Poikkal Kuthirai Aattam, or dummy horse dance, is performed primarily during religious festivals in which state?
AKerala
BTamil Nadu
CKarnataka
DTelangana
Answer:
C. Karnataka
Read Explanation:
- Poikkal Kuthirai Aattam, literally translating to 'dummy horse dance', is a traditional folk dance form primarily associated with the state of Tamil Nadu, though it exhibits cultural intersections with various South Indian traditions.
- Correction Note: While the performance is popular across the southern region, it is most synonymous with the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu rather than Karnataka.
- The performance involves dancers attaching a dummy horse figure, made of light materials like jute, cardboard, or fiberglass, to their waist.
- The dancers mimic the gait of a horse while performing complex acrobatic movements, often accompanied by traditional musical instruments like the Nadaswaram and Thavil.
- This art form is frequently performed during Temple Festivals, specifically to honor folk deities such as Ayyanar and Mariamman.
- The dance is believed to have originated from the worship of village deities, where the dummy horse acts as a vehicle for the deity during processions.
- In Tamil Nadu, this art form is categorized under 'Puravai Attam', where 'Puravi' stands for horse.
- Similar dummy horse dance variations are found in other states under different names, such as 'Keezhal' or 'Dummy Horse Dance' in various regional folk traditions of South India.