Padayani, also known as Padeni, is a traditional folk dance and ritual art from the central part of Kerala's Indian state. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an old practice performed in temples of Bhagavati. In memory of Bhadrakaali the dance is done.
Padayani is an art form combining music, dance, theatre, satire, masks and paintings. It is part of Bhadrakali worship and is staged from mid-December to mid-May in temples dedicated to the goddess. Padayani is located in central Travancore, which includes Kerala's Pathanamthitta district. Padayani is considered a legacy of the Dravidian worship forms which existed before the advent of Brahmanism. The Patayani percussion instruments are patayani thappu, chenda, para, and kumbham.
Orgin
Padyani is a modern Kolam Thullal style, a ritual dance performed by Kerala's magic-medicine people. In the past, this elaborate and costly event was carried out to cure diseases of deep psychological dysfunctions without any apparent specific physical cause, and cases that seemed unfit for medical modalities of intervention. This type of psychological or spiritual healing, otherwise known as Kolam Thullal, was planned, regulated and performed exclusively by the Tinta sub-sect of the Thullal.
Another version of its origin has to do with ancient martial arts training in Kerala. The Ganaka people have been known by society since the Samgham period as traditional preceptors of martial arts and letters. Since the root of term padayani relates to military parade or army ranks, it is widely believed that the Nair trainees (fighters) and their Preceptors-Kalari Asans (Kaniyar Panicker) emerged from a symbolic past reminiscent of the fencing march of martial art to fear the enemy troop and demonstrate their strength.
The roles of different functions related to this dance were gradually divided and distributed to people from different communities. Thus the Nair folk became the performers of the modern form of Padayani art, but the local Kaniyar people had the right to write songs, the design and the making of elaborate costumes. Today the modern form of Padayani is performed in many Devi temples in the southern region of Kerala, particularly in the districts of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Kollam.
Story of padayani
A very destructive war between the devas (gods) and the asuras (anti-gods) left the asura class only to two women, Danavathi and Darumathi. Left to themselves, they performed tapasya (penance of devotion), to satisfy the founder of Brahma. Through begot a son, Danava and Darika by his blessings. When Darika reached age Darumathi told him the sad tale of the devas 'loss and devastation of their class. She exhorted him to do penance in order to please Brahma and gain powers with which to regain their class's lost glory. Darika performed arduous apasy that could not be ignored by Brahma, and he blessed him with forces that could protect him from harm by man or god day and night. Brahma bestowed on him the mighty Brahma rod, a tool of great destructive power. Yet an arrogant turn by the asura angered Brahma who attached a divine damsel to the luck of his devotee's death. Darika constructed a magnificent palace on the shores of the western sea with the aid of the supernal architect Maya, and declared safety and honor for all the remaining members of his class scattered and hiding. He reconstituted the asura army with their help, fought the chief of gods with Indra, and defeated him. With this Darika has not ended. He made occasional military excursions into the devas 'territories, and became a constant threat to them. Thus Brahma created Brahmi, Vishnu created Vaishnavi and Shiva Maheswari, Indra Indrani, Subrahmanya Kumari, and Yama Varahi. The gods in distress appealed to Vishnu the great god of survival who directed them to Shiva who told them that only a goddess of extraordinary prowess could slay Darika. And their joint effort could not beat Darika. Then fate came in Darika's way, in the form of Narada, the celestial monk.
The haughty asura reproached the priest, threatening to kill him. The distraught Narada went to Kailasa, and complained of the demonic conduct to Shiva. The angered Shiva created Bhadrakali from his third eye and entrusted the task of destroying the asura to her. Darika's minister killed in the battle which followed Bhadrakali. Provoked, Darika wanted to challenge Kali, but he transferred all the important mantras (invocation hymns) to his aunt, before going to the battlefield. Darika used the brahma rod which forced Kali to withdraw. Goddess Kartyayani, Kali's friend, who knew Darika was no longer the sole owner of his powerful mantras, deceived the asura's wife into disguising herself as an innocent Brahmin child. Despite all the opponent's strong mantras now with her, Kali fought with Darika and caught Brahma's rod on the twenty-second day, cut off her opponent's head and kill her thirst with his blood. And after the war ended Kali's wrath raged. Her army of goddesses and phantoms, frightened at their leader's unusual wrath, fled the area, seeking refuge in Shiva.
Shiva has suggested multiple entertainment ways to calm her down. Dance, dance, mime and comic dialogs were attempted, but all in vain. But Kali was amused and delighted when Lord Subrahmanya drew her furious form on the wall, and then acted out with beautiful accoutrement and rhythmic motion. This is the story behind Padayani, in brief.