Pursere Kattuna
Pursere Kattuna is a religious and traditional folk dance form of Tulunadu, performed mainly in the villages of Belthangady taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. The performance is held during the full moon in the month of Suggi according to the Tulu calendar.
Performance
Pursa Kattuna takes place from late evening until the early hours of the morning. Dancers visit the homes of people belonging to different social strata, blessing them with healing, prosperity and protection. The ritual includes acting, singing, dancing, symbolic storytelling and mythological mimicry. Performers interact with each other and with the public during the different stages of the enactment.The style shows influence from the Natha Pantha spiritual tradition. Individuals embody different characters, and the performance continues throughout the night as a community event.
Characters and Costumes
Pursa Kattuna uses a wide range of costumes and roles representing various castes, professions, mythic figures and social archetypes. Costumes may depict:- Brahmins and priests
- Mendicants, ascetics and fortune tellers
- Koti Chennaya
- Wild animals including bears, tiger, lion, monkey
- Scholars, thieves, ghosts and spiritual entities
- A Christian male character, Muslim fale character
- Characters that challenge or provoke through humor, mimicry and farce
A similar type of performance exists in the Sullia region, but it uses a different costume style known as Siddavesha. The three notable mythic farce characters associated with Siddavesha are Sanyasi, Bhatru and Dasayye.