days, starting with the new moon night after Deepavali. The significance of the Pinnal Kolattam is the ups and downs of life, the mysteries of life that can be unraveled and beautiful tapestries can be woven by the sense of unity, understanding and systematic design. Poi Kal attam A dance performed with false legs i.e. by tying wooden sticks to the legs. Wooden sticks are covered up so that the performer will appear to look taller than usual, for viewers. Kummi Kummi is one of the ancient forms of village dances of Tamil Nadu. It originated when there were no musical instruments, with the participants clapping their hands to keep time. This is performed by women; many varieties of Kummi, such as, Poonthatti Kummi, Deepa Kummi, Kulavai Kummi, Kadir Kummi, Mulaipari Kummi, Kothagiri Kummi etc. are known. The women stand in a circle and dance clapping their hands rhythmically to lifting songs. The first line of the song is sung by the leading lady, which the others repeat. This type of dance is also practiced during various religious ceremonies. Mayil Attam Mayil Attam is done mostly by women 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 the dress. Other similar dances are, Kaalai Attam (dressed as a bull), Karadi Attam (dressed as a bear) and Aali Aattam (dressed as a demon), which are performed in the villages during village get-togethers. Vedala Aattam is performed wearing a mask depicting demons. These dance also shows the respect of the peacocks to Lord Muruga. Ottan Koothu Ottas, a small group of tribals, perform this form of ritual dance on festive occasions to depict episodes from epics and other ancient stories. The women folk also participate in the dance. The urumi is a folk instrument typically played by the Dalit community. This double-headed drum is widely believed to possess supernatural and sacred powers. When played in religious ceremonies and processions, the performance of specific beats on the urumi may induce spirit possessions or Trance. The urumi is most often performed in two types of ensembles: - Urumi Melam - Naiyandi Melam Urumi melam ensembles usually consist of a melodic instrument, the double-reed Nadaswaram, a pair of double headed drums called , and one to three urumi drums.