KOLLAM: Several ethnic art forms associated with Onam have disappeared over a period of time. One such is ‘Karadikali’ (bear dance) that used to be played along with ‘Pulikali’(tiger dance). However, ‘Karadikali’ is still played by a group of young men from Arinalloor here, the only place in Kerala where it is performed during Onam these days. This season also, ‘Karadikali’ will be the major celebration for the villagers of Arinalloor.
In ‘Karadikali,’ the performers dress up to get the appearance of a bear to dance to the tune of ‘Karadippattu.’ “The bear outfit includes a mask resembling a bear’s face carved out from the wood of ‘Pala’ tree. It is painted to make it attractive with space to put out the tongue of the artist and even enabling the jaws to open. The bear body will be in black colour and its necks and waist will be adorned with coconut palm leaves after removing the splinters,” Mr G. Raghavan, a member of the Karadikali Sangom told DC.
A team of ‘Karadikali’ would include 2-3 bears, a ‘vedan’ or hunter with a mock gun to shoot them and 10-20 people singing around them to the tune of ‘Ganjira’, a South Indian frame drum or ‘Ilathaalam,’ a miniature pair of cymbals. The performance is based on an artist pretending to be the hunter trapping a bear from the forest and making it dance in villages with the backdrop of songs that carry the history of the village or even stories from myths.
Finally he “shoots” the bear down using a bow and arrow marking the end of the performance. The traditional song of ‘Karadippattu’ is about the sights a bird sees during its flight from Kayamkulam to Thiruvananthapuram. The bear visits all the houses in the locality and “dies” at every courtyard after the hunter shoots it. There are presently 20 members in the ‘Karadikali’ Sangom recognised by the Folklore Academy of Kerala.
