Kavadiyattam, a colourful ritual art,
is a votive offering to Sree Subramanya. Basically of Tamil origin, Kavadiyattam
is widely prevalent in the Subramanya temples all over Kerala during the festival
seasons.
Dressed in bright yellow or saffron robes, devotees performing kavadiyattam
smear vibhoothi or sacred ash all over their body. Each one carries on his
shoulder an ornate Kavadi - a huge bow, richly decorated with peacock feathers,
(it is believed that the peacock is the vehicle of Sree Subramanya). Kavadiyattam
literally means dance carrying a kavadi. Kavadies are usually of different
sizes and shapes, each with its own significance.
A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly coloured artificial flowers, a
mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock feathers and ambalakavadi,
one shaped like the gopuram (tower) of a temple. A kavadi can rise up to a
height of 10-18 feet.
The dancers twist and spin in a row. A group of such kavadi dancers make an
exotic sight. The dancers gradually move in a frenzy, in step with the rising
beats of percussion instruments like udukku, chenda etc., accompanying the
procession. Sometimes nadaswaram, a wind instrument, is also used
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