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Pursere Kattuna is a religious and traditional folk dance form ofTulunadu, performed mainly in the villages ofBelthangady taluk in theDakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. The performance is held during the full moon in the month ofSuggi according to theTulu calendar.[1]
Pursa Kattuna takes place from late evening until the early hours of the morning. Dancers visit the homes of people belonging to different social strata, blessing them with healing, prosperity and protection. The ritual includes acting, singing, dancing, symbolic storytelling and mythological mimicry. Performers interact with each other and with the public during the different stages of the enactment.[2]
The style shows influence from theNatha Pantha spiritual tradition. Individuals embody different characters, and the performance continues throughout the night as a community event.[3]
Pursa Kattuna uses a wide range of costumes and roles representing various castes, professions, mythic figures and social archetypes.[4] Costumes may depict:
The performances are mainly initiated by theTulu Gowda community, although people from other communities also join and participate.
A similar type of performance exists in theSullia region, but it uses a different costume style known asSiddavesha. The three notable mythic farce characters associated with Siddavesha are Sanyasi, Bhatru and Dasayye.[6]
The musical instruments used in Pursa Kattuna includes Tase, Dolu,Nadaswara, Shruti. These instruments guide the rhythm of the dance, mythic dialogues and singing sequences throughout the night.
Pursa Kattuna is a living heritage practice of Tulunadu, combining ritual healing, traditional belief, humor, performance art and community theatre. It showcases the folk imagination of Tulu society and preserves oral narratives, mythic storytelling, and seasonal practices.[7]
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