Sacred Dance of India

Author(s): Mrinalini Sarabhai
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 17

Kathakalı make-up Goddess Bhagawati appears, adorned with a towering crown The dancers in colourful costumes, their faces painted, wearing elaborate head-gear, soon become unconscious of their environment and shudder and shake in a trance To the frenzied sound of the drums, they move in rhythm and grace, though many of them have had no previous training at all
The Nayars who came later to Kerala, installed temples for the popular deities, Kāli and later Ayyappan and Vettekkaran Ayyappan is now identified as Sastha or Hariharaputra, the off-spring of Vishnu and Shiva, Vettekkaran is Shiva Himself in the guise of a Kirata or forest-dweller The Ayyappan Pattu, is of special importance both theatrically and historically, and the story is interesting
Ayyappan, who was born as the son of a Rajah of Pandalam, was, as a youth, so dear to his father that his step-mother became jealous of him She employed a ruse to get rid of the boy, not knowing his divine origin and powers The Ranı feigned illness and the palace physician who was in her confidence, prescribed tiger's milk as the only remedy They knew that Ayyappan, who was fearless and impetuous, would offer to obtain it And so he did Ayyappan returned from the deep forest, riding on a huge ferocious-looking tigress and followed by a whole litter of cubs The citizens were amazed and his step-mother was repentant Ayyappan, after revealing his divinity, disappeared, telling the people where and how he was to be worshipped While on his way back from the forest, he met Vavar, a Muslim and there was a fight between them to the accompaniment of music Strangely enough, Vavar and Ayyappan became friends, which may have signified the beginning of the Hindu-Muslim unity in Kerala
Because of the vast and dense forests and the thick vegetation, Kerala abounds in snakes including the dreaded cobra In the Puranas there is frequent mention of the divine serpents, Ananta, Vāsuki and others Owing to their association with Vishnu and Shiva, snakes are generally respected In Kerala, it is particularly so Many of the houses of the well-to-do have a shrine called "Pambin-Kavu” dedicated to the snakes It is be any neglect of the shrine leads to great calamities As an offering, the dance known as Pambu Tullal is performed