Pongal Dance: Harvest Folk Dances Karagaattam, Kummi, Mayil Attam

Pongal Dance: Pongal is one of the most important festivals in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the only Hindu festival that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on a fixed date i.e. the fourteenth of January every year. It is a harvest festival and celebrated in North India as Makar Sankranti. It also has an astronomical significance as it marks the beginning of Uttarayana i.e. the movement of sun in the northern hemisphere. This festival is celebrated for four days in all the Tamil families around the globe. Apart from feasting, people sing and dance on this occasion to express their elation and a beginning of the phase of prosperity and riches. Several kinds of popular Tamil folk dances are performed on this occasion in the temples or at community gatherings. Here in this article, we have discussed few of the dance forms performed on auspicious occasions like Pongal. Read more to know in detail.

Folk Dances On Pongal

Karagaattam:

Karagam is a folk dance of Tamil Nadu. It is basically a rural dance which is done along with music either individually or in a pair of two. It is basically a performance of balancing a pot on the head. It is of two types – ‘Aatta Karagam‘ and the other ‘Sakthi Karagam‘.

Kummi:

Kummi is one of the most popular dances that are performed on the occasion of Pongal. It is also one of the most ancient dances of Tamil Nadu and it is said that it evolved as a dance form even before music. It is a group dance in which women stand in a circle and dance clapping their hands rhythmically to lifting songs.

Mayil Attam:

This is also one interesting kind of dance performed by the girls of the state on auspicious occasions. In this dance, the dancer is supposedly dressed as a peacock, with peacock feathers and a sparkling head-dress complete with a beak.

Oyil Kummi: Pongal Dance

Oyil Kummi is an ancient folk dance form of the state. It is very popular in Trichi, Salem, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore and Periyar districts. This dance is performed exclusively by men without any musical instruments except the ankle-bells. This is popularly performed during all the temple festivals.

Kali Attam: Pongal Dance

Kali Attam is a folk dance of Tamil Nadu that is performed by both men and women during auspicious days, weddings and joyous festivals like Pongal. Kali literally means joy or fun and games and the dance of Kali Attam is very much a reflection of its name. It is performed along with a stick and is very much an exhibition of quickness and alertness.

Puli Attam: Pongal Dance

Puli Attam is another Tamilk folk dance that is performed on temple festivals and auspicious occasions like Pongal. This is an entertaining dance form with the main dancer dressed like a lion.