"KaaLiyaaTTam": The Life History of a Performer and the Development of a Performing Art

"KaaLiyaaTTam" is a ritual dance performed in the guise of KaaLi, a popular female deity worshiped in Tamil Nadu and in other parts of India. The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between the performing art "KaaLiyaaTTam" and the life history of a person performing it to find if the relationship influences the performing art, and if so, how. On the basis of data collected through participant observation in many areas of Tamil Nadu and interviews with performers, the author shows that "KaaLiyaaTTam" is closely related to the life of the performer. He also argues that the benefits of the performance for performers is not economic but psychological. The author concludes that there is a mutually influential relationship between the performance of "KaaLiyaaTTam" and its performer.