Kummattikali Traditional Dance, Kerala
Kummattikali is a traditional dance form present in Kerala, a state in India. It is a dance form where the dancers wear colourful mask and dance around the village while visiting each house in the village. It is the most famous dance forms where the dancers perform during the festival of Onam (New Year according to the Malayalam calendar) while visiting the houses of various peoples across the town and the cities to collect small gifts and entertain people while walking across the streets.
This is a very famous dance form that is practiced mostly in the Thrissur district and at the Bhadrakali Temple in the Palakkad district. The theme and the movements in the Kummattikali dance form were derived from various Hindu scriptures like The Ramayana, Darika Vadham and more.
The Kummattikali dance form is the most interesting dance form which can be seen during Onam in Kerala as the costumes for the performance includes a heavily painted Wooden Mask in various colours. These colours and the masks represent Lord Krishna, Lord Narada, Kairatha, Darika, and other Hunters according to Hindu mythology.
The masks for the Kummattikali dance performance is made out of the wood of a Jack fruit tree, saprophyte, plum tree, and coral tree. The costume also includes a grass plaited skirt which helps in covering their whole body while they are entertaining people. Since the performers or dancers are holding a long stick which is made out of residuary agricultural produce, which is also known as 'Kummattikali', therefore the name of the traditional dance form was derived from it.