Folk Dance

Coorg a small district is famous for folk dance and songs. There are varieties of dance forms where people across the nation often visit Coorg to enjoy these folk dances that proudly present the local ethos and cultural richness. The Kodava community has retained its unique culture and maintained its identity and its distinctive way of life over many centuries.

Different forms of folk dance and folk songs are listed below:

Folk Dance

Bolak-aat

This dance form is performed by Kodava men dressed in all black with an oil lamp in the open field. The dancers hold chavri (yak fur) in one hand and the Kodava sword odi kathi in the other. The dance is performed on the rhythm provided by Dudi. These dances are performed to mark celebrations.

Ummatt-aat

 This dance is performed by the Kodava women wearing the traditional Kodava dress with jewellery and kumkuma on their foreheads. The dance is performed in a circular motion with a swinging rhythm. The dancers hold brass cymbals in their hands. A woman holding a pot full of water is made to stand in the center to represent Mother Kaveri.

Komb-aat

This is a religious dance form performed in temples. It is performed by the men of Kodava. It is performed with deer horns that signify the horns of the krishna mruga (a spotted deer in Kodava legend) with rhythmic tunes played on wind instruments and percussion.

Peeli-aat

This dance form is performed by men in temples where the dancers hold peacock feathers while performing.

Kathi-aat

This dance form is performed by men dressed in kodava attire. It is a kind of Sword fight where men hold the peechekathi and odikathi while they dance. This is usually performed during festivals.

Chowri-aat

This dance form is performed by men in the temple courtyards during festivals. The men hold whisks made of Chawri (Yak hair) while dancing.

Kappe-aat

This dance form is performed by men during festivals.

Kol-att

This dance form is performed by men during the puthari festival. Men wear traditional Kodava attire while performing this dance. Men hold the cane sticks and strike them as they dance to the beat of drums in a large circle around a milk oozing tree in the Mand (village Green).