Poorakkali
Encyclopedia
Poorakkali 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 Maniyani, Thiyyan, 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.
Payyanur
, Vengara
, 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.
is a variant of Poorakkali. This is a form performed by two parties competently. The ordinary play lacks the competent mood displayed in Marathukali. Big disputes ensue between two parties while performance is on and learned people dissuade both parties from further confrontation.
Pooram
Pooram is an annual temple festival held in central Kerala after the summer harvest. Most pooram festivals have at least one ornately decorated elephant being paraded in the procession taken out of the temple precincts...
festival in Bhagavathy temples across North Malabar
North Malabar
North Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...
in Kerala State of south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
.
The Pooram festival begins with the Karthika
Karthika
Karthika was an actress in Malayalam cinema from 1985 to 1989. Karthika's debut movie was Manicheppu Thurannappol.She was known for her ability to portray simple and bold characters...
asterism
Asterism (astronomy)
In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars recognized on Earth's night sky. It may form part of an official constellation, or be composed of stars from more than one. Like constellations, asterisms are in most cases composed of stars which, while they are visible in the same general direction,...
and concludes with the Pooram asterism of the month of Meenam according to the Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
(corresponding to the sun sign Pisces according to the Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
) to honour Kamadeva
Kamadeva
Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Other names for him include; Atanu , Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija ,...
, the god of love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
.
The Poorakkali dance itself is performed by a troop of young men decked in lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
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
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
or The Bhagavata
Bhagavata
Bhagavata signifies in the context of Hinduism. In this context bhakti has the primary meaning of 'adoration', while Bhagavat means 'the Adorable One', and Bhagavata is a worshiper of the Adorable One...
.
The performers come from different sects of society like Maniyani, Thiyyan, 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.
Payyanur
Payyanur
Payyanur is a Municipal Town situated at the northern end of Kannur district in North Malabar region of Kerala, India. This Municipality consists of three administrative villages viz. Vellur, Korom and Payyannur. Other villages are; Annur and Kokkanissery....
, Vengara
Vengara
Vengara is a village in Kannur District, Kerala, India that is known for its landscapes and lush greenery.The village is between the Arabian Sea and Ezhimala Hill.The word vengara comes from ven kara meaning "white land" created by moving sea...
, Trikaripur and Aravath are among the places in North Malabar
North Malabar
North Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...
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.
Variants of Poorakkali
MarathukaliMarathukali
Marathukali is a variant of Poorakkali. Poorakkali is a traditional dance ritual performed by men during the nine-day Pooram festival in Bhagavathy temples across Northern Kerala , south India. Marathukali is a form of Poorakali performed by two parties competently. The ordinary play lacks the...
is a variant of Poorakkali. This is a form performed by two parties competently. The ordinary play lacks the competent mood displayed in Marathukali. Big disputes ensue between two parties while performance is on and learned people dissuade both parties from further confrontation.
See also
- Arts of KeralaArts of KeralaThe Indian state of Kerala is well known for its diverse forms of performing arts. The various communities in Kerala contribute to its rich and colorful culture.-Hindu Arts:* Kathakali* Koodiyattom* Theyyam* Thira* Theeyaattam * Mohiniyattam...
- Kerala Folklore Academy
- Marathakkad sree iver paradevatha kshethram,kuppam,taliparamba,kannur narayana....narayana...vasudeva...kaithozhunnen...,aazhiythil pallikollum....aazhimathavazhum devan....