Margamkali is a folk art where group of dancers sing and dance around a lighted wick lamp Nilavilakku. A dozen dancers sing and dance around a lighted wick lamp ( Nilavilakku ), clad in the simple traditional white dhoti and sporting a peacock feather on the turban to add a touch of colour. This is an allegorical enactment with the lamp representing Christ and the performers his disciples.
The performance is usually held in two parts and begins with songs and dances narrating the life of St.Thomas, the apostle. It then takes a striking turn with a martial play of artificial swords and shields. The central protagonist of Margamkali is St.Thomas. His arrival in Kerala, his missionary work, the miracles he performed, the friendship as well as the hostility of the people among who he worked, the persecution he suffered, the chapels and crosses he put up at several places etc are the main themes.
|
