top of page

9 Famous artforms in Tamil Nadu

By Jeba Janet D


1. Villupattu

Villupattu crew Photo credits: Indica Today


Villu is a bow and pattu is song. There will be a group of people who will sit together with instruments like villu, pot and jalra. The main singer will start the song with a dialogue and the other member will continue chorusing with him. Villupattu is a form of storytelling through songs and sarcastic dialogues. The stories will be based on historical events or old literature. Villupattu will be staged during evening times in the temple festivals and used to continue till night.


2. Karakattam


Dancing with the pot Photo Credits : Wikipedia


Karakattam is a form of dance, karakkam is a pot filled with seeds and grass and attam is dance. The task for the dancer is to balance the pot on their head and dance. They wear fancy costumes. They will dance for old regional folk songs. This will be staged during temple festivals and during dussehra.

3. Oyilattam


Oyilattam Photo credits: Wikipedia


Oyilattam is a dance performed with kerchief which means handtowel. There will be groups of men or women dancing for this and this will be staged in temples and for entertainment purposes like schools and any events. Oyilattam creates an energy among the audience. This dance was originated from Madurai.


4. Mayilattam


Mayilattam Photo credits: Word press


Mayil means peacock, attam means dance. In mayilattam the dancers will dress up like peacocks, with makeup and colorful feathers and they will move or imitate the peacocks. This dance will be staged in festivals.


5. Kurathi Kuravan Aatam


Kurathi Kuravan Photo credits: MargazhiSangeetham

Kurathi (tribal women) and kuravan (tribal men). Kurathi kuravan aatam is a tribal folk dance and it represents their culture and tradition. Thai dance will be staged during festivals like dussehra.


6. Bommalattam


Dancing puppet Photo credits: D'source


Bommai is Puppet and Bommalattam is a puppet dance. It is performed using handmade puppets to tell stories and to entertain the audience. It will be staged in streets at night times and lots of localities used to gather together to watch. In olden times it was the only entertainment for the children and the adults. This was used to convey important histories rather than storytelling.


7. Tholpavakoothu


Shadow puppet Photo credits: D'source


Ancient shadow puppetry is known as tholpavakoothu. In front of a white curtain that is lit by an oil lamp, expert puppeteers control finely constructed leather puppets. With its captivating music and images, this age-old storytelling technique preserves cultural heritage by narrating epic tales from Indian mythology.


8. Poikkal kuthirai


Poikkal kuthirai attam Photo credits : Flickr


Poikkal kuthirai means false leg horse, it is a folk dance. The dancers appear in costumes that resemble the horse and move according to the dance. This dance will be staged during temple festivals and other events.


9. Therukoothu


Therukooothu Photo credits: Pinterest


Tamil Nadu is the home for the folk theater production therukoothu. Its a form of storytelling and often they depicts the historical events.The artists are adorned with heavy costumes and make-up for the performance. They engage in storytelling, delivering dialogues, singing, and dancing for the audience. At religious festivals and cultural events, performers entertain and educate audiences while maintaining artistic and storytelling traditions.





Commentaires


bottom of page