{"id":23856,"date":"2018-11-11T11:15:35","date_gmt":"2018-11-11T05:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/?p=23856"},"modified":"2023-05-02T22:55:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T17:25:26","slug":"padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/","title":{"rendered":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Padayani is a Devi temple ritual from Kerala. The word comes from the word Pedani which means military formation. So, is it a celebration of war heroes? Well, yes and no. No, because it does not celebrate any human war. Yes, because it celebrates the victory of Goddess Bhadrakali over the demons that come in various shapes and forms. Some of them within us and some outside us.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_72 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Story_of_Padayani\" title=\"Story of Padayani\">Story of Padayani<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Making_of_Masks\" title=\"Making of Masks\">Making of Masks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Video_of_Padayani_Ritual_in_Kerala\" title=\"Video of Padayani Ritual in Kerala\">Video of Padayani Ritual in Kerala<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#The_Ritual_to_Pacify_Bhadrakali\" title=\"The Ritual to Pacify Bhadrakali\">The Ritual to Pacify Bhadrakali<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Dance\" title=\"Dance\">Dance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Kolams\" title=\"Kolams\">Kolams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Vinodam_or_the_Satire\" title=\"Vinodam or the Satire\">Vinodam or the Satire<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#Padayani_%E2%80%93_An_ancient_living_art\" title=\"Padayani &#8211; An ancient living art\">Padayani &#8211; An ancient living art<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23884\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\" alt=\"Padayani - The Temple Ritual from Kerala\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg 560w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is actively practiced in Central Kerala, mostly in the Bhagwati or Bhadrakali temples located on the banks of the Pampa River.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Traditionally, it used to be practiced for as long as 21 days or nights. Nowadays, it is mostly done for 7 nights or 3 nights. Sometimes, it is also crunched into a one-night performance like the one I witnessed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Padayani they say involves the knowledge of all 64 art forms (64 Kalas) mentioned in the Shastras. I could not wait to see the ritual on the last day of my Kerala trip.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Story_of_Padayani\"><\/span>Story of Padayani<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Devi Bhadrakali takes birth to kill the demons like Daruka who cannot be killed otherwise. In her Raudra or angry incarnation, she kills the demon. After the killing, she is still raging with anger. In this state, she went to Kailasha \u2013 her father Shiva\u2019s abode in the Himalayas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her anger must be pacified. So, Shiva and his Bhootganas wear masks made of leaves and dance to live music, and sing songs to pacify her. Even then she does not get pacified. Then she sees her fearsome form drawn on the floor as Kolam and that amuses her. It is believed that the first Kolam was drawn by none other than Karthikeyan. This is said to be the beginning of the ritual of Kalamezhuthum.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read More<strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/kalamezhuthum-pattum-temple-ritual-kerala\/\">Kalaezhuthum \u2013 Bhmadrakali Temple Ritual of Kerala<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Padayani is performed to re-create this event of pacifying the Bhagwati or Bhadrakali. Dances are performed in rounds called Kolams. Each Kolam has a prime dancer. One of the Kolam even has Shiva as a dancer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ritual typically ends with Bhagwati or Bhadrakali doing a peaceful dance &amp; blessing everyone around.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Interestingly it was initially practiced by the Ganaka community or the medicine men of Kerala. It was probably a way of psychological or spiritual healing. Another section of experts says that Ganakas were practitioners of Martial Arts. We do see a glimpse of martial art in the performances during the function.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is performed primarily from November to April. Different villages follow different calendars for the ritual in their temples.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Making_of_Masks\"><\/span>Making of Masks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My first rendezvous with the cultural event was to get a glimpse of mak making for the evening ritual.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23885\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23885\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23885 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Padayani.jpg\" alt=\"Elaborate Padayani Mask of Bhadrakali \" width=\"500\" height=\"749\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Padayani.jpg 500w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Padayani-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Padayani-280x420.jpg 280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23885\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elaborate Mask of Bhadrakali<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The team spent the day in a large hall converting the various parts of the Arecanut tree to create fresh masks in hues of green color. Some of these masks were so elaborate and so big that I wondered how would someone wear them. It was a pleasure to stand at one end of the room and see the hands moving swiftly to create and decorate the masks.<\/p>\n<p>Read More<strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/rendezvous-with-kathakali\/\">Kathakali &#8211; the Dance from Kerala<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The big masks were making their presence felt by their sheer size, but the smaller ones were as attractive. Then, there were pairs of eyes, jewelry, and other paraphernalia that was scattered around. Later I would see these going on performer-like pieces on an assembly line. You would never know how they would finally look until you see them all in a person.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23892\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23892 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-masks.jpg\" alt=\"Padayani Masks being prepared for the event\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-masks.jpg 640w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-masks-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-masks-631x420.jpg 631w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Masks being prepared for the event<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deep Red and Black colors are used to paint the green leaves. Painting brings out the emotion of the masks, most of which are furious.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These masks transform a human being into the forms they depict \u2013 be it the demons or the Devta&#8217;s or sometimes even a clown to entertain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Masks are known as Kolam and the original art form was called Kolam Thullal. This essentially means dancing with the masks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just like Kalaezhuthum, different activities involved are performed by different communities. While the Nair community performs the Padayani it is the Kaniyar community that creates the elaborate costumes with leaves.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Video_of_Padayani_Ritual_in_Kerala\"><\/span>Video of Padayani Ritual in Kerala<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"Ay5Dku118bk\"><iframe title=\"Padayani - The Bhagwathi Temple Ritual from Kerala\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ay5Dku118bk?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Ritual_to_Pacify_Bhadrakali\"><\/span>The Ritual to Pacify Bhadrakali<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ritual involves a lot of action and a lot of people. So, it needs a large space. At Amrita University, where I saw this ritual, a whole central courtyard of the university was the space for the performers. We the awe-struck positioned ourselves in the surrounding corridors.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23893\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23893 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/bhadrakali-padayani.jpg\" alt=\"Bhadrakali Mask for Padayani\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/bhadrakali-padayani.jpg 480w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/bhadrakali-padayani-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/bhadrakali-padayani-315x420.jpg 315w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bhadrakali Mask<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ceremony started by bringing the ceremonial fire to light the lamp. The lamp would remain the center of the ceremony for the rest of the night.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dance\"><\/span>Dance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Men in white and red Vestis started dancing around the lamp slowly and in rhythm to the tune of music being played at one end of the ground. A group of musicians plays the music and another group sings the Bhagwathi songs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23887\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23887\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23887 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/thappu-playing-padayani-kerala.jpg\" alt=\"Thappu - the key percussion instrument of Padayani in Kerala\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/thappu-playing-padayani-kerala.jpg 640w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/thappu-playing-padayani-kerala-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/thappu-playing-padayani-kerala-628x420.jpg 628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23887\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thappu &#8211; the key percussion instrument of the event<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Thappu<\/strong> \u2013 a kind of percussion instrument is the main instrument played at the performance. In fact, some sources say that the ritual begins with the heating of Thappu called Thappu Choodakkal. Other instruments used are Chenda, Para, Kumbham, and Kaimani.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23888\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23888\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23888 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dance-around-lamp.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing around the Lamp\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dance-around-lamp.jpg 640w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dance-around-lamp-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dance-around-lamp-628x420.jpg 628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23888\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dancing around the Lamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dancers moved around the lamp, and slowly their movements gain momentum. The movements became more complex almost getting into a trance-like state.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dancers would go and a person or persons wearing masks would come and perform. The two are sometimes interspersed by a dialogue. Everything works like clockwork as if this is what these artists do every day.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kolams\"><\/span>Kolams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rounds of dances are called Kolams, yes, the same word that is used for masks. Each Kolam has a different story to tell and a different myth to present.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23889\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23889\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23889 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dancers-getting-ready.jpg\" alt=\"Dancers getting ready for their Kolam\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dancers-getting-ready.jpg 640w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dancers-getting-ready-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-dancers-getting-ready-628x420.jpg 628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dancers getting ready for their Kolam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are many Kolams that the ritual has. Some of the popular kolams are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Ganapati Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 Usually depicts the birth of Ganesha &amp; I believe the first Kolam to be performed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Yakshi Kolam<\/strong> &#8211; the demi-goddesses and they can be both benign or evil.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Maadan Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 protector of cattle &amp; someone who can kill with his shadow<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23891\" style=\"width: 479px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23891 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/kaalan-kolam-padayani.jpg\" alt=\"Master Artist during Kaalan Kolam\" width=\"479\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/kaalan-kolam-padayani.jpg 479w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/kaalan-kolam-padayani-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/kaalan-kolam-padayani-314x420.jpg 314w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 479px) 100vw, 479px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Master Artist during Kaalan Kolam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kaalan Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 the God of Time or Death for Kaal denotes both. Kaalan Kolan actually tells the story of sage Markandeya who had a short life. With his devotion to Shiva, he got his life enhanced. Read the full story of Markandeya Rishi in our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/kurukshetra-mahabharat-war-bhagwad-gita\/\">Kurukshetra<\/a>. This is the most important Kolam and is usually performed by the master artists themselves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Marutha Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 the goddess of smallpox, appeasing her eradicates the disease. She is supposed to be the reincarnation of Mandodari \u2013 the wife of Daruka, whom the Goddess killed. It is believed that as Mandodari she sowed the seeds of the small box in Kali\u2019s body and as Marutha she cures it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Pakshi Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 Birds who bring diseases to children when they cry<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Bhairavi Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 Goddess in her fierce form. She performs the last and her mask is made of 101 areca nut leaves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Gandharva Kolam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Mukilan Kolam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Pishachu Kolam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Manushya Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 Simple human being<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Pardesi Kolam<\/strong> \u2013 foreigners in the land<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Each Kolam has a different and its own well-defined mask that is worn by the performer.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vinodam_or_the_Satire\"><\/span>Vinodam or the Satire<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In between dances and Kolams, few verbal exchanges take place. A jester-like character takes center stage and has a dialogue with the singers. I could not gather the conversation, but the tone told me it is a satire potentially on a current topic. The banter I am sure added to the entertainment factor.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23890\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23890\" style=\"width: 479px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23890 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-kerala-costume-wearing.jpg\" alt=\"Ritual Dancer getting ready\" width=\"479\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-kerala-costume-wearing.jpg 479w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-kerala-costume-wearing-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-kerala-costume-wearing-314x420.jpg 314w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 479px) 100vw, 479px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23890\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ritual Dancer getting ready<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These satires come as a part of Manushya or Pardesi Kolams during the Padayani performances.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Towards the end, there was a tree created by joining the branches of a live tree. One of the artists climbs the tree and jumps off from it. There is a lot of running around like running across in jungles. Finally, one of the performers broke a lot of coconuts lined up. I assume this was a kind of sacrificial practice that is now done by breaking the coconut. This coconut would be finally given to us as prasad. A welcome thing early in the morning as I was famished.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the end, the Bhagwati comes and dances. The mask was taller than the person wearing it. While I admired the dance I also admired the energy levels of the troupe as it never went down through the night.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is a lot of fire throughout the ritual. The last mask o Bhagwati holds a fire stick in front.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was 4 AM when the ritual came to an end. Surprisingly, I was not sleepy. The energy created by the music and the vigorous dancing was too vibrant to let anyone think of sleeping. As we drove towards the Trivandrum airport, I wondered if it was a dream that I saw or if I really sat through the entire night watching this strange mix of art, culture, spirituality, tantra, and the human spirit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Padayani_%E2%80%93_An_ancient_living_art\"><\/span>Padayani &#8211; An ancient living art<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I came back and read a bit more about it. Happy to learn that since 2004, there are efforts being made to revive it. Young men are being trained in the art forms required for performing the function. A village called by the same name is proposed to be developed. I think it would add another feather to Kerala Tourism if done well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For more information refer to the works of Prof Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan or check out more on this website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Padayani is a Devi temple ritual from Kerala. The word comes from the word Pedani which means military formation. So, is it a celebration of war heroes? Well, yes and no. No, because it does not celebrate any human war. Yes, because it celebrates the victory of Goddess Bhadrakali over the demons that come in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,75],"tags":[383],"class_list":["post-23856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india","category-kerala","tag-kerala-travel"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inditales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"315\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anuradha Goyal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@http:\/\/twitter.com\/#!\/anuradhagoyal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@anuradhagoyal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anuradha Goyal\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anuradha Goyal\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c\"},\"headline\":\"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\"},\"wordCount\":1668,\"commentCount\":4,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Kerala Travel\"],\"articleSection\":[\"India\",\"Kerala\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\",\"name\":\"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00\",\"description\":\"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg\",\"width\":560,\"height\":315,\"caption\":\"Padayani - The Temple Ritual from Kerala\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/\",\"name\":\"Inditales\",\"description\":\"Travel Blog from India\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c\",\"name\":\"Anuradha Goyal\",\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"description\":\"Anuradha Goyal is the author of 'The Mouse Charmers - Digital Pioneers of India' and a travel blogger for over a decade. Her blog IndiTales covers Indian &amp; International tourism destinations with focus on walking tours, art history, culture, heritage and nature trails. Know More ...\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/inditales.com\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/anuradhagoyal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anuradhagoyal\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/http:\/\/twitter.com\/#!\/anuradhagoyal\",\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/inditales\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/inditales.com\/author\/anuradha-goyal\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales","description":"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales","og_description":"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.","og_url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/","og_site_name":"Inditales","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales","article_published_time":"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":560,"height":315,"url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Anuradha Goyal","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@http:\/\/twitter.com\/#!\/anuradhagoyal","twitter_site":"@anuradhagoyal","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anuradha Goyal","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/"},"author":{"name":"Anuradha Goyal","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c"},"headline":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi","datePublished":"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/"},"wordCount":1668,"commentCount":4,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg","keywords":["Kerala Travel"],"articleSection":["India","Kerala"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/","url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/","name":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi - Inditales","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg","datePublished":"2018-11-11T05:45:35+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-02T17:25:26+00:00","description":"Padayani - temple ritual from Kerala to pacify Bhagwathi or Bhadrakali after she has killed the Asura Daruka involving all 64 art forms.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/padayani-temple-ritual-kerala.jpg","width":560,"height":315,"caption":"Padayani - The Temple Ritual from Kerala"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/padayani-temple-ritual-of-kerala\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Padayani Temple Ritual Of Kerala To Pacify Bhagwathi"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/","name":"Inditales","description":"Travel Blog from India","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ed3b7e77124d77645e464664a31673c","name":"Anuradha Goyal","logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"Anuradha Goyal is the author of 'The Mouse Charmers - Digital Pioneers of India' and a travel blogger for over a decade. Her blog IndiTales covers Indian &amp; International tourism destinations with focus on walking tours, art history, culture, heritage and nature trails. Know More ...","sameAs":["https:\/\/inditales.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndiTales","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/anuradhagoyal\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anuradhagoyal","https:\/\/x.com\/http:\/\/twitter.com\/#!\/anuradhagoyal","http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/inditales"],"url":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/author\/anuradha-goyal\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inditales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}