karinkali..ritualisticperformance of Paraya community
VIDEO CLICK HERE TO WATCH karinkali in action
The summer as it comes bursting up of born fires in Asokam, wild yellow puffing of shower golden trees,booms from the large drums shakes the Thiras,,sounds from the majestic trumpet rent the air andColourfully attired electrifying karnkalis of course, they are black of the black! pulsate the space across the stubbled fields in various costumes, , the performance is so awesome the Karinkalis storm into thee throngimg mob ,they work themselves into a frenzy brandishing face and piercing eyes run around the temple in a trance, ` by the sabres in their hand with a ritualistic endless search of the Karinkali.
karinkali
They charge the temple with the sabres in their hand with a ritualistic vengeance .They hold tendercoconutleaf made spikes of corm KATHIRU ..They bash on regardlessely with wide open eyes and outstretctd toungue,,the darknesblack coloured Karinkali that shocks the pooram enthusiasts as well as devotees with its spell.
karinkalis in action
Karinkali performance is one of the ritualistic performance of Paraya community inthe regions of western Palakkad ,Southern Malappuran and Nothern parts of Trichur boardering the western part of Palakkaddistrict.The Poorams or velas of this area remain outstanding due to the unique ritualistic experience.Karinkalis can occur as vazhipadu or offering of individuals or families.sometimes a group of karinkali performrs may present karinkali kkoottam…
Karinkali conjures the spirit
The Karinkali performers smear their body with black charcoal paste made from devil tree trunk.The costumes in clude the Chetyakam ,Kaithamara,.brass plate ,brass breasts and spectacle frame like eye magnifiers.The head gear is usually triangular in shape.The Karinkali conjures up the spirits in front of the Kalams drawn intricately,..They undergoe different rituals like gurusi etcThe karinkalis spring into action vibrantly and peform at the house hold from where the offering is made..Karinkalis hang a live cock upon its arms.Cock sacrifice and Gurusi are the important rituals connected with this perdformance. Karinkali appears as Tagore described in his poem
karinkal
The stars are blotted out,The clouds are covering clouds,
It is darkness vibrant, sonant. In the roaring, whirling wind Wrenching trees by the roots, Sweeping all from the path… The sea has joined the fray, And swirls up mountain-waves, To reach the pitchy sky. A thousand, thousand shades”
Of death begrimed and black. ”—We eprience thunder and lightning along the way to temple.The accompanying drummers compose a terrible rhythm to suit the situation .we feel that ‘
karinkali
you dance in your own joy,
and clap your hands to keep time. O Elemental, Eternal One! Your form is empty space,
karinkali
When it reaches Mullappanthal where the Paraya community is supposed to receive the main deity of the temple.or it s the Keezhekkavu..the ritualistic performance attains climax and cock sacrifice is done…the Karinkalis suck the cocks blood and they indulge in the savage dance.
karinkalikettal
”at once the destruction-flood Of Concern-Light and Compassion-Ocean For our heart’s aspiration-flame”.
karinkali
Though goddess image cannot be taken as a premordial image or archetype,according to jung it is only an archetypal image,But here the Karinkali performer who represents the god the terrible image of goddess who drives away all terrible forces and conjures up all unseen inevitable evils, hits their conscience as Kali the mother goddess.the vigilant thorough search is the hall mark of the deity nad nothing remains unseen.The terrible beauty that protects us from evil forces all dark forces..”Archetypes seek actualization within the situation of an individual’s environment and determine the degree of individuation”. as Jung called “evocation” and “constellation” to explain the process of actualization.
costumes
In Karinkali ritual the mother archetype is actualized in the mind of the devotee evoking of innate anticipations of the maternal archetype when the child is in the proximity of a maternal figure( though primitive savage far away from modern mother figure,) who corresponds closely enough to its archetypal template. This mother archetype is built into the personal unconscious of the devotee as a mother complex. Complexes are functional units of the personal unconscious, in the same way that archetypes are units for the collective unconscious.Thus the Karinkalis turn to be archetypes rather than archetypal images.So,Karinkalis balance the premordial black within us.and enless search for devils enless search for dharika..the inevitable evil…the hall mark of this ritualistic performance is the quest…
karinkali