Folk
Tamilnadu had developed the art of entertainment to its pristine heights at a very early age. The three modes of entertainment are classified as Iyal (Literature), Isai (Music) and Nadagam (Drama) had their roots in the rural folk theatre. Many forms of group and individual dances with the folk forms are yet popular now and have sheer entertainment value.
These dances have survived through many centuries of Indian History and have provided continuity to the Indian tradition that is not stagnant, as it is constantly adapting itself to new conditions and assimilating influences. The more celebrated forms of village folk dances are as follows:
Karagam
Karagam is a folk dance with musical accompaniment, performed balancing a pot on the head. Traditionally, this dance was performed by the villagers 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.
Karagam dance feature is how a dancer balancing a pot of on head and dancing with more intricate steps and body/arm movements decides the skill of performer. Today, the pots have transformed from mud pots to bronze ware and even stainless steel to have more decency in looking and better handling. The pots are decorated in many ways with the help of attractive flower arrangements, topped by a moving paper parrot. The parrot rotates as the dancer takes swings along these looks beautiful.
Men sometimes perform it also, wherein they balance pots filled with uncooked rice, surrounded by a tall conical bamboo frame decorated with colourful flowers. Drums and long pipes form the musical instruments adding vigor to the dance.
Kolaattam
Kolattam is an ancient village art. This is mentioned in Kanchipuram as 'Cheivaikiyar Kolattam', which proves its antiquity. This is performed by women only, with two sticks held in each hand, beaten to make a rhythmic sound. Pinnal Kolattam is danced with ropes which the women hold in their hands, the other of which are tied to a tall pole. With planned steps, the women skip over each other, which forms intricate lace-like patterns in the ropes. As coloured ropes are used, this lace looks extremely attractive. Again, they unravel this lace reversing the dance steps. This is performed for ten days, starting with the Amavasi or Newmoon night after Deepavali.
A festival connected with Kolaattam has both a cultural and a religious significance. A legend behind celebration of this festival is- once there lived an Asura called Basavasura who could not be controlled by anybody. Some girls forming a group went to this Asura and played Kolaattam with charming music. And it is believed that the Asura was so pleased with the divine music and grace of the girls that he gave up all his evil actions. From this time, it is celebrated as Kolatta Jothrai in a number of places in Tamil Nadu State. Kolaattam offers a great variety of entertainment not only to spectators but also to the participants.
Kavadi Aattam
Kavadi AattamWhile visiting any pilgrimage or any such holy place, ancient Tamilians, used to carry the offerings to the gods. This used to be tied to the either end of the long stick usually made up of bamboo and then balanced on their shoulders. This was created to lessen the boredom of the long travels; kavadi Aattam hence, has its origin in this context. Many special songs were created to sing while carrying the Kavadi Sindhu. Only the men perform it, since only they can hold the Kavadi. Sometimes it is also done by balancing a pole with pots fixed on either end of stick, filled with milk or coconut water.
Generally, the materials used for preparing the poles are Purasai or Teakwood. At topside of the Kavadi, bamboo strips are bent like a half-moon, covered with saffron cloth and further decorated on the sides with peacock feathers. This is mainly a religious dance, performed in worship of Tamil Lord "Muruga", who is the second son of Shiva. Pambai and Naiyandi Melam accompany the dance.
Bhagavatha Mela
Bhagavatha Mela is a form of dance-drama. It is graceful with, mellifluous vocal and instrumental music to add colour in its overall performance. It also contains dialogues of high diction and suggestive strained abhinaya and other symbolical, descriptive action as some of its hallmarks. Whenever there is a violent scene of war and killing comes in drama, they are not enacted but are only narrated as an incident. The Bhagavatha Mela is full of dramatic interest that is enhanced by using classical music and dance. It drama can be characterized by several steps, such as:
Firstly, the performance starts with the appearance of the Konangi or buffoon. Konangi dances for a few minutes and make request to the audience to see the fourth coming play patiently. The play is followed by a group of musicians they sing the Todaya-mangalam, which is an invocation song. After invocation song an introduction of the drama that is to be enacted is told in short. A performer in the dress of Lord Ganesh then appears in front of audience to bless the play. A young boy wearing the mask of Ganesh dances to the accompaniment of background music to give the feel of Lord Ganesha. The arrival of the Lord Ganapati sets the stage for an auspicious start to the performance. Each actor or character is then introduced. After this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins. The drama contains mainly dialogues of Prahlad, Hiranakashapu (father of Prahlad) & Narsimha. The story places its own demands on the actor portraying Narsimha. The actor prays and fasts before donning the mask of the god, and at the close of the performance, all the performers (Bhagavatars or Bhagavatulus) circumambulate the deity within the temple. The musicians follow them, singing devotional songs. Next to be honored, with flowers and sandal paste, are the teachers of this dance-drama. This festival is celebrated to signify the victory of Prahlad over his evil father, the king Hiranyakashipu through the intervention of Vishnu in his man-lion avatar (incarnation). The drama is characterized by natural, flowing movements that enhance the body- language used to convey the main theme. The actors are always male.
Nondi Natakam
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The word "Nondi" means, the one who limps and "Natakam" means play. Thus, a play performed by a character, keeping one leg folded at the back, is Nondi Natakam. This form originated during the late 17th or early 18th century in Tamil Nadu state itself. The play is a descriptive one and it is developed around two themes- devotion and forgiveness, as experienced by a one-legged thief. As a course of dance, he narrates his tale- as a thief in love with an unethical courtesan, the final redemption through devotion to God and the healing of his physical afflictions. This drama is also known as Ottraikkaal in some part of Tamil Nadu. |  |
Pavai Koothu
Pavai Koothu is considered as a form of early year`s puppet shows. Some called it as a glove puppet theatre of the 16th century. "Pavai" means woman, "Koothu" means play. The name is quite appropriate to its theme, as all the stories concern with the feelings of Vali, one of Lord Shiva`s attendants, for Subramanya, who is one of Shiva`s sons. This performance uses papier-mache puppets. These puppets are generally one foot tall in height and wear paper or coconut -fiber garlands. A single person to work as manipulator is required to monitor the show. His thumb and little finger move the puppet`s arms, whereas, his middle finger works for the head. The language of the show is mostly Tamil, and the songs are predominantly folk in nature. The idakka drum and cymbals are used for music of the performance.
Kai Silambu Aattam Dance This dance is performed in temples during the time of Amman festivals or Navaratri festival. The dance is in praise of all the female deities, the most preferred being the powerful angry goddess also known as Shakti -Kali or Durga. The dancers wear ankle-bells and hold anklets or Silambu in their hands. It was due to this ornament, that the dance got termed as the Kai Silambu Aattam. The participants perform various stepping styles and jumps in course of this dance.
Bommalattam
Bommalattam or Puppet shows are the most favourite dance form in Kerala, but it originated in Tamil Nadu. This dance is held in every village during the time of festivals and fairs. There are various kinds of puppets used for this show, made up of cloth, wood, leather, etc. A skilled performer with the help of strings or wires controls them. This person however, has to stand behind a screen and the puppets are held in front. The stories that are enacted in the puppet shows are from Ved-puranas, history and folklore. These shows are very entertaining and hold both adults and children quite for long time.
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre. There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a wide range of materials, depending on their form and intended use. They can be extremely complex or very simple in their construction. They may even be found objects. As Oscar Wilde wrote, There are many advantages in puppets. They never argue. They have no crude views about art. They have no private lives. Some types of Puppets are Black light puppet,Bunraku puppet,Finger puppet,Human-arm puppet,Shadow puppet,Water Puppet.
