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KANDYAN DANCE forms

Naiyandi dance is one of the dance forms of the Kandyan dance. Naiyandi dance includes wide steps and narrow steps. The leg positions are sometimes closer to each other and sometimes the gaps between the two legs are wider. Yet the dance has its beauty and graceful movements.

In Tamil the word Naiyandi is still in use. In Tamil culture there is a collective orchestra called Naiyandi Melam. This Naiyandi Melam is still much popular in Tamil areas of Sri Lanka and India. It includes two Nagaerswara players and one Thavil player (temple drum). And beside these another drum called Pamba is also included in the orchestra.. This drum Pambai is played by two drum players. Another drum named Kirikatti is also played by a single drummer in the Naiyandi Melam. The Naiyandi Melam musical records are freely available in the shops.

In Naiyandi dancer wears white costumes; the chest is covered with rows of bead chains. This dressings resemble some of the Indian classical dancers. This particular neck ornament is made out of beautiful beads. Besides these, they wear long silver chains and ear-stud pendants. They also wear shoulder bands, and turbans.

Turbans, ear stud pendants, jingling bells, and anklets are also worn by the some of the male classical Indian dancers too. The Naiyandi dance was earlier practised in the royal courts. The steps are narrow and vast like Kathakali.

This Naiyandi dance was practised in the royal courts like Kahakali in olden days. Even the Manipuri male dancers also carry drums like Kandyan Ves dancers and also they wear turbans. The Manipuri male dancers also wear white colour costumes and turbans.

Another Kandyan dance form is Udekki.This Udekki dance was named because of the instrument Udekki is used in this dance form. In Udekki dance is another category of dance, which is derived from the drum name Udekki. In Tamil Udekki is known as Udduku. In Sanskrit this is called Damru. In Bharatha Natyam and in Hinduism this particular variety of drum has a special place, because the Thandava Murthi Lord Nataraja (Lord Shiva) in the Sabtha Thandavams as well as in the 108 Thandava Karanas holds the Udduku (Udekki) in his right hand. In other words this drum Udekki is always found in the right hand of the Thandava Murthi Lord Nataraja.

According to Saiva Saint Thirumulanar's Thiru Manthiram all the creations originate out of the sound of the Udukku.

One line of the sacred verses of Thiru Manthiram indicates that out of the sound of Udduku all the creation takes place in the universe. ('Thotrum Thudi Thanil' means that all the creations originate from the sounds of the wind instrument Udukku). This Udduku also plays an important role in Hindu rituals. Still the magicians and fortune tellers also use this instrument. And this particular instrument plays an important role in the Tamil folk dances as well as in the Tamil folk music.

The shape of the Udekki is like an hourglass and the length of the Udekki is almost seven and half inches. It is a portable and small drum. It is believed that the two drum skins are given by the Lord Iswara and the sound for the drum is given by the Lord Vishnu. And it was also further believed that the Udekki was made according to the instructions of the Lord Sakra.This drum symbolizes speech and magic.

Pantheru is another Kandyan dance form. The Pantheru dancer carries the instrument called Pantheruwa.This Pantheruwa instrument is used in turning and twirling, and changing from one hand to another hand. The dancers dance with another drum instrument called Geta-bera. It is said that Pantheruwa is an instrument connected to the worship of Goddess Pathini cult. It is decorated with small cymbals and these cymbals are attached in regular intervals around the instrument. Earlier it was said that the Sinhalese Kings employed Pantheru dancers to celebrate their victory in the battlefield.

The costumes used in this dance form are almost similar to the Udekki dancers. They wear a handkerchief around the waist. This almost resemble the male dancers of Tamil folk dance Thevarattam.The male Tamil folk dance Thevarattam dancers also use handkerchiefs around their waist. But the dancers wear white pleated garments and their chests and their necks are decorated with beads. The shoulders are covered with shoulder kavasams, (shoulder plates).To adorn their ears they wear ear pendants. Similarly for the hands armlets and bracelets are worn.

For the feet they wear jingling bells and anklets. This particular dance form was earlier served for the purpose of military band. Such type of dance was also danced earlier in Tamil culture. According to ancient Tamil literature Mun theer kuravai, and Peen theer kuravai, dances were performed to celebrate the victory of the victorious king. Hence the relationship of Naiyandi, Udekki, and Pantheru dance forms of Kandyan dance has one way or other way are connected to Indian dance forms. It is generally believed that all these dance forms were originated in the south east Asian region.

 

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