The state of Tamil Nadu takes pride in being one of the cultural hubs of the country. The land is the birthplace of many age-old traditions and has a rich cultural heritage, one which has been passed down for generations. One art form that is almost becoming lost to the people of Tamil Nadu is the ancient dance form of Kummi Attam.
Kummi Attam has its roots in Hindu mythology and every variant of the dance form is believed to narrate some particular tale of the gods. The Valli Kummi Attam tells the story of the Tamil deity Valli from her birthright to her marriage with Lord Murugan.
Displays of this ancient dance form are rare nowadays but the village of Eranapuram in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu recently witnessed the grand staging of the traditional Valli Kummi Attam. It was a feast for the eyes when Kongu Isan Valli Kummi Group and more than 500 men, women, boys and girls from Ernapuram dressed in the same colour and danced together to the song. Also, a large number of people from the surrounding area enjoyed watching the performance and took photos and videos on their cell phones.
According to mythological belief, Valli was born as a child in the woman’s womb by the divine sight of a sage. Found by the Kuras, Lord Murugan married Valliyamma in the form of Vriddha while they were guarding the grain according to clan custom.
The place where this happened is Kathirkamam, a shrine located in the south of Sri Lanka.
This art form, which is an ode to Valli, is being kept alive in the state by some performers like 45-year old Mahalingam from Udumalai. Born to a farmer, he was interested in the arts as well as spirituality from a young age and learnt Valli Kummi Attam and has so far performed in 48 places and is spreading this art among the people and on social media.
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