SRI KRISHNA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY
(An Autonomous Institution, Accredited by NAAC with ‘A’ Grade)
Kuniamuthur, Coimbatore – 641008

23TA101 HERITAGE OF TAMILS

Module II
Heritage, Rock Art Paintings to Modern Art Sculpture
Presented by,

Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology

Kuniamuthur, Coimbatore-641008

1
 Module II
Heritage, Rock Art Paintings to Modern Art Sculpture
Role of Temples in Social and Economic Life of
Tamils.

Folk And Martial Arts: Therukoothu, Karagattam,

Villu Pattu, Kaniyan Koothu, Oyillattam, Leather
puppetry, Silambattam, Valari, Tiger dance

Sports and Games of Tamils.

Therukoothu
 Therukoothu
 Tamil Nadu is home to different forms of
storytelling. Therukoothu, literally translated as ‘street
theatre’, is an ancient form of storytelling that has been
performed for many generations.
 The artists are adorned with heavy costumes and make-up
and they render dialogues, sing, and dance during
a therukoothu performance.
 The origin and antiquity of therukoothu are unknown.
 The word therukoothu consists of two words – theru
meaning ‘street’ and koothu meaning
‘theatre/performance’.
 The Tamil epic Silappadikaram mentions 11 types
of koothu.
 However, therukoothu is the only play in which the actor
has to sing, dance, speak, and perform rituals.
Therukoothu
 Therukoothu
• More popular in the northern districts of Tamil
Nadu, therukoothu is organised in villages during temple
festivals, known as thiruvizha in Tamil.
• Generally held in the months of Panguni (March-April)
and Aadi (July-August), it is held as a prayer for a good
harvest, rain, or as a part of temple rituals.
• The major themes on which therukoothu is performed are
the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Periya Puranam, and other
Tamil literary works from the Sangam period.
• It is organised during summer when there is little work in
the agricultural fields.
• These art forms through their songs, elaborate
interpretations, and humour present local history and
culture to the spectators.
 Therukoothu
• A typical performance takes place in an open area at
junctions where more than two streets meet, commencing
late in the evening and concluding in the early hours of the
morning.
• The artists in a therukoothu performance engage in
storytelling, deliver dialogues, sing, and dance for the
audience.
• Importance is given more to the music and songs rather
than to the dialogues.
• Hence, artists take formal training to sing in a high-pitched
voice to reach the audience that is spread out.
• Traditionally, only male artists performed and hence, they
also enacted the role of female characters.
• However, recent performances also have female
participation.
Therukoothu
 Therukoothu
• The costume for a therukoothu performance includes a high
towering dress, sparkling shoulder plates, wide colourful
skirts, and heavy make-up.
• The artists introduce themselves during a performance by
engaging in a conversation with the Kattiakkaran (stage
manager or sutradhar) who, when a character enters the
story, questions him/her as to who they are and what
brings them into the story.
• Another artist who plays a pivotal role in the performance is
the Komali (clown), who entertains the audience with his
buffoonery.
• The orchestra, seated on a bench on the side, consists of a
lead singer and other artists with instruments such
as mukhaveena, harmonium, mirudhangam, and kanjira.
Therukoothu
 Therukoothu
• Therukoothu performances are also held in Draupadi
Amman temples in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu.
• The temple festival starts immediately after the Tamil New
Year which falls in April and lasts till the end of June.
• The harvest season in the region is during the month of
January when tributes are paid to the Sun God, which is
also the time when Pongal, the harvest festival, is
celebrated.
• The post-harvest season, which is also the time for rest
and introspection is reserved for therukoothu.
• The stories and incidents from the Mahabharata, when
enacted, are believed to bring safety and prosperity to the
land and people.
 Therukoothu
• They are also said to provide blessings and good fortune
to the people.
• The cost of the performance is met by the village
panchayat, through donations made by the villagers.
• The audience also makes offerings during the
performance for specific enactments.
• Other small vendors of local snacks, tea, balloons, and
tobacco benefit economically from
the therukoothu performances.
• The stories and incidents from the Mahabharata and
other epics connect with people and their belief systems.
• More than being a street play, therukoothu is a whole
festival that works on the collective memory of the
audience.
Therukoothu
 KARAKATTAM
• Ancient folk dance of Tamil Nadu, Karagam originated as a ritual
dedicated to the worship of Mariamman, the Goddess of rain
and health.
• The Aatta Karakam form of this dance has decorated pots on the
dancers heads and Sakthi Karakam is performed as a religious
offering.
• The villagers perform this dance to honor the rain goddess
Mariamman and the river goddess Gangaiamman. The folk
music used in this dance is given by drums and long pipes.
 KARAKATTAM
• The ritual is performed during the
month of August when the idol of
Mariamman is carried in procession.
• A ritual pot filled with water is adorned
with beautiful decorations, several feet
high, and is carried by the priest.
• The colourfully attired performers carry
decorated vessels vertically on their
heads and dance to the tune of
nagaswaram, thavil, muni, udukkai and
pambai and also perform acrobatic
feats as they follow the procession.
• The Karagam dance is very popular in
TamilNadu, Puducherry, Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh.
 KARAKATTAM
• Karakattam is traditionally performed in a saree.
• However, attire can vary as the main property is to have a
karakam (Pot) on the head of the dancer.
• Common attire includes sarees or kurtha, colored towels and
a pot.
 KARAKATTAM
• The current karakattam fashion appears to have been
corrupted, probably due to lack of support with
Bharatanatyam purists dismissing the art as non-traditional
and low class, as it has been reduced to more of a night
glamour art, with young girls in skimpy clothing preferred as
the performers and the audience having drunkards who
come only to ogle and tease them.
• The Madras High Court issued a directive to disallow alcohol
consumption when attending Karakattam performances and
to not do performances which are "obscene and vulgar".
 KARAKATTAM
• Involves balancing a pot on the head to musical accompaniment.
• The Karagam pots are decorated with a cone of flower
arrangements, topped by a paper parrot.
• The parrot swings as the dancer swings along.
 KARAKATTAM
• Karakattam, also known as Kumbakkali in certain parts, is a folk art
performed in Tamil Nadu at festivals, conferences, roadshows and
primarily at festivals.
• This dance is derived from Bharatham and a mixture of multiple
Tamil dance forms like Bharatnatyam postures and mudras.
 VILLU PATTU
• In Tamil culture there is one such storytelling method
called villupattu or bow song in English, using traditional
age old weapon – bow as musical instrument.
• Also known as Villadichampaatu, is an ancient form of
musical story-telling method performed in Southern
India , where narration is interspersed with music, an art
of southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well
as North-East Sri Lanka.
• Simple tunes and verses make the story easy to follow.
The villu (bow), the age-old weapon of warriors -
paradoxically lends itself to be used as a primary musical
instrument (a musical bow) for the Villu Paatu artists.
 VILLU PATTU
• In Tamil villages, performers narrate stories ranging from
mythological to social. The main storyteller narrates the
story striking the bow.
• The bow rests on a mud pot kept facing downwards. A co-
performer beats the pot while singing.
• There is usually another co-singer who acts as active
listener to the narration, uttering appropriate oral
responses.
• The local government sometimes utilises this as a vehicle
for social messages and propaganda. Villu pattu troupes
usually perform for festivals associated with deities such as
Sudalai Madan, Mutharamman, Pechiamman,
Isakkiamman, etc.
• There are also Udukki , Kudam, Thala, Kattai, which are
used as supplementary instruments in performances.
 VILLU PATTU
• Udukki is a small drum with a slender middle portion which is
held in the left hand and played by the fingers of the right
hand.
• Occasionally, the Villu Pattu team divides itself into two
groups, each trying to prove opposite points-of-view of a
subject. This is called Lavani Pattu.
• The songs used by the Villu Pattu artists are mostly
traditional folk-songs.
• They are played during occasions of temple festivals in
villages.
• The songs sung mostly in Villu Paatu praise a god or tell a
story.
• These days the number of artists performing Villu Paatu is
tremendously reduced as the income earned from it is never
enough for running one's life
 VILLU PATTU

• Kerala folk artists Villu Paatu is Bow Song, also known as

performing villupattu. Villadichampaatu and Villisai, is an
• Their song is accompanied by ancient form of musical story-telling in
a villadivadyam. Southern India where narration is
• The instrument is a interspersed with music.
"composite idiophone", made
up of a long bow, bronze bells
hung on it, a terra-cotta pot
and sticks with jingles.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• Tamil Nadu has rich cultural history. Tamil people
had unique arts in the past.
• They had different techniques in dancing, singing.
They had different types of musical instruments. The
songs are classified according to the mood of the
singer.
• Kaniyan koothu is a sort of dance recital to songs
accompanied by music performed only by the
members of Kaniyan tribe, which seems to be a
minority community in Tirunelveli district of Tamil
Nadu, during festivals.
• It is believed that Kaniyan koothu is an ancient folk
art which had originated much earlier than bow-
song in Tamilnadu.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• Men from this community are known traditionally as
experts in koothu, which consists of music, dance, singing,
and narration.
• They perform koothu in the annual celebration to worship
Sudalai a folk deity celebrated by the non-tribal
communities in order to invoke the spirit of the deity.
• Men from the Kaniyan community also work as shamans in
the worship of Sudalai.
• The shaman performs the core rituals of kaivettu (blood
sacrifice by tearing his hand), theralai koduthal (offering
food mixed with blood at the graveyard), kaapu kattuthal
(wearing a sacred cord), and vetaiku pothal (“hunting” at
the graveyard).
• All these rituals are enactments of myth and are still
performed in Tirunelveli district.
 ORIGIN OF KANIYAN KOOTHU
• Adiyarkkunallaar, who was a Tamil poet and
commentator belonging to 10th century AD, had
clearly stated about sixty-four types of koothu,
including Kaniyan koothu, in Tamilnadu.
• It would be most probably the ancient literature that
refers to Kaniyan koothu for the first time, so that at
this juncture it is concluded that Kaniyan koothu might
have originated somewhere else between the sixth and
tenth century A.D.7
• Further, almost all the Sudalaimaadan temples
thrashed out in the ballads are situated in Tirunelveli
district, so that Kaniyan koothu could be originated
from Kaniyan natives of Tirunelveli district, and doled
out to other districts of southern Tamil Nadu.
 ORIGIN OF KANIYAN KOOTHU
• Even if it is difficult to assume the precise time of origin
of Kaniyan koothu, it would be one of the ancient folk
performing arts of Tamil Nadu.
• Kaniyan koothu has not been executed in cultural
carnivals and other occasions because most ballads
being sung in this performance are concerned with
village gods.
• In recent years, some other ballads being sung in
Villuppattu are also narrated in Kaniyan koothu for a
brief time to entertain the people.
• In Tirunelveli district, Kaniyan koothu is performed
primarily in Sudalai Maadan temples and in
Pechiyamman temples, as a substitute for Bow-song
programs during fiestas.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU - SUDALAIMADAN WORSHIP:
• Generally these shamans are older people who
have generally retired from performing koothu.
• The role of the Kaniyan community in the worship
of Sudalai is highly significant.
• Since Kaniyans are of the strong opinion that they
were created by God to perform Kaniyan koothu
before Sudalaimadan deity, Kaniyan koothu has
been the traditional occupation of Kaniyans.
• They perform Kaniyan koothu before the temples or
idols of Sudalai Madan while celebrating festivals
sponsored by non-tribal people elsewhere in the
district or other districts.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU - SUDALAIMADAN WORSHIP:
• Although the non-tribal communities worship
Sudalai, the core rituals of the annual celebration
of Sudalai are to be performed by the men of the
tribal Kaniyan community.
• This means that though the Kaniyan community is
socially backward, it occupies a dominant role in
the ritual performances of the annual celebration.
• Thus, Kaniyans have brought the mythological
legends before the people of modern society,
which has so many electronic media for
entertainment, for the worship of village deities.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• The Kaniyan koothu artists say that their ancestors
didn’t have the tradition of telling jokes for
entertaining audience while reciting their
performance before the deity because of the
reason that they had performed it with full
devotion to the God during the one-night festival
which was mostly denied for other public, but
now, the trend is changing and it is necessary to
articulate some shaggy dog stories to entertain
people, who are gathered in front of the temple
during the three-days festival, as most mass
communication media work for the society.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• The narration and singing of this myth in the Kaniyan
koothu takes from two to three hours.
• During this performance the komarathadigal (Samiyadi)
are possessed by the spirit of Sudalai and dance
vehemently.
• They perform divination and offer sacred ash to the
devotees. Generally in Sudalai kodai several people are
possessed by the spirit of Sudalai and dance.
• The myth of Sudalaimaadan story reveals that the first
Kaniyans were created by the Lord Siva to perform
Kaniyan koothu for propitiating Sudalimaadan deity in
Kailash with the intention of sending him to the earth.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• The role of Kaniyans in the worship of Sudalaimaadan
alias Sudalai is unavoidable during the annual grand
festival which is conducted by many families together to
praise the deity.
• It is worth to note that a team of six Kaniyans perform
Kaniyan koothu to the folk ballad of Sudalaimaadan with
the intension of invoking the spirit of Sudalai in the
temple while an elder Kaniyan, who is dubbed to be
Shaman, performs the core rituals such as Kaappu
kattuthal, Kaniyan Kaivettu, Vettaikkupothal and Theralai
Koduthal during the festival.
• The Kaniyan koothu team embraces six Kaniyan men- a
lead songster, a chorus singer, two drummers who play
drums called Makudam and two dancers dressed in
female costume.
 KANIYAN KOOTHU
• The songster, who is also known as Annavi, stands in
front of the statue and sings and narrates the myth of
Sudalaimaadan by cupping his left ears with left hand
and extending the right hand towards the deity so as to
invoke the spirit of the deity.
• At the same time the chorus singer gives some
supporting voice to the main singer.
• The drummers play Makudam with a virile and vigour
while the dancers make suitable dance steps to the
music.
• At regular intervals, the songster stops the myth and the
drummers beat the Makudam with a high pitch while the
dancers make dance steps to the music of the Makudam.
KANIYAN KOOTHU
 OYILLATTAM
• Oyilattam dance form has got a beautiful meaning
which stands as the dance of grace.
• It is a folk dance. The origin of this beautiful
exclusive dance is in Madurai.
• Madurai is in the region of Tamil Nadu.
• The dance was first performed in the southern
Tamil Nadu in Tirunelveli district Madurai and
Tiruchirapalli district locality.
• The Oyilattam dance form is traditional, and it is
performed by a few men making row and
performing distinctive steps on musical notes.
• With time women have also started taking part in
this dance.
 OYILLATTAM
• The dancer tries handkerchiefs on their fingers and
bells on their ankles while performing the steps.
• Oyilattam is a great piece of art. This dance is mainly
enjoyed in village during festivals.
• This beautiful traditional dance form, on the whole,
portray the folk and mythological stories like
Mahabharata, lord Muruga’ s tale and Ramayana.
• Tamil Nadu folk dance started its voyage as a holy art
dance in the ancient temples as a part of Worshiping
goddesses and gods.
• On the lyrics of divine songs, this dance used to be
performed.
 OYILLATTAM
• The dance was said to be the act of devotion for
their deities.
• Later this dance form started taking part in the
king's courts.
• After becoming part of the king’s court
entertainment, it becomes famous, and now it is
performed in every village festival.
• Now it has female dancer too. Oyilattam dance
has unique dance steps that dancer execute on
music.
• The colorful dresses and tied handkerchiefs give
it individual look and pleasant to audiences.
 OYILLATTAM
• It was traditionally a dance where a few men would
stand in a row with two kerchiefs perform rhythmic
steps to the musical accompaniment, with the number
of dancers increasing; over the past ten years women
have also started performing this dance.
• Typically, the musical accompaniment is the Thavil and
the performers have coloured handkerchiefs tied to their
fingers and wear ankle bells.
• Oyilattam is one of the folk arts identified for
mainstreaming by the Tamil university.
• Mainly Oyilattam is performed at village festivals.
• It is a dance used after harvest to protect the grains from
birds.
OYILLATTAM
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• Leather puppetry is one of the oldest art forms in India.
• These are shadow puppets — flat figures cut out of leather treated
to a translucency.
• They are pressed against the screen and appear as a silhouette or
color shadow to viewers on the other side of the screen.
• Tholu bommalata literally means "the dance of leather puppets"
(tholu – "leather", bomma – "puppet/doll" and aata –
"play/dance").
• It is also translated as "the play of leather dolls" or "the dance of
leather dolls".
• Tamil Nadu Puppetry, also known as puppetry, combines the
techniques of both rod and string puppetry.
• Togalu gombeyaata is a puppet show unique to the state of
Karnataka, India.
• Togalu gombeyaata translates to "a play of leather dolls" in the
native language of Kannada. It is a form of shadow puppetry.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• It is a traditional folk dance, a puppet dance based on
famous legends performed by skilled puppeteers. Such is
the popularity of the puppet-playing tradition in Rajasthan
that the name of Kathputli Dance evokes images of
Rajasthan and its folklore.
• Rajasthan Kathputli dance is famous all over the world and
is well known as Puppetry dance.
• The leather puppetry of Andhra Pradesh is amongst the
oldest shadow puppet traditions.
• It is a medium of entertainment, of sharing and
transmitting folklore, and of communicating information
and knowledge. Most leather puppets were, and continue
to be, influenced by the social context around the artists.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• The leather puppetry of Andhra Pradesh is amongst the
oldest shadow puppet traditions.
• It is a medium of entertainment, of sharing and
transmitting folklore, and of communicating information
and knowledge.
• Most leather puppets were, and continue to be,
influenced by the social context around the artists.
There are different forms of puppetry which are:
• Hand puppets.
• Glove puppets.
• Finger puppets.
• Stick puppets.
• Sock puppets.
• Shadow puppets.
• Marionettes.
• Rod and arm puppets.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• As with most other performing arts in India, shadow
puppetry was deeply connected with religious beliefs and
cultural practice when it came to life.
• It mostly depicted narratives from religious texts, like the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana, blending them with local
customs and legends.
• The artists would travel from village to village, putting up
performances that spread over days.
• The traditional process of crafting shadow puppets requires
30-40 days, from the procurement of leather to the
completion of the product.
• However, with the shortage of water, use of newer
materials such as chemical colouring, and the switching
over to smaller products, the artisans now take only two to
three days to make a medium-sized product.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• The process starts with procurement of fresh goat hide from the
weekly meat market.
• The hide is then soaked in cold water for two to three hours
before it can be cut and flattened.
• The hide is washed thoroughly in warm water and then put to dry
in the sun for a few hours. Once it is ready, the artists cut the
leather to size depending on the product requirement.
• The goat hide is transformed into a translucent parchment
through a laborious process of curing, washing and cleaning.
• Once the hide is ready, the outlines of the figures of the puppets
are marked out. Once the design is cut out on the hide, it is
outlined with blank ink using a bamboo nib.
• Holes are punched as embellishment at this stage.
• While black, red and green are some of the colours commonly
used for the puppets, female figures and sages are
characteristically usually depicted in yellow.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• The performance begins with a series of sung invocations
and a line of ornate, strikingly stylized puppets pinned in
overlapping fashion onto the sides of the screen.
• The puppets are mounted in the middle on a palm stem,
extended to form a handle used to move the body of the
puppet.
• Their articulated arms are moved with detachable sticks
that have a small piece of string with a peg at the end,
which slip into holes on the hands.
• Generally, one puppeteer manipulates all three sticks of a
single puppet, holding the central handle stick in one hand
and two arm-control sticks in the other. Often two to three
puppeteers operate puppets on the screen at the same
time, each one delivering the lines for his or her own
puppet.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• As the players manipulate the puppets, placing them on the
screen and then moving them away, they create the illusion
of the figures suddenly materializing and then fading out.
• They also cause the figures to walk, sway, hop, and fly
through the air.
• They can swivel a dancer's detachable head and manipulate
her hands while keeping her hips swaying to create a
remarkable illusion of twirling.
• The puppeteers accompany all the character's speeches with
animated movement of the arms and hands, which they can
flip over to create a three-dimensional effect.
• The swaying of freely dangling legs also adds to the feeling
of animation. When several puppets are stationary on the
screen at the same time, they can be pinned to the screen
with date palm thorns.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• A puppet can be rapidly pinned with one or two of the
long, thin thorns passed through perforations in a
headdress or shoulder ornaments.
• Such puppets are still able to engage in animated
conversation by means of the sticks moving their hands.
• Characters that engage in rough fighting, such as the
monkey king Hanuman or the jesters, are often held from
the hip, enabling them to be moved with greater control
than by the central stick alone.
• Every few minutes throughout the performance, the action
will be broken by the episodes of broad comic relief from
the jesters speaking in a slangy, quirky style and engaging
in slapstick antics.
 LEATHER PUPPETRY
• Some of these depend on puns or risqué allusions. Except
for certain commonly used expletives, their language is
not obscene, though sequences may be bawdy to a
degree not observed in other popular forms of
entertainment.
• Interspersed with spoken dialogue, verse passages in
literary Telugu and even Sanskrit are sung with
instrumental accompaniment.
• These occur especially in contexts of heightened emotion
or important events, rather like the arias in European
operas.
• The players serve as their own musicians and all members
of the troupe know the music that accompanies the
various passages.
LEATHER PUPPETRY

Hanuman and Ravana in Tholu bommalata, the

shadow puppet tradition of Andhra Pradesh
 SILAMBATTAM
• The martial dance of Tamil Nadu is called Silambattam.
• The dancers do mock combat with various weapons,
such as sticks, clubs, sword, horns, daggers etc, one kind
of weapon at a time.
• The mock combat is done in pairs. In fact, a kind of
competition takes place between the combating pairs.
• Silambam is an Indian martial art originating in Tamil
Nadu, South India in the Indian subcontinent.
• This style is mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature.
• The World Silambam Association is the official
international body of Silambam.
• It's a martial art with a history of using weapons.
• The etymology of the name Silambam is "staff from the
hills," with "Silam" meaning "hills" and "Kambu" meaning
"staff or sticks."
 SILAMBATTAM
• The game is often played on a level, hard surface with
bamboo sticks that are the same length as the
participants' heights.
• Silambam is an ancient martial art from Tamil Nadu. Its
origin belonged to the early Dravidian era.
• In the era of 1760-1799, during Pulidevan's and Veera
Pandiya Kattabomman's time; the art was reformed to
fight against the Britishers. Post that, Silambam went
popular throughout the country and its native state.
• The mission of the World Silambam Association (WSA) to
provide effective international governance by constantly
improve technical rules and regulating Silambam
competitions or participation in International events or
sporting arena, to be recognized as an Olympic sport and
Paralympic sport.
 SILAMBATTAM
• Silambam training involves a rigorous regimen of
physical and mental exercises, including yoga and
meditation, as well as martial arts techniques such
as strikes, kicks, grappling, and weapon use.
• International Silambam Day occurs on April 14th.
Silambam is an ancient Indian martial art performed
with weapons, primarily bamboo sticks.
• Recently it adapted the belt system, like karate, where
silambam begins with a white belt and ends with a
black — ash, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and
brown come in between.
• Additionally in an effort to popularise and promote the
martial art form, the World Silambam Federation was
founded in 2010 in Chennai.
 SILAMBATTAM
• The record for performing the maximum number of
Silambam rotations around the head in 30 seconds was set
by Honeeswari M. (born on December 22, 2010) of Theni,
Tamil Nadu.
• Silambam is one of our classical arts. There are 5 steps based
on the silambam, if we learn this five steps we can learn
silambam simple things
• Tamilnadu State Silambam Association was launched in 1980
and first State Silambam tournament was held in Thanjavur,
Tamilnadu-India in 1982.
• Silambam is a weapon-based Indian martial art originated
from Tamil Nadu. The word Silambam is based on the Tamil
word Silambal which means sound. While the bamboo staff
is swriled and when the Silambam players are fighting, the
weapons makes sound thus the art of the battlefield is called
 SILAMBATTAM
• Silambam not only gives you strength, It also gives you
focus and confidence. Silambam improves blood
circulation and heart function.
• Relieves stress and fatigue. Improves body flexibility and
reflexive movement of joints and muscles.
• An ancient defence form; One of the 64 art forms of
yore, a predecessor to many other art forms and the
pride of Tamil Nadu : Silambattam is one of the oldest
known martial art forms identified.
• Silambam or Silambattam is a weapon-based martial art
form from Tamil Nadu.
• From being a war-fare method to being a martial art,
Silambattam has a long way.
• Today, Silambam is quite widespread all over the globe
and is given a lot of emphasis.
 SILAMBATTAM
• Etymologically, Silambam is a combination of the words
‘silam’ meaning ‘hill’ and ‘Kambu’ meaning ‘staff or stick’.
• So, Silambam literally means staff from the hills.
• Although, the origins of this art form are not well known; It
is commonly accepted that the sage Agathiar documented
the frameworks and its modalities.
• The history of this art can be known from ‘Nadasari’, an
ancient manuscript.
• A recent archaeological research has revealed that
Silambam has been in practice for more than 10,000 years.
• Silambam uses long stick which is usually around 1.68
meters.
• The size of the stick associated with the user’s height.
 SILAMBATTAM
• It was supposed to reach the forehead about three finger
from the top of the head, but different lengths usually used
in different situations.
• A three-foot-long stick called “anguish kuchi” can be taken
surreptitiously.
• Different training is required to use the stick with different
length.
• Styles include holding the stick at one end, right hand
nearly back and left hand about 40 centimeters away.
• This position allows the various movement of the body and
stick including attack and parry movement.
• Silambam practitioner armed and unharmed using multiple
movement of animals such as snakes, eagles, and
monkeys.
SILAMBATTAM
 VALARI
• A valari is a traditional weapon, primarily used by the Tamil
people of the Indian subcontinent.
• The valari resembles, and is used like, a boomerang. It has
been used by the Tamil people in ancient battles, for
protecting cattle from predators, and for hunting.
• Freedom fighters Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu,
both brothers, won battles against Nawab of Arcot and
British.
• Experts in guerrilla warfare. Invented valari, a weapon
consisting of 2 limbs set at an angle. Hanged by British on
24th Oct 1801.
• Valari (throwing weapon) carved from ivory. Curved blade
with flat end and round knob at handle. Both sides of
weapon are slightly convex; one more so than the other.
 VALARI
• A valari (Tamil: வளரி) is a traditional weapon, primarily
used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent.
• The valari resembles, and is used like, a boomerang. It
has been used by the Tamil people in ancient battles, for
protecting cattle from predators, and for hunting.
• The techniques and philosophies of valari are long
periods of interaction with Tamil (India) peoples,
cultures, and Traditional Arts.
• Valari is a synthesis of the game which is played in
various methods with same name.
• Valari received international exposure from 2018
onwards, demonstrated and played in various states of
India.
 VALARI
• In 2018, the International Valari Federation (IVF) came
into existence and compiled standard rules.
• After formation of the International Valari Federation
(IVF), the 1st National Valari Championship were held in
Vellore on 16th Dec-2018, 2nd National Valari
Championship were held in Lucknow,
• UP on 27th Oct 2019 and 3rd National Valari
Championship were held in Chennai on 14th March
2021.
• The International Valari Federation (IVF) has given new
shape to the rules and has the right to modify them.
• International Valari Federation (IVF) has worked toward
developing a traditional sport of valari.
 VALARI
• In the year 2018, IVF declared “Valari” as Mother of All
Traditional Arts and formed separate commission as
“International Valari Federation (IVF)”.
• IVF was inaugurated and hosted first organization in the
world for Valari sport.
• The primary objective of which was to lay the foundation
for the future of Valari. IVF became the most important
world governing body for Valari.
• Valaris are made in many shapes and sizes.
• The usual form consists of two limbs set at an angle; one
thin and tapering, the other rounded to form a handle.
• Valaris are usually made of iron cast in moulds, although
some may have wooden limbs tipped with iron or have
lethally sharpened edges.
 VALARI
• There are several ways of throwing and aiming. It is
usually given a spin while throwing.
• While flying through the air, it can maneuver and execute
several types of movements according to the throwers
purpose.
• It may spin in the vertical axis, horizontal axis, or just fly
without spinning.
• The spin may also vary in speed. A lethal throw is given a
spin and aimed at the neck.
• A non-lethal throw is given a spin and aimed at the ankles
or knees.
• This is to capture a fleeing victim. A simple hurting blow
does not have any spin.
• It is sharp enough to cut through a person's neck during
war.
VALARI
 TIGER DANCE
Tiger dance is a traditional performing art in which persons
wearing tiger costumes dance by themselves or with
others.
• Puliyattam - Tamil nadu
• Pilivesa | Huli Vesha - Tulu Nadu region spanning
the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala.
• Puli Kali - Kerala
• Baagh Naach - Subarnapur district, Ganjam
district, Odisha
• Manavi Vagh (Human Tiger) - Nagpur, Maharashtra
 TIGER DANCE
• Puliyattam (means Tiger Dance) is an old folk art dance
of Tamil Nadu.
• A highly exuberant and cultural festival, this dance form
usually comprises a troupe of 6 performers aping the
movements of the majestic, predatory tigers.
• Their bodies are painted by the painstaking efforts of
local artists in vibrant yellow and black to resemble an
exact replica of a tiger.
• The paintings include the ferocious looking fangs and
convincing headgear replete with ears, paws with
claws, and a long tail that conjures an accurate picture
of the savage beast’s graceful movements.
 TIGER DANCE
• The thunderous roars of drums beating wildly along
with several local instruments reproduce the snarls of
the regal predators and complete the picture.
• Sometimes to incorporate a touch of reality, a
vulnerable goat is tied and the dancers pretend to seize
upon the helpless creature and thereby kill it.
• Apart from the tiger, the dancers are often adorned in
the beautiful spots of a leopard or the eerie dark
shades of a black panther.
• The art nowadays is very rarely performed in Tamil
Nadu but is still performed in Kerala
(Pulikali/Puliyattam), Andhra Pradesh (Pulivesham) and
Karnataka (Hulivesha)
 TIGER DANCE
• Pili Vesha in (Tulu) "Tiger Masque" is a folk dance unique in
coastal Karnataka. Pilivēṣa is performed during Navratri to
honour the Goddess Durga whose favoured animal is
the tiger. Which is called mārnemi.
• Mangalore Dasara is one of the festivals during which large
number of enthusiasts participate in this ritual.
• It was originated in Udupi District of Karnataka and initially
performed during the Krishna
Janmashtami/Mosarukudike and Ganesha Chaturthi at Mang
alor, Udupi, Moodabidri, Kundapur and many other places
in Tulu Nadu.
• Typically, young males form troops of five to ten members or
more, which will have three to five males painted and
costumed to look like tigers, and a band
called thaase in Tulu with two or three drummers.
 TIGER DANCE
• This troop is accompanied by the manager of the group.
• During Navratri, these troops will be roaming the streets
of their towns, with the accompanying drum beats of
their bands.
• They stop at homes and businesses or on the roadsides to
perform for about ten minutes after which they collect
some money from the people who have observed their
performance.
• The troops perform until the last day of Navratri, and
almost all of them form part of the Sharada processions
organized by various temples such
as Mangaladevi, Gokarnanatheshwara and Venkatramana
temple.
• After the procession is over, performances are stopped
and the paint is removed.
 TIGER DANCE
• Puli kali (Meaning: Leopard Dance) is a recreational folk art from
the state of Kerala, India.
• It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the
occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in
the Indian state of Kerala.
• On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Naalaam Onam or
Vishakham), performers painted like tigers and leopards in bright
yellow, red, and black shake their bellies and dance to the beats of
instruments like Udukku and Thakil.
• Literal meaning of Pulikkali is 'The tiger dance' hence the
performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. Folk art is
mainly practiced in Thrissur district of Kerala.
• The best place to watch the show is at Thrissur on the fourth day
of Onam, where Pulikkali troupes from all over the district
assemble to display their skills.
• The festival attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city.
Pulikkali is also performed during various other festive seasons.
 TIGER DANCE

Puliyattam playing At Mangalore Dasara procession Onam day (Vishakham)