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Silambu
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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
According to Jeyaraj, the word 'silambu' is derived from the verb 'silambal', meaning 'to make sound'.[1]
Description
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
In dance
Nautch performers wore silambu.[2] Kandyan dancers may wear silambu.[4]
In art and literature
Shiva in his dancing pose nataraja sometimes wears a silambu on his ankle.[citation needed]
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
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
Notes
Sources
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