Puliyattam (Tamil:புலியாட்டம் (means Tiger Dance)) is an old folk art dance of Tamil^[1] country.^[2] A highly exuberant and cultural festival, this dance form usually comprises a troupe of 6 performers aping the movements of the majestic, predatory tigers. Their bodies are painted by the painstaking efforts of local artists in vibrant yellow and black to resemble an exact replica of a tiger.^[3] The paintings include the ferocious looking fangs and convincing headgear replete with ears paws with claws and long tail that conjures an accurate picture of the savage beast’s graceful movements.The thunderous roars of drums beating wildly along with several local instruments reproduce the snarls of the regal predators and complete the picture. Sometimes to incorporate a touch of reality, a vulnerable goat is tied and the dancers pretend to seize upon the helpless creature and thereby kill it. Apart from the tiger the dancers are often adorned in the beautiful spots of a leopard or the eerie dark shades of a black panther.

The art nowadays are very rarely performed in Tamil Nadu but well carried out in Kerala and Karanataka.In Kerala it is called Pulikali.

Tamil Kavadi Attam

Tamil Folk Music & Dance

The Snake Dance is yet another cherished dance form of Tamil Nadu. It conceives originally from the character of the snake as a cautious divinity that defends the health and bliss of the rural folk.

Dancers, fully costumed in a tight- fitting snakeskin like attire, commonly perform the snake dance. The dancer bumps the activities of snake, agitated and creeping and making quick biting actions.

Kavadi Attam:

The Kavadi is made out of bamboo strips and an elongated pole. In olden days, people went on pilgrimage used to deliver bestowal things (like fruits, flower garlands, sandal and holy ash etc) to the deities tied on either side of a long stick, equalized on their shoulders.

To alleviate the dullness of the long travel they used to sing and dance in applauds the gods. This led to piece of music of distinguishing songs for carrying the Kavadi.

Tamil Villu Pattu

Bow Songs

Villuppattu is a folk art style of Tamil Nadu. It brings diverse social messages and also speaks out on valued themes. It is one of the interesting types of common and famous folk music. Villuppattu is still standing as a beacon of ethnic riches of the Tamil Nadu.

Within Tamil Nadu, It widely known as Villu Pattu, just transcribed in English as bow-song.

This bow song is popular, folk music, and it entertains the rural and the urban populace likewise. In this folk art style a chorus, musical apparatus and a key instrument (Villu or Bow, fixed with bells) co-act with the leading singer. The Villu hit cyclically by the commanding vocalist when the bells jingle in tune. The head singer clarifies a story, added by some energetic Tamil songs.

Tamil Nadaswaram

Nadaswaram conceived to be one of the earliest and outstanding musical apparatuses of Tamilnadu. Larger than Shehnai, and has a powerful double reed rather that the complex quadruple reed and thematically an outdoor instrument.

It believed a fair, sacred musical instrument and located at temples festivals and wedding functions. It usually accompanied with other musical instruments like Thavils, Surdhipetti and Oththu.

There is a smaller Nadaswaram called Mukhavina, which applied in Folk Music. Nadaswaram is an instrument of double reed Its highest range and power, it is more appropriate for open spaces than for closed indoor concert performance.

The regal sound of Nadaswaram horns synthesized with the balanced, vibrating beat of the Thavil drums. The music has a gravity to it during it go on a sensation of bounty to every event.

Tamil Naiyandi Melam

Also Known As Chinnamelam - (Drum Instrument)

Naiyandi Melam or Chinna Melam is clearly a non urban copy of the traditional Melam or Nagaswaram party. It has projected closely as a supplement to folk-dance-drama available to meet the interests of one's neighborhood public.

The orchestra contains a couple of Nagaswarams, two thavils, a Pambai, a Thammukku, and a couple of cymbals. The essential feature of Naiyandi melam could be the performers of the apparatuses also help during playing the organ.

This Naiyandi Melam is in demand as team instrument to, Kavadi, Karagam, Horse Dance, and a very familiar Kurathi Dance(gypsy-dance), .

Karagattam with Folk Music

Very popular Folk Art - Dance with Music

Without take holding the Karagam (adorned pot) on top of the head, balancing and playing beautifully, with dashing paced dance movement is KARAGATTAM!

Tamil Nadu has many folk dance forms. Notably Karagattam is one of the oldest folk dance in Tamil Nadu, generalizes the genuine art of praising the Goddesses with acute balancing of beautified pots. There are two classes of Karagattam - Sakthi Karagam and Atta Karagam.

While the arena of Sakthi Karagam framed to the premises of holy temples of Tamil Nadu, Atta Karagam carried on community platforms too. These are practiced for every feasible circumstance, to observe the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, marriages and festivals.

In Tamil Nadu, any village festival is incomplete without Karagattam. They play with so much care that it is difficult to understand how the pot serious fix on their heads.

Many tourists from out side India used to feel that they tie up or paste the pot on their head and cover with makeup.

For sure, it is merely an art of balancing the decorated pot, which is most acute in this folk art style. The dancers of this unique folk art form identified as Karagattakari (female) and karagattakaran (male).

The accompanied music is also shrill, and one will have a thrilling experience. Tamil folk dance affectionately confounded with the Tamil stage accordance. The most commemorated of these folk dance is Karagattam. In its exclusive custom, (Sakthi Karakam), the play carried out in the presence of an icon of the goddess Mariamman.

The dancer brings on their head a brass pot replete with raw rice, crowned with flowers and girded by a bamboo frame and botches and leaps to the beat of Folk Music without spilling a grain. Karagattam practically played by both male and female dancers allover Tamil Land. Karagattam should be highly honored and helped.

Tamil Kollattam

Kolaattam is an ancient village art. This is mentioned in Kanchipuram as ‘Cheivaikiyar Kolattam’, which proves its antiquity. This is  performed by women only, with two sticks held in each hand, beaten to make a rhythmic noise. Pinnal Kolaattam is danced with ropes which the women hold in their hands, the other of which are tied to a tall pole. With planned steps, the women skip over each other, which forms intricate lace-like patterns in the ropes. As coloured ropes are used, this lace looks extremely attractive. Again, they unravel this lace reversing the dance steps. This is performed for ten days, starting with the Amavasi or Newmoon night after Deepavali.