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| Kadammanitta Padayani kolam (dance) Kali..adotrip.com |
In the God's own country Kerala state, there are many festivals like Thiruvoonam, Thrissur pooram, etc. One of the popular festivals that falls in the month of April is the Kadammanitta Padayani. It is a 10 day annual fete associated with Kadammanitta Bhagavathy Temple and is part of the annual Pathamudaya Mahotsavom. The annual festival starts from the first day of Malayalam month Medam to the 10th day, called the Pathamudayam. The temple Devaswom and the Kadammanitta Gotra Kala Kalari jointly make arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival that attracts huge crowds from the neighboring places.
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| .Kadammanitta Padayani kolam cloudfront.net |
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| Kadammanitta Padayani kolam (dance,) indianholiday.com |
Padayani at Kadammanitta begins with the chootu vaipu or the lighting of the fire. The fire (agni) for this ritual is brought from the sacred lamp inside the sanctuary of the temple (Sreekovil) and is followed by the drumming of thappu and chenda.
The rituals of eduthu varavu or the procession of various Padayani Kolams / thullals (dance of the effigies) are held in the following days. It begins with the kolam of Ganapathi. Any Hindu temple festival begins with invocation to God Ganesa or Ganapathi who is known for his wisdom.
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| Kadammanitta Bhagavathy Temple, Kerala, .blogspot.com |
The Valiya Padayani that is held on the 7th day, begins with the ceremonial procession of kolams from the village center. The giant Bhairavi kolams gets the attention of the onlookers and others. What is special about this special kolam effigy dance is it is made of areca spathes and intricately cut palm leaves that imparts the look of live images of the Bhoothaganas, supposedly the guards of the female deity - Goddess Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali worship is popular across Kerala and there are Tantries who are specialized in the worship of Kali. The special Kolam is brought out in the bright light of indigenous torches made of dry coconut leaves (choottukatta). Making of this kind of kolam is a tedious one and needs patience and skills.
The sight of ‘Bhairavi Kolam’ performance deserves much attention and is in tune with the specified padayani songs in Malayalam that are handed down by the elders. This kolam / Thullal is headed by more than one person due to its heavy weight. Besides Ganapathi Kolam, also included on that day are other kolams performances, four Marutha kolams , one Kalan kolam , eight Yakshi kolam , Kanjiramala , and Bharavi kolams. The Valiya Padayani concludes on a positive note with artistes and devotees singing boat songs - Vallappattu invoking the divine blessings of the deity. it is also a way to drive out negative forces in the living space. The ten day celebration is symbolic of Goddess Kali's victory over demon king Daariken.
The Padayani kolams or effigies are hand made with meticulous care in the vicinity of the temples and the size and shapes vary from place to place. The artists use only various parts of the trees to make them. Centered around Travancore the inspiring feature of Padayani is an example of the union of rhythm of melodious folklore music, heavy drumming and the foot movement of the dancers carrying effigies. Various gods and goddesses in the Hindu Pantheon are represented in kolams at Kadammanitta. The other events associated with this fete highlight the rich native culture of Kerala that is in way related to their unique geography. Pathanamthitta in Kerala is popular for hosting this unique festival.
Kadammanitta Devi Temple - Padayani Festival 2024 date is April 14 to 23. Valiya Padayani is observed on Medam 8 and in 2024 it is on April 21. During the festival time the Sun enter Aries constellation as per western calendar. This festival is a sort of thanks giving to the Almighty whose divine blessing is important for a successful harvest and, no doubt, it has a rustic flavor. In the olden days the goddess was taken out of the temple to visit each household before the beginning of the festivities. After the kolam/ thullal is over, the Padayani festival culminates with a final ritual called pooppada .
https://www.adotrip.com/festival-detail/kadammanitta-padayani
https://www.trawell.in/blog/splendid-indian-festivals-in-april
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8274938273148772169/4325294602374170134
 -Festival date 2024 : April 14 to 23.){kind=link}