ಕಂಗುಳು -ತುಳು ಜಾನಪದ ನೃತ್ಯ (Kangulu Tulu Folk Dance)

Kangulu is one of Tulu folk dance performed by folks belonging to lower strata of the caste structure. Dancers in Kangulu come from a close knit community of Untouchable. Kangulu dance is done during the Tulu Month of Mayi(around March) full moon day.

On the day of Kangulu dance, a group of men gather at the village temple (typically the Babbu swamy temple. Babbu swamy being the patron god of untouchables). They prepare dress using the tender coconut leaves. They remove the sturdy stick like thing from the leaf and hence it becomes easy to wrap around the hip. Also some of them wrap that coconut leaves around the shoulder. They use petromax light and torch made out of dried coconut leaves. Kangulu dance team is lead by the head of the clan (also called 'Maara'. Literal translation means Manmatha, Hindu god for Kama)

First dance is invariably at the village deity and they follow a heirarchy of the village houses ('Gutthu'). Kangulu dance consists of three parts. First part is group dance where all the Kangulu dancers dance around the coconut leaf torch or Petromax lamp. Second dance is called 'Kadigana' where one of the elderly man gets a big sturdy stick and does a jumping dance. Third dance is 'Pilli dance' (Pilli is the Tulu word for tiger). In this dance, one guys acts like tiger and other guy acts like a hunter with gun. This symbolizes the hunting ritual that was common in olden days for controlling the wild life population.

Each dance is succeded by donation. Olden days donation was only in the form of rice. Kadigana gets few anas (16 anas = 1 Indian Rupees).

Over the years the people that want to participate in Kangulu has gone down and in many villages the Kangulu tradition has stopped completely. I remember as a Elementary school kid, waiting for the Kangulu team to come to our house for dance. It was really exciting time. With the changes in the social orders and better education, this cultural has almost died. I havent heard any Kangulu dance being performed in any near by village.

Hopefully whenever I get a chance to witness one of this dance, I will be able to record this tradition so that future generation will have a glimpse of this TULU CULTURE.