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Silambu

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A collection of Silambus from Tamil Nadu.
Chilambu used in Theyyam of Kerala.
Gaggara used in Buta Kola of Karnataka.


Silambu (Tamil: சிலம்பு; Malayalam: ചിലമ്പ് /cil’əmpɨ̆/), or Gaggara (Tulu: ಗಗ್ಗರ), is an anklet worn and used in a variety of contexts on the Indian subcontinent.

Etymology

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According to Jeyaraj, the word 'silambu' is derived from the verb 'silambal', meaning 'to make sound'.[1]

Description

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The silambu is a hollow anklet filled with beads that produce noise when the wearer moves or dances.[2] It may be worn on the ankle or the leg. When worn on the leg, it is termed kālchilambu in Tamil.[3]

Some varieties of silambu are made of copper and use iron balls to produce sound.[4] Others are made of silver.[5]

Importance

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In dance

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Nautch performers wore silambu.[2] Kandyan dancers may wear silambu.[4]

In art and literature

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Shiva in his dancing pose nataraja sometimes wears a silambu on his ankle.[citation needed]

A statue of Kannagi holding a silambu.

The epic Silappatikaram is structured around the character Kannaki's attempt to sell her silambu, and takes its title from the name of the anklet.[6][7]

In religion and rituals

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Silambu are sometimes placed on cows' legs during the Pongal festival.[8] In Tamil Nadu, a traditional dance called kai silambu aatam is performed in temples during Amman festivals in which the dancers wear or hold silambus in their hands, which make noise when shaken.[citation needed]

Silambu is also used in ritual dance performances of southern India, such as the Theyyam of Malabar region and the Buta Kola of Tulu Nadu region.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Jeyaraj 1999, p. 39.
  2. ^ a b Sambamoorthy 1976, p. 6.
  3. ^ Sambamoorthy 1976, p. 23.
  4. ^ a b Banerji, Projesh (1959). The Folk-Dance of India. Allahabad: Kitabistan. pp. 189–190.
  5. ^ Marcuse, Sibyl (1975). "Silambu". Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary. New York: Norton. p. 476. ISBN 9780393007589.
  6. ^ Chakravarti, A. (1944). Jaina Literature in Tamil. New Delhi: Bhāratīya Jñāpītha. p. 51.
  7. ^ The Śilappadikāram. Translated by Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra. Oxford University Press. 1939. p. 1.
  8. ^ Sambamoorthy 1976, p. 24.

Sources

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