Poorakkali and Maruthukali : A Performance of Male Dancers in the Bhagavati Temples of Malabar

A traditional ritual dance, now on the verge of extinction, Poorakkali is performed during the nine day Pooram (spring) festival in Bhagavati temples of the Malabar region in Kerala. Meant to propitiate Kamadeva (the god of love), the dance is performed exclusively by a group of young men in loin clothes. There are no singes, but the dancers themselves sing and keep rhythm by movements of foot and clapping hands. The songs have mythological basis. Maruthukali is a follow up of Poorakkali performance that includes scholarly discussion on grammar, literature, and mythology by two eminent Poorakkali artists. With a comprehensive scholarly introduction, Professor Kurup describes almost every aspect of Poorakkali and Maruthukali. (jacket)