Kaikottikali or Thiruvathirakali : The famous art form of kerala
This article is related to kaikottikali or thiruvathirakali which is an important art form of kerala.
An introduction to kaikottikali
Kaikottikali is the famous art form of kerala. This is also known as thiruvathirakali. People are always familiar with the name thiruvathirakali. In general we can say that in India , the Kerala state is famous for thiruvathirakali or kaikottikali. Remember that this is a popular dance form of Kerala. Another interesting point regarding kaikottikali is that this is usually performed during onam & thiruvathira seasons in the month of dhanu. We all know that thiruvathirakali or kaikottikali is a simple group dance performed by women. Do you know the costumes used in thiruvathirakali or kaikottikali? If not,check the below points.Costumes used in thiruvathirakali or kaikottikali
It is interesting to note that Kerala style mundu & neriyathu are used by the participants in thiruvathirakali. In this art form the participants tie their hair in a bun like form. They also wear jasmine garlands. I hope most people are familiar with this fact.How thiruvathirakali or kaikottikali is performed?
In thiruvathirakali, the participants move in a circle singing songs.Usually the songs used in thiruvathirakali are melodious. Clockwise as well as anticlockwise movements are used by the participants of this art form. Another fact is that usually there will be a pookalam at the centre on which a traditional nilavilakku is placed. The term nilavilakku means ceremonial lamp.
In this art form the performers dance according to the tune of thiruvathira songs. Remember that one of the performers start the song by singing the first line & the others repeat the song. The songs used here are based on krishna-leela, shakunthalam etc. Another fact is that clapping of hands is a must in this art form. It is very interesting to see the movements of hands in thiruvathirakali.Kaikottikali & onam seasons
Onam is the famous harvest festival of kerala. Many tourists are attracted to Kerala during onam seasons. Since kaikottikali or thiruvathirakali is assosciated with onam, it is our responsibility to encourage this famous art form of kerala. Also note that nowadays this is an important item in the youth festivals.