I am no phlebotomist but if I were friends with
the Culicidae family, I would have been a billionaire today. Since early years,
I discovered that the females from the Anopheles family were very fond of
me.The nymphomaniac variety would seek
me out in the dark and plant their deepest kisses on my epidermis. The foreplay
and after play sessions invariably left a long-lasting imprint on my body.I would thereafter carry signs of such
nocturnal quests several weeks into the future in the form of red visible perturbations.
An itchy reminder of their continuing
love affair with me.
Life is never easy in a tropical temperamental God’s
own country where number of female species outnumber males! With passage of
time, I have discovered new patterns and changes in my temporal existence
having to encounter tastes and preferences of such lot.I learnt new ways to face them.My experiments with truth showed that
repellents, swat racquets or nets never really deterred these determined femme
fatales and theycontinue to chase me
out in the dark.
As I watch the sun set into the distant horizon,
I have learned to cope up with destiny. Allurements of the worldly perhaps keep
such enchantresses drawing life from me through day and night.I have laid down my defenses. I no longer
seek revenge or hold grudges against them. I am tamed today and invariably bow down
to their oeuvre.
Be positive, I would whisper to myself.
Someone with O+ve blood group is bound to be generous
and donor some.
Enjoy the bite if it is inevitable!
O+ve - A universal....
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Kanniyarkali – New
heights – Rising glory
Jaya Prakash Kallikkal
Enmeshed in the cultural ethos of Palakkad are traditions
that have delectable mix of Kerala Nair community and its culture.A tinge of folk dance and music traditions, drawing
inspiration from various historical and social traditions from Chera, Pallava and Chola
dynasties resonate through Kanniyarkali. Interweaving the life of common folk creatively
communicated through the medium of story-telling, mono acting, group dance,
costume, theatre and musical traditions Kanniyarkali, encapsulates folk traditions.
Palakkad upholds a unique identity in the landscape of
Kerala. Often referred to as ‘The Granary of Kerala’, passage of time has not
penetrated this gem of a land in the map of Kerala. While towering concrete
structures and crowded market places are replacing rural topography with
passage of time, Palakkad is perhaps a hidden paradise that greets a visitor to
a vast expanse of virgin green lands bordered by pretty hills endowed with a
cultural heritage that retains its innate freshness and charm.
Passage of time has not shrunk the cultural identity of
Palakkadan lifestyle. The village temples continue to conduct age old rituals
and some of the festivities (Velas and Poorams) like Nemmara Vela find its rightful
place in the Kerala Tourist calender and have world-wide following.
In the chain of temple festivities in the district of
Palakkad, a distinct folk dance form known as Kanniyar Kali continues to be followed
with fervor by the Nair Community. Primarily
known as Desathukali, Kanniyarkali is a vibrant folk art form deeply rooted in
the cultural landscape of Palakkad. This folk-dance-drama tradition is
performed, celebrated and followed with great fervor in several agrarian
villages of the Palakkad plains, especially in and around Chittur Taluk, during
the Vishu season (mid-April), coinciding with the end of the harvest.
Kanniyarkali is not merely a folk dance form that is limited
to few members or an hour of performance.It enshrines the principles of story telling, mono acting, group dance,
costume and musical tradition drawing inspirations from various historical and
social traditions that extends from night to dawn for several days. Communities
collectively organize this event where representation of village (deshams) is considered a matter of
immense pride.
During the season of Kanniyarkali celebrations, the
performances commence each night with the men of the community gathering in the
temples and performing a rhythmic circular dance called vattakali (vattakali
literally means a circular dance). The vattakali is followed by several
'puraattu' kalis.The purattu does not
have a standard format and each purattu lasts for an hour. The purattu depicts
the life and social customs of various castes and tribes of medieval Kerala and
Tamil Nadu. Since the purattu depict various heterogeneous castes and tribes,
the various purattus have different costumes, style of dancing and songs with
different tempos. Certain purattu which depict fierce tribes or warrior tribes
have performances resembling stick fights and martial movements whereas certain
other purattus have slow and rhythmic movements. Certain purattus are laced
with humor and depict a scenario wherein a long lost husband and wife have a
reunion.
Kanniyar
kali performances are primarily conducted near or in vicinity of a temple in a
specially constructed arena called a Kanniyarkali pandal which is consists of a
roof supported by nine pillars and is square shaped. Colourful floral decorations adorns the
performance area where a nilaviakku (a
lighted lamp) is placed in the centre where the singers occupy the central
position of the stage and the dancers dance along the periphery of the pandal
in a circular and weave pattern.There
are also solo and group performances with Question and Answer sessions with
song and music sessions. The lyrics of the songs are mostly in Malayalam and
certain porattus have lyrics with influence of Tamil and Dravidian society. The
singers are accompanied by artists who play various musical instruments such as
the Elatalam, Chenda, Maddalam and the chengalam.
The participants are primarily men and women are represented
by cross-dressing men who imitate the body language and way of speaking of
women.However, changing times are
witnessing advent of young girls into the pantheon of Kanniyarkali performers.
Enmeshed in the cultural ethos of Palakkad and God’s Own
Country, Kanniyarkali has today transcended geographic boundaries of Kerala and
is touching new heights and recognition.Kanniyarkali performances in Middle East and foreign nations is getting
due recognition.This traditional folk
dance and music form from Palakkad, Kerala is now an folk dance/music tradition
that has been given due recognition by Kerala State Government and Department
of Culture. University of Delhi has assigned
additional points for students proficient in this folk dance form, seeking
admission through the cultural segment.Kanniyarkali has withstood the challenges of time.
Recent event by Kerala Kanniyarkali Arts Promotion Council (KKAPC)
Kerala Kanniyarkali Arts Promotion Council (KKAPC) organized
a two day Kanniyarkali festival on 16 & 17 May, 2025 at Pallasena which was
streamed live on You Tube.The event
witnessed assembly of large number of troupes from several villages (deshams)
from Palakkad and their performances were watched by thousand of Kanniyarkali
lovers from across the globe.
Several deshams gave solo and group performances at Pallasena.
Performances by Thiruvazhiyad, Kuzhalmannam, Anju Moorthy, Kizhakkencherry,
Puthiyangam, Kuthanoor deshams and Pallasana formed integral part of the
programme and got huge accolades.
Names of the prominent groups who participated in the event
organised by KKAPC (alongwith the dance item) are listed below:
