The ‘chattayum mundum’ they wore were perfectly traditional, though the steps and expressions were not quite so.
The young Margamkali artistes (High School) at the State School Arts Festival held at Holy Family High School on Tuesday stole the hearts of the audience with their energy and vivacity.
Once an inevitable part of celebrations and festivals among Syrian Christians, Margamkali lost its popularity over a period. It has managed to stay alive, thanks to art festivals.
There have been a few other efforts to revive the art form of late. Recently, a mega Margamkali performance of 1,200 women was held in Thrissur.
Legends of St. Thomas
The Margamkali song narrates legends of St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Christ, who reached Kerala. It narrates the miracles he performed, establishment of churches, and his tragic death.
The dance involves a group of women performing around a traditional lamp in an allegorical representation of Christ and his disciples.
“As steps and costume have to strictly adhere to the guidelines, the energy and expressions of the participants and synchronisation of movements determine the standard of the performance,” said Padmakumar Mevada, who has been training students for the art festivals for the past 36 years. But he was sceptical about the quality of judges at the arts festivals.
Music has equal importance in the Margamkali performance. The Margamkali song has 14 stanzas or ‘padams’. Only seven padams are used at festivals due to the constraint of time. Margamkali does not use any instrument other than two small cymbals played by the singer herself.
Slower earlier
“Margamkali during my childhood was not this colourful and energetic,” recalled 75-year-old Kalyanai, who watched the performances in rapt attention. A resident of Mylipadam, a Christian-dominated area in Thrissur city, Margamkali was part of her childhood days. “Performances at that time were comparatively slow,” she said. “But the energy of the performers here is amazing,” she noted.
Anamika and Hridya of Assumption High School, Wayanad, were of the view that the competition this time was very tough. “All the teams performed exceptionally well.”
