Koothu or Therukoothu is
an ancient art, where artists play songs with dance and music in storytelling
the epics, performed in the Tamil language; it is a folk art originated from
the early Tamil Nadu.
[Koothu Performance]
Mostly this type of performance has
been seen in the temple festival seasons where the artist performs the dance by
telling a story, especially on Ramayana and Mahabharata followed by music and
song.
Here, I would like to make it clear that there is a great difference in
the performance of koothu and therukoothu. Koothu is maximum performed at one
place like a temple ground in the full night up to morning 6-7 A.M. In this
performance the artist plays a story of Mahabharata or Ramayana based on the
Temple like Amman kovil (Devi temple) or Perumal kovil (Shiva or Vishnu
temple). It will be continuing for 10- 15 days daily at night whereas Therukoothu
is referred to as mobile performances in a procession.
Historically, Koothu as a form of
entertainment reached its peak hundreds of years ago in Tamil Nadu as
mentioned in the Sangam texts about the development of iyal (literature),
isai (music), and nadagam (drama). Going beyond just a means of entertainment,
koothu educates the rural people about religion and their history.
I have got a chance to see the Koothu
dance and while my query an artist beautifully informed me in detail.
According to him, Koothu is an informal dance structure, in which performances
generally depict scenes from ancient epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Tamil classical epics. There is traditionally no
spoken dialogue, only songs. Artists are trained to sing in their own voice and
in a high pitch to reach the entire crowd since no amplification technology is
used. The artists are dressed up with complex heavy costumes and have very
bright elaborated makeup. They put on towering headdresses, sparkling shoulder
plates, and wide colorful skirts. Traditionally, this theatre form has been
predominantly male, though in modern times more females have been included
There
are many types of Koothu such as Nattu Koothu, Kuravai Koothu, and Valli
Koorhu, which are about the state and culture of different peoples in Tamil Nadu;
Samaya Koothu showcases religious topics, while Porkaala Koothu, Pei Koothu,
and Thunangai Koothu are focused on the martial arts and war of the country.
Another important art form Chakyar Koothu is very popular in Kerala. There is
mention of this koothu in Silappatikaram.
Koothu
eventually spread from Tamil Nadu into most of South India, particularly Karnataka
and Kerala. It is very popular in rural areas and has remained relatively
unchanged even in modern times. Apart from India, koothu are now being
performed in Mauritius, Réunion, Guyana, Malaya, South Africa, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago,
Suriname, Jamaica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, they took this kuthu dance form to their new settlements,
thereby promoting its growth universally.
