Folk Arts (Naatupura Kalaigal)
Traditional folk arts of Tamil Nadu - dance forms, drama forms, music forms and puppetry with comprehensive information
Learning Content
Folk Arts of Tamil Nadu
What is performance art?
Performing arts are art forms that are performed live in front of people. Dance, drama, music, song etc. are forms of performing arts. Folk arts have been a part of social life in Tamil Nadu for centuries.
🎭 Specialties of Folk Arts
🌾 Agricultural communication
Most of the folk art is related to agricultural events like farming, harvesting, sowing.
🎪 Social events
It is featured in social events like festivals, temple festivals, weddings, flower dedications etc.
🎵 Oral tradition
Arts that are passed on orally from generation to generation rather than in written form.
👥 Social news
It expresses morality, social values, historical events, mythological stories etc.
📍 Zone wise popular arts
| zone | Popular Arts | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | Shouting, street fighting | Mariamman worship |
| Western Tamil Nadu | Yellowing, gummy | Kongu region tradition |
| South Tamil Nadu | Bharatanatyam, hand puppet | Temple art legacy |
| Eastern Tamil Nadu | Golatam, Myilatam | Coastal culture |
| Central Tamil Nadu | Sports song, silhouette | Cauvery Delta Heritage |
💎 Importance of folk arts
- Cultural Identity:It reflects the way of life of Tamils
- Historical Document:Records past events
- Social Integrity:The power to bring people together
- Language Development:It shows the richness of Tamil language
- Educational value:Teaches morals simply
- Economic Opportunity:Livelihood for artists
- Tourist attraction:Get global attention
🛡️ Security Efforts
- Tamil Nadu Physics, Music and Drama Forum- Funding for artists
- National Folk Arts Festivals- Conducted annually
- Art galleries- Training centers have been established
- UNESCO recognition- Some arts are on the World Heritage List
- Documentation- Video, photo, surveys
- School curriculum- Folk arts are taught
Tamil Nadu folk dance forms
🎭 Specialty of dance forms
Tamilnadu folk dances are group dances. These are performed during social events such as festivals, harvest seasons, rain rituals and temple festivals. Simple movements, circular structure, instruments in hand, dance with song are the highlights.
🏺 Karakattam
Introduction:
Karakammeans pitcher or pot. The dance performed with a jug on the head is called Karakattam. It is the most popular folk dance of Tamil Nadu. Mainly performed during the worship of Maryam.
Categories:
- Aatta Karakam:Quick, complex movements, witty dialogues
- Sakthi Karakam:Slow, devotional dance, religious
Highlights:
- Dancing with a pitcher (karagam) balanced on the head
- The jug is filled with water or milk
- Garnish with cassava flowers and betel leaves on top
- Accompaniment, Davil, Nagasuram music
- A dance performed only by women
- Quick leg movements
- Spinning, bending, jumping etc
Popular Zones:
Popular in Trichy, Thanjavur, Madurai, Salem, Villupuram districts.
Festival:
It will be performed during the Adi Matha Mariamman festival, Panguni Uthiram and Chitrai festivals.
👏 Kummi
Introduction:
A simple hand clapping dance. Main folk dance of women. Without any instruments, they stand in a circle, clap their hands, sing and dance.
Categories:
- Yard Gummi:Played in the yard
- Samayalarai Gummi:While cooking
- Dikhothi Gummi:When stacking the data
- Gummick Gummi:For children
- Theppak Gummi:When the thepa beats
Highlights:
- Standing and dancing in a circle
- Clapping is music
- Simple leg movements
- Singing in unison
- No tools required
- All ages can dance
- Popular at home parties
Time:
On full moon nights, festival evenings, lamp-lighting, weddings, flower-purification ceremonies.
Song Meaning:
Romance, Nature, Comedy, Social News, Moral etc.
🎋 Kolattam
Introduction:
A dance performed with small sticks (kol) in hand. Standing in two rows, they bounce goals against each other, forming patterns and dancing.
Categories:
- Knitting Circle:Spinning sticks
- Kamugu Golatam:Using palm bats
Highlights:
- Standing in two rows
- Each holds two sticks
- Clap sticks and make noise
- Making shapes like circle, square, number 8 etc
- Both men and women can dance
- Rhythm is important
- Namakkal district is popular
Time:
During festivals like Pongal, Diwali, Vaikasi Visakha.
Music:
The main music is the sound of sticks. Accompaniment, nataswaram music.
🎀 Oyilattam
Introduction:
A waving dance with a cloth or handkerchief in hand. Traditional Dance of Kongu Mandal (Western Tamil Nadu). A dance performed only by men.
Highlights:
- Waving a white cloth or handkerchief
- Fast spin
- Making wide circles
- Kicking the legs high
- Heroic dance of men
- There is a reference in Sangha literature
- Popular in Coimbatore and Erode areas
Musical Instruments:
Thavil, Nataswaram, Pakavadhyam, Udukai.
Style:
White dhoti, white vest, head piece, neck garland.
History:
In associational literature"Crowd"It is mentioned that Victory dance of ancient warriors.
🦚 Mayilattam
Introduction:
Peacock dance. The dancer dresses up as a peacock and dances imitating the movements of the peacock. Murugan is important in worship.
Highlights:
- Decorated like a peacock feather
- Full of devotion as Muruga's vehicle
- Peacock gait imitation
- A sloshing motion
- Nodding head
- During Thaipusam and Kanda Shashti festivals
- Popular in Palani and Tiruchendur temples
Role:
Peacock pattern on the back, peacock hair on the head, colorful clothes on the body and painted face.
Music:
Murugan Songs, Gandhar Anubhuti, Gandhar Shasti Kavasam, Thavil, Nathswaram.
🎪 Other dance forms
| Dance | Special | area |
|---|---|---|
| Guarding | Dance to Murugan carrying Kavadi | Entire Tamil Nadu |
| Ball game | Playing by throwing small balls | Eastern Tamil Nadu |
| Chinese language | Viranatanam, twirling the cymbal | Tenkasi |
| test | Mistakes | Madurai |
| Garak Kuthu | Karakatam + street furniture combination | North Tamil Nadu |
📋 Dance Patterns - Quick Summary
| Dance | Tool/material | dance | Special |
| handshake | pitcher | Women | Balance on the head |
| Gummi | Applause | Women | No tool |
| tumultuous | Sticks | Both of them | Forms |
| Voilatum | Cloth | Men | Heroic dance |
| Visitation | Peacock role | Men | Devotion to Murugan |
🎯 TNPSC Memo: K-K-K-O-M (Karagam, Gummi, Kol, Oil, Peacock)
Drama Forms & Puppetry
🎭 Importance of Dramatic Arts
Tamilnadu folk dramas are art forms of storytelling. Mythological stories, historical events, social messages etc. will be expressed through acting, singing, dancing and comedy. Puppetry is also about telling stories through puppets with a similar purpose.
🎪 Therukoothu
Introduction:
A form of theater performed on the street. The oldest form of theater in Tamil Nadu.shoutIt is a tradition of Tamil drama since the Sangam period.
Categories:
- Storytelling:Mahabharata and Ramayana stories
- Formal call:Traditional methods
- General call:Social news
- Explanation:Drama with explanations
Highlights:
- Venue:Streets, temple courtyards, open spaces
- Time:Overnight (10-12 hours)
- Platform:Mud arena, simple structure
- Light:Petromax lamps
- Style:Colorful dresses, big crowns
- Face:More coloring (red, green, cane)
- Roles:Devas, demons, kings, vidalais
Main Characters:
Komaali
A comic character, a person who makes people laugh, a social critic
Kattiyakkaaran
Narrator, explainer, interlocutor
Musical Instruments:
Important:Davil, Nataswaram, Harmonium, Mukhaveena
Rhythm:Mridangam, rhythmic, full
Famous Stories:
- Bharat (Stories of Mahabharata)
- Draupadi said
- Heroism of Karna
- Krishna stories
Popular Zones:
Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Trichy districts
🎎 Puppetry
What is puppetry?
The art of storytelling through puppetry. The puppeteer operates the puppets from behind, voices and narrates the story. An ancient art form.
🎭 String Puppetry
Names:
Tamil:Rope toy, yarn doll
English:String Puppet, Marionette
System:
- Ropes on the doll's head, arms and legs
- There will be blocks at the top
- The performer pulls the ropes from above and moves them
- Toys are made of wood
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Colorful clothes
Specialty:
Dolls appear to dance. Leg, arm and head movements are natural.
Stories:
Raja Rani stories, mythological stories, stories for children.
Popular Places:
Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tiruchirappalli
🤚 Glove Puppetry
Names:
Tamil:Hand puppet, hand puppet
English:Glove Puppet, Hand Puppet
System:
- The artist's hand goes in
- One finger for the head, two fingers for the hands
- Cloth doll
- Head on wood or paper
- Below is the screen
- The artist hides below
Specialty:
Easy to operate. Kids love it. Quick moves are possible.
Roles:
- Animals (dog, cat, monkey)
- Comedy characters
- Human beings
Popular Places:
Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu Districts
👤 Shadow Puppetry
Names:
Tamil:Dhol Paagukhu, shadow play
English:Shadow Puppetry, Leather Puppet
System:
- Leather toys
- White screen in front
- back light (lamp)
- Only the shadow is visible
- They hold the toys with sticks
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Cut and worked
Product:
Meaning:Goat skin, deer skin
Color:Some toys are painted
Time:3-4 days of labor per toy
Specialty:
UNESCORecognized as World Heritage Art. An ancient puppet form of Tamil Nadu.
Stories:
- Ramayana
- Mahabharata
- Stories of Lord Shiva
- Local legends
Popular Places:
Tamil Nadu:Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Madurai
India:Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa
Time:
Performed at night. Lasts for 3-5 hours.
🎋 Rod Puppetry
Names:
Tamil:Stick toy, stick toy
English:Rod Puppet
System:
- Operated by sticks from below
- For the main stick body
- Two sticks for hands
- Large dolls (3-4 feet)
- Manufacture of wood, cloth, paper
- The artist will stand down
Specialty:
Tall toys. Constant movements. Great views can be created.
Popular Places:
West Bengal, Orissa (most in India), less in Tamil Nadu
📊 Types of Puppets - Comparison
| Type | operating mode | Meaning | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope toy | Ropes from the top | tree | Dance moves |
| hand puppet | Put your hand inside | Cloth | Quick, funny |
| Shadow puppet | Sticks on the side | skin | UNESCO recognition |
| Cole doll | Sticks from below | Wood, cloth | Large size |
📋 Quick summary
Drama Formats:
- Street furniture:Night drama, colorful costumes, mythological stories
- shout:Since the Sangam period, traditional performances
Puppetry:
- Rope:Pull from the top (String)
- Hand:Glove
- Shadow:Skin, Screen, Light (Shadow - UNESCO)
- Goal:Rod from below
🎯 TNPSC Reminder: Street-Khootu + K-K-N-K Toys
Folk Songs & Quick Memoirs
🎵 folk songs
Tamilnadu folk songs are songs sung by people at every stage of life. From birth to death, from agriculture to festivals, songs are present in all events of social life. These are passed down from generation to generation as an oral tradition.
🎭 Types of folk songs
🍼 Lullaby
Purpose:to put the children to sleep
Singer:Mother, grandmother, sister
Contents:Child's Future, Blessings, Wishes
Example:"Arararo Ariraro", "Jo Achuthappa"
Specialty:Soft voice, continuous sound, sweep and sing
😢 Lament
Purpose:To mourn the dead
Singer:Women (natives)
Contents:Virtues of the deceased, grief of loss, memories
Specialty:Crying and singing, beating the chest
Literature:There is a reference in the Sangha literature (Patrapattu).
🎮 Play Songs
Purpose:When children play
Singer:Children, women
Contents:Sports, comedy, competition, friendship
Example:"Amma Unge Vachundu", "Pallanguzhi Songs"
Games:Bambaram, Silambam, Kittippulu, Kolik Kundu
🌾 Work Songs
Purpose:To not feel tired while working
Categories:
- Fielding:When paddy rots
- Constraints:While striking the iron
- Air Plow Song:While farming
- Watering Song:When pumping water
- Fishing Song:When catching fish
- Lumberjack Song:While working in the forest
Specialty:Group singing, matching rhythm work, coordination
💕 Love Songs
Purpose:Express the feeling of love
Singer:Young women
Contents:Lover breakup, reunion, regret, singaram
Example:"Blooming flower", "machan machan"
Specialty:Parables, Nature Comparisons, Friends Conversation
💍 Wedding Songs
Time:Among the various rites of marriage
Categories:
- Summangali Song:Singing by Mangalam women
- Groom Credit Song:When the groom arrives
- Swing Song:Swing Ritual
- Welfare Song:When it comes to welfare
- Song of Chaos:The rite of passage
Specialty:Auspicious Wishes, Comedy, Seer Row
🎪 Festival Songs
Time:Festivals, temple festivals
Categories:
- Pongal Song:Pongal festival
- Diwali Song:Diwali celebration
- Kill Song:Kill Navratri
- Karaikal Song:Mariamman festival
💎 Highlights of folk songs
- Wealth of Tamil:Simple Tamil, Proverbs, Old Words
- Historical Document:The way of life and customs of that time
- Social norms:Morality, social values
- Women's Voice:Most of the songs are sung by women
- Music Resource:Various ragas, rhythms
- Joint Contribution:Oral tradition, accompanied by singing
🎯 Master memory tips
💡 TNPSC Exam Tips
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Dancing with a pitcher on your head?→ Handshake
- Hand clapping dance?→ Gummi
- Dancing with sticks?→ Collation
- Kongu Zone heroic dance?→ Vomiting
- Peacock dancing for Murugan?→ Visitation
- All-night drama?→ Street furniture
- UNESCO Recognized Puppetry?→ Shadow puppetry (skin puppetry)
- A song that lulls the kids to sleep?→ Lullaby
- A song for the dead?→ Comparable
- A song to sing while working?→ engraving
📊 Quick comparison chart
| Art genre | Main form | characteristic | TNPSC Memo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | handshake | Pitcher + head | K-K-K-O-M |
| Drama | street furniture | Night + Color | the clown |
| toy | Shadow puppet | Skin + screen | UNESCO |
| Song | lullaby | Baby + sleep | Birth → Death |
📋 Final Summary - 1 min
Dance forms (5):
- Karakatam - pitcher, head, women
- Gummi - clap, circle
- Collision - stick collision
- Yellow - cloth, bravery, men
- Mayilatam - Murugan, the peacock
Drama & Toy:
- Street furniture - night, legend
- String
- Glove
- Shadow - Leather, UNESCO
- Goal - Down (Rod)
Song Types (7):
Lullaby → Sports → Love → Marriage → Work → Festival → Oppari
(from birth to death)
🎯 Master Method: 5 Dance + 1 Drama + 4 Puppet + 7 Song = 17 Arts
⚡ Key points
- Folk Arts of Tamil Nadu2000+ yearsAncient
- In associational literatureShout, growlThere is a hint
- UNESCOAcknowledgment: Shadow puppetry
- Handshake:Mariammanworship
- Street furniture:10-12 hours
- Most Dances:Group dance
- Folk Songs:Oral tradition
- Puppetry:The art of storytelling
- Soundtrack:Kongu region tradition
- Toy Types:Top-Inside-Down(4 directions)