Karakattam

Karakattam (karakam-'water pot'), or Karagam Puja in the Caribbean, is an ancient folk dance of Tamil Nadu performed in praise of the rain goddess Mariamman.

The festival also honours the gods Kali/ Mariamma through a puja before the procession, Ganga Amman, and Kaateri Maa through a procession to the river where offerings on a board are thrown into the body of water and then the marlo pujaris enter trance and Sangili Karuppu and Madurai Veeran are honoured through some processions with stunts such as whipping, "taking oath" (which is putting a lit camphor on one's tongue to prove the devotee is truly in the trance and is said to purify the medium before they speak their words), and walking on hot coals before running to a pool made of milk.

In 1989, the Tamil movie Karakattakkaran featured its lead actors Ramarajan, Kanaka and Kovai Sarala as performers of karakattam.

Apart from this, the devotional film Padai Veetu Amman released in 2001 had the lead actress Meena briefly performing karakattam dance in a festival song.

Also, the 2002 Tamil film Sri Bannari Amman showed the central female devotee as a hereditary karakattam dancer.