Right from the beginning of the modern era (15th century), people had to encounter serious terrorization due to the incursion of Muslims, Portuguese and British East India Company and due to severe wars between native Indian Kings and foreign intruders, and the kings too didn’t have a peaceful mind to take attempts to carve inscriptions denoting their achievements and appreciation of performing arts. However, Adiyaarkkunallaar, who gave a commentary to Silappathikaaram in the 16th century, had cited a poetic verse to denote that there were many folk performing arts in Tamilagam in his time as far as he had known from some Tamil literatures which are not available today.1 It is therefore believed that at last some of the folk performing arts might be there in this land too. That poem has listed out the following folk performing arts: 1) Sindhu, 2) Pizhukkai, 3) Santhi, 4) Kovunthi, 5) Kavusi, 6) Kuadpizhukkai, 7) Kanthan pattu, 8) Aalankaattuaanndi, 9) Parumannaadal, 10) Nellichi, 11) Soola attam, 12) Thoondil attam, 13) Aanndiattam, 14) Vethaazh attam, 15) Komaazhiattam, 16) Paandipizhukkai, 17) Paamppaatti, 18) Sadaimuni attam, 19) Veeran attam, 20) Kaaman attam, 21) Magilsindu, 22) Vaamana attam, 23) Vigada Kathaiyadal, 24) Vaazh attam, 25) Papparappen attam, 26) Athasamparam, 27) Sangu kathai sollal, 28) Sithu adal, 29) Tapparai attam, 30) Manmathapaannam, 31) Kuravai attam, 32) Papparai attam, 33) Pithan attam, 34) Maanni Perumpizhukkai, 35) Katkazhi, 36) Kizhiyaanthattu attam, 37) Kotthaparai attam, 38) Tholkoothu, 39) Kizhavan-kizhavi aadal, 40) Kizhupraandi, 41) Ammaanai, 42) Pandu aadal, 43) Kazhangaadal, 44) Aaliattam, 45) Kaazhi attam, 46) Virarkonthi attam, 47) Thani Vanndu attam, 48) Pitchi attam, 49) Saddathari, 50) Vidai attam, 51) Pidaari attam, 52) Thazhipaattu, 53) Sadhurangam, 54) Malaiyaazhi attam, 55) Vethaazha attam, 56) Vaanni attam, 57) Kuthirai attam, 58) Vedan attam, 59) Thalaiyil thiruvizhakku, 60) Kurathiyattam, 61) Pallaanguzhi, 62) Pagadi, 63) Baghavathi attam, 64) Vaazhveechu, 65) Avalidi, 66) Poorazhi, 67) Yoginichi, 68) Kunnalai koothu, 69) Thanthiyam, 70) Kalikoiyal, 71) Aiyanpattu, 72) Padupazhi, 73) Kanniyan koothu, 74) Kummbeedu, 75) Kunaattam, 76) Summaippu, 77) Sonaaga Manjari, 78) Ulaimai, 79) Paraimai, and 80) Varikkoothu. However, details of these folk performing arts (koothus) have hardly been known yet.
Some folk performing martial arts that were hitherto unexplained became popular throughout this district in the 18th and 19th centuries, of which a few had already faded away and some are flourishing even today while others are at the verge of extinction. Tamil researchers have confirmed that Kummi attam, Kolattam, Karaga attam, Oyil attam, Kurathi attam, Dhasi attam, Aali attam, Kaliyal attam, Therukoothu, Udukai Pattu, Kodangipattu, Kavadiyattam, Thappattam, Ethirkathaiyadal, Manthira Padal, Thol paavai and Kaduva attam have been performed on the occasions of temple festivals and other pleasant situations in Kanyakumatri district.2 Historical perspectives of these folk performing arts are described herewith orientation to Kanyakumari district.
Kummi Attam
Kummi attam – the clapping dance- – is a folk skip that is performed on any occasion, particularly during the festivals of Amman temples, by folk women to reflect their happy mood and to reverence the deities.3 A group of women gathered in a circle, bends towards front side by clapping their hands and comes to the erect posture while they return. The women sing a song of their interest while dancing; there is no music at all to accompany the dance. In general ballads about old sayings, folk tales, children’s ballads, Ammaanai songs, religious songs and songs of peoples’ jobs are included in Kummi.4 Old people sing pajans about the Lord Vishnu or Siva or Parvathi while they perform Kummi in the premises of temples. 5 In yet another type of Kummi called Muzhappaari, the performers do clapping dance around the baskets of sprouting seedlings of various kinds in the premises of Amman temples, particularly in Brahmasakthi amman temple at Sundapattivilai and Azhagamman temple at Vadiveeswaram during festival but it is unusual in other temples.6 Namboodiris, Nairs, Vellalas, Ezhavas and Kammalars had performed Kummi during New Year, Deewali, Thirukarthigai, Pongal and temple festivals, but it was hardly seen in the low castes.7 Kummi seems to be a modified version of Kumbeedu koothu that was recited in the early 15th century8 and it had occupied an important place in the cultural and religious festivals up to 1975s when songs broadcast from radio stations and cinema had attained the pristine height in the heart of people. 9 In the churches of Kanyakumari district, people had performed clapping dance by singing biblical stories in songs, Devasahayam Pillai ballads and some prayer songs were sung during X-mass and other festivals, but such a tendency was almost discarded around 1975s because of the conviction that Kummi is on the whole a Hindu’s art mimicked from native people after many Hindus embraced Christianity in 18th century and that there is no need to follow the same trend today.10 Anthony Muthu had authored Devasahayam Punniavan Elela Kummi11, in which each phrase Elelo follows a clapping, and Thommaiya Pillai had written Devasigamani Malai12 for Kummi. The western education and advent of entertainment media had crafted the people to think that Kummi is an old culture of mediocre quality, and hence many people do not like to execute Kummi even during temple festivals.13 However, in churches clapping performance is a component of daily prayers in churches and houses to bring up a spiritual mood of people.
Dr. P. Jeyabalakrishnan, Assistant Professor, Thiru. Kolanjiappar Govt. Arts College, Vridhachalam.
B.M Ajitha Santhini, Ph.D Research Scholar in History, Roll No: 7080, M.S. University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu.
References
- Poem of Adiyaarkkunallaar listing out the koothu types in Tamilagam during his time.
- Interview with A.K. Perumal (62), Researcher in folklore, Professor of Tamil (Retd), Anna College, Aralvoymozhi, dt; 15-05-2017.
- R.Chithra, “Kummi Padalgal”, An unpublished M.Phil., Dissertation submitted to Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, 1996, p.163.
- Ibid.
- Interview with S. Padmanabhan (90), Manager (Retd) Vadiveeswaram, dt; 10-01-2017.
- Ibid and interview with A. Sukumaran (40), Sundapattivilai, dt; 3-01-2017.
- Interview with S. Padmanabhan op.cit., dt; 10.01.2017.
- Seeni Venkadasami, Tamilar Vazhartha Azhagukalaigal, Chennai, 1956, p.p. 212-213.
- Interview with S. Padmanabhan op.cit., dt; 10-01-2017.
- Interview with Rev. Fr. Peter Remigius, Bishop of Kottar, dt; 10-11-2017.
- Amalagiri Anthony Muthu, Devasahayam Punniavan Elela Kummi, Nagercoil, 1947, p.150.
- Thommaiya Pillai, Deivasigamani malai, Chennai, 1827, p.88.
- Interview with T. Ambujashi (72), Headmistress (Retd), Vadaseri, dt; 11-10-2017.