KUMMATTIKALI ENLIVENS ONAM CELEBRATIONS IN THRISSUR

KUMMATTIKALI ENLIVENS ONAM CELEBRATIONS IN THRISSUR

Donning wooden masks and draped in costumes made of grass, Kummatti performers took to the streets here on Thursday,30^th August,2012.Children clapped their hands and followed the performers who created an atmosphere of excitement.Kummattikali, which retains the spirit of traditional Onam celebrations, is staged in and around Thrissur during Onam. Of the more than 60 kummatti teams in the district, Thekkumuri, Vadakkumuri and Nallankara, Moorkkanikkara, Nettissery and Vadukkara, are the popular ones.

Rich tradition

The colourful wooden masks donned by performers reflect the rich theatre tradition of Kerala.The masks depict the faces of Krishna, Kali, Narasimha, Kattalan, Hanuman, and Ganapathi. While masks are made using the stem of plantain, the costumes are culled from nature. Kummatti pullu, a grass with medicinal properties, is used to make the costumes.

Kummattikkali is known as the dance of the bhuthas of Lord Siva. Legend has it that Lord Siva of Sree Vadakkunnatha Temple asked his bhuthas to perform a dance to honour Mahabali on his annual visit. A particular day is assigned for each region to stage the art form. The Thekkumuri festival, the oldest kummatti festival in these parts, was held on Thursday.The festival features 70-year-old wooden Kummatti masks crafted at the initiative of Karapurathu Raman Nair, Karapurathu Govindan, Kutty Nair, Karapurathu Madhavan Nair and Viswanathan Achari. Nettissery, Mannuthy, Moorkkanikkara, and Nedupuzha kummatti festivals were also held on Thursday.On Friday, Vadakkumuri Desam, which traces its history back to the 1950s, will be performed.In 1959, ‘Chetti Vadyam’ (ensemble) was introduced in the Kummatti festival. Western bands too were included later. “The best Kummatti performances in the State can be seen in Thrissur and Palakkad,” said Surendran Ainikunnath, Kummati festival.

Prof. John Kurakar