Kalamezhuthum Pattu | Documentary

Kalam, a unique drawing of Kerala is a ritual art form as old as the Sanghom Age. Kalams occupy an important place in Kerala’s rituals and figures of favourite Goddesses are drawn on the floor using powders. Songs are rendered to appease the figures/deities.
Coloured powders are used for preparing the kalam. Primarly, five natural colours are used – white, black, yellow, green and red. For making the colours various natural products are used. White colours are extracted from rice flour, charcoal powder for black, turmeric powder for yellow, powdered green leaves for green and a mixture of turmeric powder and lime for red. In Nagakalam, instead of vaka (gulmohar) leaves, powdered manchadi (Bead tree) leaves are used as the leaves of vaka is poisonous.
Kalam are drawn by people belonging to different communities in different places. Figures are drawn based on the rituals of a particular place and these include yakshi, sarpam, bhadrakali, gandharvan and gulikan. Kalam drawn are different for ritual performances like Kalamezhuthu pattu, Mudiyettu, Paana, Theeyattu, Pulluvan pattu, Kethronpattu, Gandharvan Thullal, Malayan Kettu, Balikala, Bhagavatipattu, Kalathilaripattu, etc.

Bhadrakali kalam and Pattu
Kalamezhuthu pattu performed mostly in Bhadrakali temples are known as Bhadrakali kalam and Pattu. These are also sung in Vettakkorumakan temples. The number of hands of Bhadrakali determines the size of the kalam. Some kalam have sixteen to sixty-four hands.
Once the kalam drawing has been completed, paddy, coconuts and fibres are placed in the Kalam. And then starts the rendering of songs. After rendering the songs, the performer circumambulates the kalam. Against the background music of instruments, the singer dances vigourously and will erase the kalam. The popular song rendered in Bhadrakali pattu is that of Bhadrakali killing the demon Darikan. These are also known as ‘thottom paattu’.
Text Source - http://www.keralaculture.org/kalamezh...

Special Thanks
Sree Uliya Vishnu Asra & Family
Sree Prakashan Theyyambadi
Sree Shaji K.V
Nishantha Billampadavu

Title Font Design
Nishantha Billampadavu

Capture & Edit
Mahesh Thejaswi

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