Gadhika also spelled as Gaddika is a tribal art form of the Adiya or Adiyor

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belonging to the Scheduled Tribes of

Wayanad district Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, India. Gaddika is a ritual art form performed to cure disease and ward off miseries and

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. There are two variations of Gadhika, Nattu Gadhika, a public performance and Pooja Gadhika, which is purely ritualistic.

Overview

Atiyor are one of the major tribal groups living in villages like Achukunnu, Kuppathote, Payyampally and Thrissileri in

. They believe that sickness and suffering are caused by God's wrath. There are many customs and rituals practiced among the Adiyas who believe in witchcraft. Gaddika is a magical ritual performed by Adiyrs to cure disease and ward off miseries and evil eyes. Gaddika is also performed for the removal of ghosts affecting the locals and household members. Ceremonies are conducted under the leadership of the chief priest called ''Gaddikakaran''. It is also believed that this is a ritual that heralds the arrival of goodness.

Types

There are two variations of Gadhika, Nattu Gadhika and Pooja Gadhika. Pooja Gadhika is purely ritualistic, performed to cure disease, ward off miseries and

, and safe delivery of child. There is also a custom of gaddika groups going around the country accompanied by musical instruments, known as ''Nattu Gadhika''. ''Nattu Gadhika'' performed annually for the good of the country, lasts for seven days. People will tell their sufferings to the ''gadhikakaran'', and he will bless them.

Ritual

Gaddika is usually held once a year, during the Malayalam month of Mithunam (June/July). Gaddika ritual needs rice, coconut and

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. These ceremonies were started by placing a muram (a traditional kitchen tool made with palm leaves, placing a long bamboo cane near to it and offering money. There is also a ritual of seeking permission from Lord

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

to perform Gadhika. During the gaddika, the Adiyor sing the praises of each of their gods. Such songs are in praise of deities like Chuvani, Siddappan and Malakari. While singing the song, the gaddikakaran dance in high energy. The language used throughout the ritual is a mixture of

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

and Tulu languages.

Non-ritual

It was under the leadership of P.K. Kalan, Adiyor's Mooppan (Tribal chief) and politician, that Gaddika, which was performed only as a part of ritual, was presented in public platforms inside and outside Kerala without losing its artistic values. Along with PK Kalan, P K Karian was another artist who used this tribal art as a tool for social reform.

In popular culture

The tribal art fair organized by the Department of Scheduled Tribes Development, Kerala state is named 'Gadhika'. The government organizes two fairs every year at different places in Kerala.

References

{{Culture of Kerala Ritual dances Dances of Kerala Kerala folklore Folk dances of Kerala