Nair communities of
Palakkad and
Thrissur districts conduct elaborate dance and drama shows generically known as Purattu (also Purathu). Literally the word Purathu means imitation.
The general form of this humorous folk-play is for characters imitating members of the lower castes such as the Kuravan, Kurathi, Chetty and Mannan in a humorous way, but with dialogues for great meaning.
Kanniyarkali Dance in Palakkad area comes under this group. In this play, a character impersonating a Chandala is cleverly imitated to evoke laughter. The accompanying songs of Purattu are almost in Tamil.
