagam'. More often it
is danced with decorated pots on the head and
is known as 'Aatta Karagam' and symbolises joy
and merriment. The former is performed only
in temples, while the latter is mainly entertainment
in nature. This is one of the more popular rural
dances today. Earlier it was performed only
with accompliment of the Naiyandi Melam but
now it includes songs also.
Karagams were once performed for mulaipari ceremony
when the dancer carried a pot of sprouted grains
on his/her head and danced, balancing it through
intricate steps and body/arm movements. Today,
the pots have transformed from mud pots to bronzeware
and even stainless steel in modern times. The
pots are decorated with a cone of flower arragements,
topped by a paper parrot. The parrot rotates
as the dancer swings along. |
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This dance is very popular all over Tamilnadu, though
its birth place is said to be Thanjavur. Most artistes
hail from Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Madurai,
Tirunelveli, Pattukottai and Salem. This dance is danced
by an individual or two persons. Both male and female
performers participate in this. Acrobatics similar to
circus are included - such as dancing on a rolling block
of wood, up and down a ladder, threading a needle while
bending backwards and so on.
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Kolattam : Kolattam, derived from Kol(
a small stick), and Attam (play) is the name of a charming
Tamil dance practiced by groups of young girls. A festival
connected with this art has both a cultural and a religious
significance. According to legends, once there lived
an Asura called Basavasura who could not be controlled
by anybody. Some girls joined together in a group, went
to this Asura and played Kolattam with charming music.
The Asura was so pleased with the divine music and grace
of the girls, that he gave up all his evil designs.
This has since been celebrated as Kolatta Jothrai in
a number of places in Tamil Nadu.
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'Basava'
- the bull, the personification of Shiva
is the centre of the Kolattam festival, commencing every
year on the new moon day of the October-November and
ending on the full moon day. Daily, girls take their
bath early in the morning in the holy rivers and they
pick up a handful of grass and water in a small container
and return to the place where they have installed the
clay idol of Basava. The girls then offer the grass
to lord Basava, place the water near the bull and worship.
While playing Kolattam the girls visit some houses in
the village to play Kolattam in each house. On the purnima
day, scheduled for the immersion of Basava, the girls
dressed in new clothes placing the Basava in a decorated
palanquin ultimately immerse it in a river. In every
stage of the festival, each girl has one stick in each
of her hands and the stick in the hand of each girl
is struck against those of the other girls in rotation,
producing beautiful music.
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Kavadi
: Lord Muruga or Subrahmanya, the son
of Lord Shiva, has annihilated all the evil forces of
demons. He is said to be reside in six embattled field-camps
called Padaiveedus. Palani and Thirupparakundram in
Madurai district are two such holy places. They are
hillocks described in mythology as carried by a giant
called Idumban |
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of a pole placed on his shoulder. This Idumban
became one of the principal devotees of Lord
Subrahmanya. He has a shrine half-way up the
Palani hill and receives the first honours from
all devotees proceeding to worship Subrahmanya.
Actually the worship of Lord Subrahmanya without
paying homage to Idumban is considered ineffective.
The carrying of Kavadi by pilgrims is symbolic
of Idumban carrying the hillocks, the abodes
of the Lord slung on a pole. |
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There are several kinds of Kavadis- the milk and rose-water
Kavadi being the principal ones. The central shaft of
the semi-circular wooden structure is placed on the
shoulders and the pilgrims dressed in yellow costume
and decorated with garlands, undergoing many privations
to fulfill vows. They dance their way through the streets
and up the hillock under the hypnotic music provided
by the drum, the pipes and the tom-tom.
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It is a Tandava as opposed
to the Lasya form of dance. Extreme devotion prompts
some Kavadi dancers to disfigure their lips. The lower
lip is pierced through for the insertion of a copper
or brass ring, often with a view to maintain silence.
The dancers subject themselves to rigorous austerities
and try to get rid of their ego, anger, lust and other
vices. They dance to the tunes of Kavadi-c-cindu, sung
by admiring groups of devotees who follow the dancers.
The divine songs are rendered in charming music by a
trained singer and repeated by others in chorus and
the emotion-chocked dancer goes into raptures hearing
them. Sometimes they react by shifting the Kavadi over
their shoulder, head, nose etc. in see-saw position
displaying great artistry with many a pose and movement
in rhythm, unaided by hands.
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Kavadi-c-cindu,
a peculiar folk art of Tamil genius has blossomed into
a literary and technically brilliant form. It gives
a lilting tune and inspiration to listeners and relieves
the bearer of the Avid of physical pain. It is also
called Vazhinadai-cindu. It is sung by pilgrims while
trekking long distances, to forget the tedium.
Kavadi-c-cindu, a peculiar folk art of Tamil genius
has blossomed into a literary and technically brilliant
form. It gives a lilting tune and inspiration to listeners
and relieves the bearer of the Avid of physical pain.
It is also called Vazhinadai-cindu. It is sung by pilgrims
while trekking long distances, to forget the tedium.
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Mayil Attam : This is done by girls
dressed as peacocks, resplendent with peacock feathers
and a glittering head-dress complete with a beak. This
beak can be opened and closed with the help of a thread
tied to it, and manipulated from within dress.
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Poikkal Kudirai Aattam : This is the Dummy
Horse Dance where the dancer |
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bears
the dummi figure of a horse's body on his/her
hips. This is made of light-weighted materials
and the cloth at the sides swings to and fro covering
the legs of the dancer. The dancer dons wooden
legs which sound like the hooves of the horse.
The dancer brandishes either a sword or a whip.
This folk dance needs much training and skill.
This dance is accompanied by Naiyandi melam or
Band music. This is connected to the worship of
Ayyanar, prevails manily around Thanjavur.
Bommalattam
or Puppet Show : Puppet shows
are held in every village during festivals and
fairs. There are always kinds of puppets used
for this show made of cloth, wood, leather, etc.
They are controlled by strings or wires. The persons
stand behind a screen and the puppets are held
in front. The stories enacted in the puppet shows
are from Ved-puranas, history and folklore. These
shows are very entertaining and hold both adults
and childrens quite for many hours.
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Kummi : Kummi is one of the most important
and ancient forms of village dances of Tamilnadu. It
originated when there were no musical instruments, with
the participants clapping their hands to keep time.
This is performed by women; many varieties of Kummi,
such as, Poonthatti Kummi, Deepa Kummi, Kulavai Kummi,
Kadir Kummi, Mulaipari Kummi etc are known. The women
stand in a circle and dance clapping their hands rhythamically.
This dance is usually performed during temple festivals,
Pongal, the harvest festival, family functions like
the one to celebrate the coming of age (onset of puberty)
of the girl-child etc. The first line of the song is
sung by the leading lady, which the others repeat.
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Kai
Silambu Attam : This dance is performed
in temples during Amman festivals or Navaratri festival.
The dancers wear ankle-bells and hold anklets or silambu
in their hands, which make noise when shaken. They perform
various stepping styles jumps. The dance is in praise
of all female deities, the most preferred being the
powerful angry goddess - Kali or Durga. |
Silambattam : Kol silambam or fighting
with a long stick and even with swords is a martial
art from the days of Tamil Kings. Fights were characterised
by moves of self defence, practise of skillful methods
of approaching the opponent, overpowering and subduing
him, and finally teaching him a lesson, all to put an
end to violence. A violent fighting art has metamorphosed
into a non-violent form of folk dance, adding stepping
styles following the measure of time. It also teaches
the performer the methods of the self defence in modern
day world.
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Chakkai Attam : Teak woodenpieces size
of 7 X 3/4 inch are held between the fingers which make
the noise. Eight to ten dancers stand in a circle or
parallel lines. The accompanying songs are generally
about gods and goddesses.
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Kazhai Kothu : Kazhai Kothu is a performance
of gymnastic specialised by Aryans. This is very similar
to modern day circus. They travel in a group from place
to place, entertaining the local people and thus earning
a living.
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Thappaattam : Thappu is the name of
a rhythamic beat instrument and Thappattam is practiced
among the suppressed classes of the people of the Tamil
Nadu. The subtle form of dance accompanied by captivating
music, is an ancient rural folk art which is even now
popular in urban slum areas in villages.
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Bagavatha Nadanam : This dance is performed
inside a temple, around a lamp. The purpose is to worship
Lord Krishna, and celebrate his frolics with the gopikas.
This is performed during Ramanavami and Gokulashtami.
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Theru Koothu : Normally conducted during
village festivals, during the months of Panguni and
Aadi. This is performed where three or four streets
meet; in open air, the place being lit by gas lights.
A wooden bench is set up to seat the singers and the
musical troupe. Here, make-up and costumes are considered
of prime importance. Only men take part; the female
roles also played by them. The performance consists
of stoy-telling, dialogue-rendering, songs and dance,
all performed by the artistes. Thus the ariste should
have a very good performing ability, being an all-rounder.
The stories are taken from Puranas, epics such as Ramayana
and Mahabharata, and also local folklore. The play starts
in the late evening and gets over only during the small
hours of the nights. The performance is so captivating
that the audience are spell-bound unaware of the longs
hours. Theru Koothu is more popular in the northern
districts of Tamilnadu. The Koothu can be categorised
as Nattu Koothu, including Vali Koothu, Kuravai Koothu
etc. Samaya Koothu dealing with religious topics, Pei
Koothu including Thunangai Koothu and Porkala Koothu
dealing with martial events.
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Devaraattam : Devarattam is a pure folk
dance still preserved by the descendents of Veerapandiya
Kattabomman dynasty at Kodangipatti of Madurai District.
It was actually performed once a year near the temple
and that too restricted to that community alone. Folklore
research scholars have found that Devarattam is a combination
of ancient 'muntherkuruvai' and 'pintherkuruvai' of
the ancient Tamil Kings. It was performed in front of
and at the chariot on the victorious return of the King
and his army from battle field. Sometimes even the king
and his marshalls would dance on the chariot deck. The
soldiers and female dancers would form in lines and
dance behind the chariot.
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Today, this dance does not have any songs but only danced
to the beat of Urumi Melam, Thappu Melam and sometimes,
a long flute. The dancers hold a kerchief in each hand
and swing them as they dance. The person leading the
dance wears false beard and a mask decorated with shells
to look like teeth. He dances the first step, which
others follow.
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Oyilattam : Oyil means beauty. This
dance is hence the dance of beauty. Traditionally, it
is danced only by men. Ten years ago women also began
to participate. This dance is prevalent in the south
districts and Kongu Nadu in particular. First a few
people will stand in a row and start dancing with rhythmic
steps with musical accompaniment. Intricate steps are
used in martial arts, such as Silambattam. Then gradually
the row will become longer as the new comers and guests
all join and dance along as they like. The dancers wear
ankle-bells. Normally, the dance is performed with the
accomplishment of musical instruments and songs. It
is performed near the temples or public places in the
morning and evening hours, at times even till midnight.
Styles of Oyilattam differ from place to place.
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Snake Dance : Yet another typical speciality
of the southern region is the snake-dance which arises
from the popularity of the snake as a protective divinity,
safeguarding the health and happiness of the rural folk.
Usually danced by young girls dressed in a tight-fighting
costume designed like the snake-skin. The dancer simulates
the movements of the snake, writhing and creeping, at
times making quick biting movements with head and hands.
The raised hands held together look like the hood of
a snake.
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Urummi
Attam : The whirring sound of 'urumi'
providing the melody and the beat of the Thappu providing
the rhythm, accompany the dance sequence in this kind
of temple art form. This is performed especially in
Amman temples during the month of Adi. Nowadays, this
art form is found only in selected villages in a few
districts.
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Ottan
Koothu: Ottas, a small group of tribals,
perform this form of ritual dance on festive occassions
to depict episodes from epics and other ancient stories.
The women folk also participate in the dance.
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Kamandi or Kaman Pandigai : This is
celebrated to commemorate the puranic event when Manmada
the God of Love was burnt to ashes by Siva in anger.
The villagers separate themselves into two parties as
Erintha katchi and Eriyatha katchi and a heated debate
ensues. Kaman and Rathi, his consort, are main characters.
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Puli Attam : Puli Attam is performed
by young men with painted bodies in colours yellow and
black, complete with fangs, head gear with ears, paws
with claws and long tail, simulating the prancing, ouncing
tiger in every ferocious move. Wildly beating drums
add frenzy to the performance. Puli Attam is performed
by young men with painted bodies in colours yellow and
black, complete with fangs, head gear with ears, paws
with claws and long tail, simulating the prancing, ouncing
tiger in every ferocious move. Wildly beating drums
add frenzy to the performance.
Sometimes, a goat is tied and brought along with the
dancers, who pretend to pounce on it and kill it. This
dance is regularly performed during temple festivals,
drawing large crowds.
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Kali Attam : Kali means joy or fun and
games. This is also known as Koladi, Kolkali, Kambadi
Kali and Kolaattam. Sticks one foot length are held
in each hand and beaten to make a sharp, rasping sound
as the dance proceeds with unique steps, twisting and
turning. It is danced by both men and women, during
festivals, auspicious days and weddings. The special
qualities fo the dance are quickness, alertness, while
being careful no to hurt the other dancers by the swinging
'kol'. Earlier, the 'kols' were brightly painted and
decorated with brass rings, bells etc. The dancers used
to wear ankle-bells. However, no special dress or make
up was used for this dance.
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Sevai Attam : This form of art is devoted
to 'Thirumal' (Maha Vishnu) and is performed by village
folk belonging especially to Nataka community. In this
dance the performers forming a group, with one of them
acting the buffoon, dance to the music of percussion
instrument like 'urumi'. The classical songs and the
measured steps with graceful movements are the special
features of Sevai Attam. In Sangam works this had been
known as 'Pinther Kuruvai'. In those days this was performed
at the rear of a chariot procession either of a king
or a deity.
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Villu Pattu : The main singer here is
accompanied by a chorus, musical instruments and a main
instrument, the Villu or Bow, fixed with bells . The
villu is struck rhythmically when the bells jingle in
tune. The main singer relates a tale, interspersed with
lively songs.
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