Balikkala is a ritual art, practiced by the Malayar community of northern Kerala. Performed for the health and well-being of women, it has gone nearly extinct. The Dalit art form was performed again after a gap of about 40 years by Chanthu Panikkar and the team in July 2023 for digital archiving under the ARPO LoreKeepers project.
The performance, which involved hours-long ballads praising five folk deities, was also an occasion for the artists to recollect memories associated with the ritual, which was last performed about 4 decades ago.
Watch the documentary about the ritual and its performers