SYMBOLISM OF PETTA

Symbolism of Petta-Thullal Dance

Petta-Thullal, a devotional dance, performed by the pilgrims in Erumely, is an important ritualistic custom of the pilgrimage. The Petta-thullal is a re-enaction of the joyful dance of the people on knowing that Ayyappa had slain the terrible Mahishi, the demoness having the form of a she-buffalo.

Externally the devotee dances the petta-thullal, which internally represent this state of having slayed his own Ego, symbolically represented as Ayyappa killing Mahishi, the she-buffalo.  The important feature of this dance is the smearing of color powder and charcoal on the whoule body including the face and erasing their identity. This also erases the sense of all social and religious distinctions from the minds of the participants and to integrate them into a dynamic whole. They dance in abandon in a state of forgetfulness of their individual distinctions while making a conscious effort to fix their attention on the divinity of Ayyappa, whom they considered as the manifestation of the Supreme Reality. While dancing, they uttered aloud “Ayyappan thinthakathom, Swami thinthakathom”.(K Veeramani's song is popular)

The ritualistic dance in Erumeli is the expression internal slaying of  the Ego (buffalo). Buffalo is a symbolism of lazy animal always finds cozy in dirty water that represent darkness. Ego lives in the darkness, the absence of the light of Consciousness. Slaying of the Ego, results in the loss of the sense of identity and immersing in the ecstatic moments of pure awareness.

Before Petta-thullal begins the pilgrims go to the market (Petta means market and Thullal, dance) and buy small arrows for ritualistic purpose, provisions as cereals, vegetables etc. All these items of a group are placed in a blanket and then tied up into a bundle. The bundle is carried suspended on long poles, the ends of which rest on the shoulders of a pair of pilgrims.

These dances represent the transformation of a spiritual aspirant who then takes all the worldly objects and possessions and events only an aspect to rejoice.  The petta or market represents the world of displaying objects. Without any judgements and distinctions he treats all the objects as one extension to be shared with the fellow beings. This is expressed as the provisions from market, tied into a bundle and carried suspended on long poles, the ends of which rest on the shoulders of a pair of pilgrims.

The pilgrims with the face and body smeared with charcoal and other colours go to the Kochambalam, the small shrine of Dharma Shaastha, from where the Petta-thullal begins. After worshipping at the shrine, the pilgrims start the dance to the accompaniment of instrumental music, like drumming and Naagaswaram (all these represents the music of rejoicing life). Petta-thullal is performed with devotional fervour, many of the pilgrims holding green twigs and uttering aloud: “Ayyappa thinthakathom, Swami Thinthakathom”’’. The green twigs from trees symbolize the integration with nature.