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Kuda-k-Koothu has several variants, the commonest being the 'Karagam', where the dancer balances one or more pots in tiers on his head and dances acrobatic feats to the beats of the drum. |
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But there is another, more difficult, described in the 'Kadaladu Kathai' of 'Silappadhikaram', whose counterpart we do not find in any of the north Indian styles. Its votaries, the cowherds, seem to have considered it as one of the favourite dances of their tribal God, Sri Krishna. The dancer balances a tier of pots on his head, and a few more on his shoulders, and, throwing up some in the air, catches them as they fall in succession, thus keeping up a continuous line of pots going round as in a game of 'Ammanai'. The pots may be of mud or metal. |
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A
very fine sculpture of the above dance is found in the famous Vishnu temple
of Thirukkodithanam, one of the 13 holy temples of Kerala, visited by one
or the other of the Alvars. It is a bas-relief, carved on one of the side-railings
of the three steps leading to the central sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
'Silappadhikaram' and Adiyarku-Nallar say that the dance was rendered by
Krishna after his victory over the demon king, Banasura, at Sonagara on
the occasion of the open celebration of the marriage of Usha and Aniruddha.
('The dance forms of the early Tamils' by V Ramasubramaniam (Aundy)) |
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