"Poikkal Kudhirai" or "Puravi naatiyam" is a famous dance that flourished under the patronage of Thanjavur Kings and is believed that Maratha artistes are the pioneers of this dance. "Poikkal Kudhirai" means - "poi" - False, "kaal" - leg, "Kudhirai" - Horse.

The property of Poikall kudhirai a main aspect of this dance, is prepared out of cardboard, bamboo sticks and wooden sticks. Wooden sticks help the dancing artists to create a rhythmic sound effect of hooves. The horse is decorated in Thanjavur art style with mirror and other embellishments.

People dance with these wooden legs try to create an hallucinated effect of dancing on a real horse. All the above dances are rendered to the accompaniments of music as clarionet, drum, South Indian folk dance instruments such as "Kundalam" and "Nayaandi Melam" , Thavil , Nadhaswaram, Pambai and Thalam. The tunes played are simple, lifting up the spirits and is mostly of the popular rural type.

Kaavadi Dance

"Kaavadi", another form of dance which still has its roots in Tamilnadu is considered to be an ancient dance too.

It is associated mostly in worshipping "LORD MURUGA" during festival occasions. It too has its own legandary history and a hoary past.

The dance is performed to invoke and propitiate the deity of "Lord Muruga".

Music that accompanies "Kaavadi aattam" is called as "Kavadi Chindu" which uses "chindu" a form of lyrics in traditional music of Tamilians.

Karagam Dance

"Karagam" or "Karagaattam" is a tradiational dance form of folklore of Tamilians.

It is ancient and has enough citations in literature of Tamilians. Karagaattam has been given importance in the great epic of South India, The "Silapathikaaram".

Karagaattam is one among the eleven forms of dance which are comprised to be called as "Kudakoothu".

Even today, this dance is still being nurtured by folk dance groups and considered to be a vital part in worshipping the "Goddess Sakthi". "Karagattam" has gone through its own period of evolution from its original form.

Peacock Dance

Peacock Dance or Mayil Attam is done by girls dressed as peacocks, resplendent with peacock feathers and a glittering head-dress complete with a beak.

This beak can be opened and closed with the help of a thread tied to it, and manipulated from within dress.