Silambu ( ta, சிலம்பு; ml, ചിലമ്പ് /cil’əmpɨ̆/), or Gaggara (

Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...

: ಗಗ್ಗರ), is an

anklet An anklet, also called ''ankle chain'', ''ankle bracelet'' or ''ankle string'', is an ornament worn around the ankle. Barefoot anklets and toe rings historically have been worn for at least over 8,000 years by girls and women in Indus Valley, in ...

worn and used in a variety of contexts on the Indian subcontinent.

Etymology

According to Jeyaraj, the word 'silambu' is derived from the verb 'silambal', meaning 'to make sound'.

Description

The silambu is a hollow anklet filled with beads that produce noise when the wearer moves or dances. It may be worn on the ankle or the leg. When worn on the leg, it is termed ''kālchilambu'' in Tamil. Some varieties of silambu are made of copper and use iron balls to produce sound. Others are made of silver.

Importance

In dance

Nautch The nautch (; meaning "dance" or "dancing")Scott A. Kugle, 2016When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry p.230. was a popular court dance performed by girls (known as "nautch girls") in India. The culture of the performing ...

performers wore silambu.

Kandyan Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

dancers may wear silambu.

In art and literature

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

in his dancing pose

nataraja Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ''T ...

sometimes wears a silambu on his ankle. Statue of Kannagi

The epic ''

Silappatikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...

'' is structured around the character Kannaki's attempt to sell her silambu, and takes its title from the name of the anklet.

In religion and rituals

Silambu are sometimes placed on cows' legs during the

Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival), an annual Tamil festival * Pongal (dish) Pongal, also known as pongali or huggi, is an Indian rice dish. In Tamil, "pongal" means "boil" or "bubbling up". The two varieties of pongal are ''chakarai pong ...

festival. In Tamil Nadu, a traditional dance called kai silambu aatam is performed in temples during Amman festivals in which the dancers wear or hold silambus in their hands, which make noise when shaken. Silambu is also used in ritual dance performances of southern India, such as the

Theyyam Theyyam (/ t̪eːjjəm/; romanised: ''teyyam'') are Hindu ritualistic dance forms practiced in northern Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is also known as Kaḷiyāṭṭaṁ or Tiṟa. Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals and c ...

Malabar region The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...

and the

Buta Kola Būta Kōlā,/buːt̪ʌ/ is the local pronunciation while the standardised Kannada pronunciation is /bʱuːt̪ʌ koːlɑː/ also referred to as daiva kōlā or nēmā, is a ritual dance performance prevalent among the Hindus of Tulu Nadu and ...

Tulu Nadu Tulunad or Tulu Nadu, also called Bermere sristi or Parashurama Srishti, is a region and a Proposed states and union territories of India#Karnataka, proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (plural ...

region.

Notes

Sources

* * {{cite book, last=Sambamoorthy, first=P., url=https://archive.org/details/dli.chennai.82, title=Catalogue of Musical Instruments Exhibited in the Government Museum, Chennai, date=1976, publisher=Principal Commissioner of Museums,

Government Museum Government Museum may refer to: * Government Museum, Chennai * Government Museum, Karur * Government Museum (Bangalore) * Government Museum, Mathura * Government Museum, Tiruchirappalli * Cuddalore Government Museum * Government Museum, Pudukko ...

, location=Chennai Types of jewellery Tamil culture Indian musical instruments