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The Ritualistic Art Of Kerala — Kalamezhuttu

Have you ever wondered why Kerala is known to be God’s own country? Kerala is well-known for it’s delicious food, traditional art forms, and exquisite and unique artworks.

In this blog,Rooftoptakes on a spotlight on the ritualistic art ofKerala- Kalamezhuttu.

Kalamezhuttu is a ritual art form practised in Kerala, where artists create realistic images of various Hindu gods and goddesses. It is a combination of their native languagekalam, which means picture, andezhuthu, meaning drawing.

History & Tradition Of Kalamezhuttu

The lineage of this artwork has blended harmoniously with Dravidian and Aryan cultures with Hindu mythology. It is a ritual practice that is often performed at temples and at the front and back of houses to welcome the deities within. The religious art form was evident even in the Sanghom Age. As part of the celebration, garlands, flowers, leaves, and oil lamps are placed throughout the sacred place.

Generally, Kalamezhuttu artists are from the communities of Kurups, Theyyampadi Nambiars, Theeyadi Nambiars, and Theeyadi Unnis. Even though their art styles are different, the rituals connected to them are the same. It has strict rules and guidelines, unlike a Rangoli design. The artwork must start from the center and move outward, it cannot be done the other way around. The coloured powders are scattered without the use of any instruments.

One can find thisritualistic artworkgenerally drawn at the temple entrances and royal households. According to tradition, these vibrant artworks welcome gods into the temple.

Symbolism And Importance

Kalamezhuthu symbolises excessive anger and intense emotions. This ritual has three stages that revolve around aspects of religion, aesthetics, and sociality. First, the Kalamezhuttu is drawn, followed by kalam pattu(ritual song), which depicts the mythology associated with the deity. Songs vary from folk to classical in style, depending on the deity being worshipped. As soon as the additional practices are completed, the Kalam Thullal, the artist, erases the kalam artist while performing to traditional drum beats. The ritual is done at the specified auspicious time.

Themes And Stories Related With Kalamezhuttu

The world is the canvas for this creation of art. The artists use five different types of coloured powder that were originally made from natural sources, including black from charcoal, yellow from turmeric, green from leaves, white from rice powder, and red from combining lime and yellow. The Kalamezhuthu’s pattern and design are purely determined by the occasion and not by the artist’s preference.

In Kalamezhuttu, Bhagavati, Bhadrakali, and Ayappa are the most prominent deities. The artists take utmost care to draw the eyes, noses, and ornaments in the vivid drawings of the deities. The art showcases the angry state of the Gods. The artists primarily draw these deities with their weapons to showcase their anger.

International Recognition

The ritualistic Kalamezhuttu art is one of its kind that needs protection from getting extinct. Also, it’s recognised as an Intangible cultural heritage and holds significant value.

UNESCO has set a few guidelines for intangible cultural heritage, and Kalamezhuttu encompasses all kinds of them:

An oral tradition or expression, including a language that showcases the intangible cultural heritage

An art form that involves performance

Observances, rituals, and celebrations.

An understanding of the universe and nature

The art of traditional craftsmanship.

Thus, we must preserve this unique art form in its current state of being performed. It is we who have to keep our cultures and traditions alive for the generations to come.

To know more about various otherart formsthat define the culture and traditions of India, join us on Instagram@rooftop_app for all the latest updates and download theRooftop appavailable for both iOS and Android devices.

Source: https://rooftopapp.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-ritualistic-art-of-kerala.html

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