Thiriyuzhichil is a dance ritual performed by Pulluvas in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

(

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

) to alleviate the fear of

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s, to appease the snake and to be blessed with babies. This is more popular in the districts of Trichur,

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

and

Palghat Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated munic ...

and it is performed in

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

s and shrines meant for snakes. By performing this, the queen of snakes could be appeased. The performer starts dancing holding a torch in his hand using various types of music instruments. Thiri Uzhichchil is also performed as one of the items in Ayyappan Vilakku festival. This item is performed early morning at about 3 am after the Ayappa Jananam (Birth of Ayyappa) ritual and the Paal kindi ezhunnaLLippu (ritual procession of Ayyappa bringing tiger's milk). In the case of Thiri Uzhichchil in Ayyappan viLakku, the accompaniments are ilaththaaLam(cymbal) and Chenda (traditional Keralite drum). The Velichapaadu after uranju thuLLal (trance-like shivering and jumping continuously) starts with one thiri (flaming torch) and increases it to two and three and even goes up to five thiris. The thiri or pandam is a flaming torch made of group of cotton wicks strapped together by coconut leaf fronds. The wicks are fuelled by coconut oil, into which they are dipped before the performance. He wipes the flames on the body especially the arms, chest and back continuously dancing to the tune of the drums. The dance is a form of worship, Nrithya Pooja, on the eight sides of the ambalam (shrine) - in case of Ayyappan ViLakku the temple is constructed purely with banana stems without using any metallic items - with intricate steps and each section of the dance, ending with a crescendo on one of the eight sides. In addition to wiping the flames on the body, the performer also sticks the torch into the waist part of the kachcha (traditional dress) both on front and back side so that the flames almost touches his chin. The crescendo of the drumming and the dance culminates when he wipes the torch so vigorously on his arms, chest and back that it almost goes out. After the performance the performer offers the torch to all the spectator devotees to warm their palms and touch the palms to their faces (just like the traditional way Hindus take the camphor offering). The Velichappadu usually wears the white dothi and both red and black kachcha and also ties up the "waist belt of bells" (aramaNi) during the performance.

See also