Thidambu Nritham

The dancer wears a costume a skirt of pleated cloth, a silk vest, earrings, bangles, necklaces and a decorated turban called ushnipeetam.

The dancer is usually accompanied by a group of artists, five of whom play the percussions and two hold aloft the lamps.

Tulu Brahmins who had migrated to the North Malabar during Kolathiri might have introduced this dance from Karnataka where a form of "Nritham" called "Darsana Bali" was in vogue.

The priestly dancer, clad in the traditional style after performing the usual rituals, comes out of the sanctorum, and standing under the flag, holds aloft the replica weighing about 10 kg on his head and starts the divine dance.

Another legend goes like this : A Namboothiri used to sit in meditation under a nux vomica tree [Botanical name : Stricnos nuxvomica; Mal.

[6] Thidambu Nritham begins with "Kotti Urayikkal", drumming in different rhythm, which would persuade the performer and the viewer to an equal extent.

Legend has it that, that night, lord Krishna ran up to him with his brother Balarama and danced along what is called "Pookkottu Nada" just in front of the Namboothiri's house.

During the festival, the "Melsaanthis" of Trichambaram and Mazhoor (Balarama's temple) hold aloft the replicas of the two deities and dance to the rhythm of percussion instruments.

[7] Famous artists Puthumana Govindan Namboothiri from Kanhangad is one of the biggest temple dancers in country India who dedicated entire period of life to rejuvenate thidambu nritham.