Kummatti, Alathur, Palakkad district, north Kerala
Venue: Pookulangara Bhagavathy Temple, Kunissery, 7 km from Alathur
which is 28 km from Palakkad town.
Attraction: Kanyarkali, a folk art practised by the Nair community
of the Palakkad area.
On the day of the Kummatti festival about ten caparisoned elephants
participate in the procession. On the previous day of Kummatti the
traditional folk art Kanyarkali is performed. Kanyarkali owes its
origin to the pursuit of martial arts in this region which was under
the constant threat of attack from the neighbouring Konganadu. Dance
and comedy were pitched in to add vigour and colour to these training
practices. It combines the agile movements of martial arts with the
rhythmic grace of folk dance. Kanyarkali is usually performed during
March-April in temples as well as in places called Thara (ground),
a venue for informal gatherings. The dance is accompanied by folk
songs and percussion instruments.
Getting there:
Nearest railway station: Palakkad, about 28 km away.
Nearest airport : Coimbatore in Tamilnadu, about 55 km
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