അടിപൊളി തിരുവാതിര കളി | MEGA THIRUVATHIRA| KHA ONAM CELEBRATION 2024 | POOJA REGHUNATH

The traditional "Thiruvathira kali" is one of the most popular dance forms of Kerala. This graceful and symmetric dance is performed by women or young girls during festive seasons like Onam and also during other occasions of celebration like weddings. Thiruvathira kali origins as a ritual dance performed by women in order to attain marital bliss, on the Thiruvathira day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu. The dancers in Thiruvathirakali are dressed in traditional attire (Mundu and Veshti) and jewellery. The steps in this dance are simple but elegant. An even number of dancers move in one or more circles around a lighted brass lamp, and dance each step to the rhythm of special songs known as “Thiruvathira paattu” along with clapping of hands.

A typical Thiruvathira kali performance consists of the shlokam, which is an invocatory piece; the padam consisting of anecdotes from Indian mythology, the kummi which is set to folkish tunes and has faster steps, and finally the mangalam or concluding piece.

Thiruvathira kali performance has been choreographed and coordinated by the talented Ms. Pooja Raghunath who is a professional classical dancer and instructor at KDC Performing Arts Arizona. The dance is presented by 20 ladies from different parts of Arizona.

Participants : Pooja Raghunath ,Shyama Shivdasan, Kaveri Madhu,
Arya Ashok , Ammu Raju, Nisha Pathara, Suma Nagaiah, Archana Lal,
Soumya Sreekanth, Durgalakshmi, Asha Mony, Meghna Sreeram, Athira Roy,
& Rakhi Chandran
Nisha Sunil
Varsha Ahilandeswaran
Sabitha Chandrasekar
Poornima Santhosh
Newncia Kadaviparambil
Irene Issac Dapril