Kavadiyattam (Puducherry)

Understand

Where Kavadiyattam (Puducherry) comes from

The Puducherry Kavadiyattam is the shoulder-borne-palanquin dance of the Tamil community of Puducherry, performed by men of the community at the religious celebration of the village. The dance is the regional adaptation of the Tamil temple-festival tradition of the Kavadiyattam. The form is one of the documented regional traditions of Puducherry and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the union territory.

How it's practiced

The Puducherry Kavadiyattam is performed by men of the Tamil community at the central courtyard of the temple or at the open ground of the religious celebration. The men carry the kavadi (the shoulder-borne palanquin) and perform the small steps of the regional tradition. Music is the dhol, the shehnai and the small cymbals. Costume is the everyday Tamil dress — the dhoti and the shirt. Performances are at the temple and at the cultural programmes of the union territory.