Kolattam Dance

Kolattam is an art form of Andhra Pradesh played with sticks. In Sanskrit, it is

referred to as Hallisaka and Dandarasaka. In ancient days females dancers
played Kolatam in temple halls as an offering to the Lord. But now it has evolved as a
folk art form that is performed by male dancers. Kolattam is generally performed by a
group of dancers comprising of twenty to forty performers or the minimum of eight
members. The number of dancers are always in even numbers led by a leader.
The leader of the group controls the troupe and is known
as Pennuddi or Kolanna Pantulu orGaruva. A couple of players is called Uddi, among
the two one is called Rama and the next one is known as Lakshmana. Kolattam begins
with the formation of a big circle consisting of all the members of the troupe, which later
splits into two, one within the other. The leader of the troupe of Kolattam is
accompanied by the Mridangam, flute, harmonium and cymbal players, who stand in the
middle of the internal circle. Each performer holds up two sticks one in each hand that
are decorated with colored strings or bells at its end.
The various steps that are included in Kolattam is called Kopulu. 50 types of
kopulu are commonly used in this folk dance. When the leader signals, pairs of dancers
in the circle start moving offering a prayer to Lord Ganesha. Then a song is begun by
the leader by crying out the rhythm of Etlugada. Different verses and beats are used in
the songs including prayers, duets, or tales
expressing Bhakti, Sringara, Karuna and Virarasa.
Kolattam, derived from Kol( a small stick), and Attam (play) is the name of a
charming Tamil dance practiced by groups of young girls. A festival connected with this
art has both a cultural and a religious significance. According to legends, once there
lived an Asura called Basavasura who could not be controlled by anybody. Some girls
joined together in a group, went to this Asura and played Kolattam with charming music.
The Asura was so pleased with the divine music and grace of the girls, that he gave up
all his evil designs. This has since been celebrated as Kolatta Jothrai in a number of
places in Tamil Nadu.
'Basava' - the bull, the personification of Shiva is the centre of the Kolattam
festival, commencing every year on the new moon day of the October-November and
ending on the full moon day. Daily, girls take their bath early in the morning in the holy
rivers and they pick up a handful of grass and water in a small container and return to
the place where they have installed the clay idol of Basava. The girls then offer the
grass to lord Basava, place the water near the bull and worship. While playing Kolattam
the girls visit some houses in the village to play Kolattam in each house. On the purnima
day, scheduled for the immersion of Basava, the girls dressed in new clothes placing
the Basava in a decorated palanquin ultimately immerse it in a river. In every stage of
the festival, each girl has one stick in each of her hands and the stick in the hand of
each girl is struck against those of the other girls in rotation, producing beautiful music.