Thiruvathirakali

Thiruvathirakali is a dance performed by women, in order to attain everlasting marital bliss, on Thiruvathira day in the Malayalam month of Dhanu which falls in December or January. The dance is a celebration of marital fidelity and the female energy, for this is what brought Kamadeva who is the god of love back to life after he was reduced to ashes by the ire of Lord Siva. The sinuous movements executed by a group of dancers around a nilavilakku, embody 'lasya' or the amorous charm and grace of the feminine. The dance follows a circular, pirouetting pattern accompanied by clapping of the hands and singing. Today, Thiruvathirakali has become a popular dance form for all seasons. Thiruvathirakali is also called as  "Kaikottikali". Another version of the legend behind Thiruvathirakali is that Parvati performed rigorous penances in order to win Shiva as her husband. Shiva, pleased with her commitment agreed to take Parvati as his wife on this vary day of Thiruvathira. Therefore, on this day, married and unmarried women perform the dance yearning for the well-being of their husband and for acquiring a good husband respectively. It is a kind of ritual performed to ensure happy and harmonious marital life. On the day of Thiruvathira, women take an early bath and get dressed in traditional attire. They take fast on that day and have only non-rice food. In the evening, they perform the dance and decorate their hair with Pathirapoovu, a kind of flower. This is a group dance and steps in this dance are very simple but elegant. 5 to 7girls will stand in a circle around a lighted brass lamp, and dance each step to the rhythm of the songs they sing, clapping their hands. These special songs for thiruvathira is called Thiruvaathirappattu.