KOCHI: The worship of the ‘mother goddess’ is rather central to religion in Kerala and the word ‘mother’ is used as the best representation of the female form. Kali, also called Devi or Bhagavati, is a predominant deity in the state and different communities have their characteristic ways of worshipping her. The myriad ritualistic traditions of Kali worship are a reflection of Kerala’s fecund socio-cultural cornucopia.
The Devi temples in Central Travancore are witness to a unique ritualistic art known as Padayani. Also, known as ‘padeni’ in colloquial Malayalam, the term ‘Padayani’ means military formations or rows of the army. As with other folk rituals, Padayani too has seen a fair share of decline and revival. While I first watched Padayani in late-February this year, I had to wait eight long months to meet one of the best exponents that the art now has – Kadamanitta Vasudevan Pillai.
A lecturer and mathematician turned Padayani artist, Vasudevan Pillai was instrumental in giving a lease of life to Padayani in the early 1970s. Vasudevan Pillai is based in Kadamanitta, a small green hamlet in the district of Pathanamthitta. We arrived at his humble home and gathered around our host to listen to him explain what Padayani is and what it is not.
He began, “Padayani is not a representation of Darikavadham.” In Kerala folklore, Bhagavati is the aspect of Kali that vanquished the demon Darika and subsequently, Darikavadham (‘The killing of Darika’) is the legend that forms the basis of many a ritualistic art.
Vasudevan Pillai continues, “This is where it differs. Padayani begins where Darikavadham ends. The goddess is seething with anger and as she returns to Lord Shiva’s abode with the demon’s head, people in heaven are frightened by the sight. In a way, Padayani is symbolic of Shiva’s efforts to pacify the warrior-goddess.”
Asokan, another well-known artist from Elanthoor, spoke about a different version. “After several failed attempts to pacify the goddess, Kartikeyan comes to everyone’s rescue. He paints pleasing and funny portraits on the ground (‘kalam’) to lighten her mood and elicit a laugh from Kali.
These are said to be the faces represented on the elaborately decorated headdresses adorned by the artists in Padayani. The most elaborate headdress is that of the Bhairavi kolam (as each character is referred to),” he said. Till date, Padayani is performed north and south of the river, primarily in the districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam, and to a certain extent in Ernakulam and Kollam.
A multi-sensory event
Padayani combines ritual with art, music, song, dance and fireworks. The performance can last several hours, extending through the night and wee hours of the day. What is unique about Padayani is that the only audience is the goddess. All of us – including the artists, singers, drummers as well as the entire community that has come to watch – are a part of the ritual.
Three days before the Padayani festival is about to begin, Kali is invoked into a flaming torch and taken to the courtyard of the temple and from thereon, the fire represents her. The fire is pivotal to the festival for as long as it lasts.
Every year, Kerala springs to life with temple festivals from mid-December to end-May/early-June. Padayani and other ritual arts dedicated to Bhagavati are performed in various districts across the state with even the remotest of shrines having their annual festival that may last several days.