a colourful ritual art, is a votive offering to Lord Subramanya. Basically of Tamil origin,
Kavadiyattam is widely prevalent in the Subramanya temples all over Kerala during the festival
seasons.
Dressed in bright yellow or saffron robes, devotees performing kavadiyattam smear vibhoothi or
sacred ash all over their body. Each one carries on his shoulder an ornate Kavadi - a huge bow,
richly decorated with peacock feathers, (it is believed that the peacock is the vehicle of Sree
Subramanya). Kavadiyattam literally means dance carrying a kavadi. Kavadies are usually of different
sizes and shapes, each with its own significance.
A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly
coloured artificial flowers, a mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock feathers and
ambalakavadi, one shaped like the gopuram (tower) of a temple. A kavadi can rise up to a height of
10-18 feet.
The dancers twist and spin in a row. A group of such kavadi dancers make an exotic sight. The
dancers gradually move in a frenzy, in step with the rising beats of percussion instruments like
udukku, chenda etc., accompanying the procession. Sometimes nadaswaram, a wind instrument, is also
used