Artifacts of Kerala

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Nilavilakku: The lighted lamps

The Nilavilakku is integral to all the rituals and ceremonies in a Malayalee's (Keralite) life.

As dusk creeps in, young girls of the family bring the lighted lamps (nilavilakku) to the verandah of the house. In the flickering light of the nilavilakku she is joined by the children and elders of the family, especially the grandparents, in chanting hymns and evening prayers. Lighting the nilavilakku on any occasion is believed to be auspicious.

The huge nilavilakku plays an important role at the presentation of various art forms since most of them are performed at night in the light of the traditional lamp. You can buy one from a handicrafts emporium or a paathrakada (exclusive kada or shop for steel, copper and iron household utensils).

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The gold jewellery of Kerala

The Keralite's love for gold can be traced back to very ancient days itself. Even from those days each community or caste had its own traditional designs of ornaments which were made specially by the family goldsmith. But the modern days see an entirely different trend. The boom in the fashion industry has brought all these the traditional designs and the modern patternsunder one roof, namely the jewellery shops. Irrespective of religion or caste, most women in Kerala wear gold ornaments and it forms an inevitable part of most religious and social occasions like marriages. The main ritual in the Kerala wedding ceremony is the thaalikettu, the tying of the sacred nuptial thread on which is stringed the 'thaali' a tiny leaf shaped gold plate, which marks the sacred bond of marriage. The Christians have a little cross engraved on the 'thaali'. The most outstanding piece of the Christian women's jewellery collection used to be the enormous ring worn on the upper ear lobe. Muslim women also have their distinctive earrings, necklaces and elaborately designed articles for the waist (Odyanam). Gold ornaments are made in almost all parts of the state. Thrissur in central Kerala has always been a shopping paradise for traditional gold jewellery. The jewel street in Thrissur is famous for having the maximum number of jewellery shops on a single lane. The popular traditional ornaments are Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram (ring), gold necklaces like Manonmani, Ilakkathali, Poothali, Palaykkamala, Mangamala, Dalamini, Chuttiyum Chelum and Puliyamothiram. Ear studs like Jimikki, Kannuneerthulli, Thoda etc; bangles like Kappu, stones, pearls and enamel painted bracelets etc. also are popular items. The ornament worn around the waist inside the dress is called Aranjanam which is usually a thin chain but those worn by the Muslim women like a 'belt' over their dress are called Odyanam. These Odyanams are usually broad and have intricate designs.

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The making of the Thalankara thoppy

(The caps worn by the Malabar Muslims)Muslim men as well as boys in India wear a particular type of cap which forms part of their traditional attire. These caps are either made of cotton or designed of crochet stitches. The thoppy (caps) from a place called Thalankara in Malabar are very popular in Kerala as well as the Gulf countries. These cotton caps have intricate thread work, which gives them an ethnic look. Though priced between Rs. 45 and Rs. 150, the caps become more expensive with the type of thread used and the complexity of the work. The designs for the thread work are drawn straight onto the cloth. The making of these caps has been a profession for many families in Thalankara for generations. The old person Mohammad, seen in the video clip, has been making these caps for the past 35 years. It takes the joint effort of a family to complete each cap. The Thalankara cap has a large market in the Gulf countries. The making of the Thalankara thoppy

(The caps worn by the Malabar Muslims)Muslim men as well as boys in India wear a particular type of cap which forms part of their traditional attire. These caps are either made of cotton or designed of crochet stitches. The thoppy (caps) from a place called Thalankara in Malabar are very popular in Kerala as well as the Gulf countries. These cotton caps have intricate thread work, which gives them an ethnic look. Though priced between Rs. 45 and Rs. 150, the caps become more expensive with the type of thread used and the complexity of the work. The designs for the thread work are drawn straight onto the cloth. The making of these caps has been a profession for many families in Thalankara for generations. The old person Mohammad, seen in the video clip, has been making these caps for the past 35 years. It takes the joint effort of a family to complete each cap. The Thalankara cap has a large market in the Gulf countries.