Margamkali is a dance form practised by Syrian Christian men (in Kerala) since the fourth century in commemoration of their acceptance of Way of Christ. It is a dance form where the dancers traditionally danced around a small platform with a cross in the middle. In remembrance of the story of how Thomas the Apostle came to these parts of the land, sitting on top of a peacock, the dancers wore a peacock feather on their heads. In the course of time, the peacock feather gave way to a headband with a tail. The rest of the costume includes the traditional mundu with a golden border and red waistband.
On the eve of weddings and festivals, the marga vasis (people who have taken the path)—the word margam comes from the Buddhist tradition—the dancers, sing and dance in memory of their conversion to Christianity. The performance is done in the presence of a gathering of relatives and lasts the whole night. This art form was practised only by men till the first half of the nineteenth century, especially by the Knanaya community in the Kottayam district in Kerala. In places like Pala and Thrissur, though there were other traditional Christian communities, Margamkali had found roots only among the Knanayas. It was practised by 70 per cent of the Knanaya community and by 30 per cent of the Jacoba-Suriyani communities. This was what my teacher and folk art historian Dr Chummar Choodal concluded after many years of research.
After this art form was included in the Kerala State Annual School Youth Festival in 1984, girls were also given an opportunity to participate in performances. That is how women came into the picture. Today you find many teachers teaching this art form in Thrissur and Kottayam. Only in these places, you will find teams of men performing.
The language is chentamizhu (old Tamil). The vandana or the invocatory part of the song in Margamkali speaks of ways of seeking blessings from St. Thomas. The following verses describe how Thomas the apostle came to these parts of Kerala in the times of Chola kings and built up a great following of Christian believers. The theme is taken from the book Thoma yude Nadapadikal or Acts of Thomas.
Dance has been a part of rituals and worship in other religions in Kerala. Christians here have always integrated well with the native culture. Now Margamkali is popular in all the districts of Kerala and across all the Christian communities.
