Oyilattam (Tamil: ஒயிலாட்டம்; meaning: dance of grace) is a folk dance with origins in the Madurai region of Tamil Nadu.[1] The dance has its origins in southern Tamil Nadu and is primarily performed in Madurai district, Tirunelveli district and Tiruchirapalli district.[2] It was traditionally a dance where a few men would stand in a row with two kerchiefs perform rhythmic steps to the musical accompaniment, with the number of dancers increasing; over the past ten years women have also started performing this dance. Typically, the musical accompaniment is the Thavil and the performers have coloured handkerchiefs tied to their fingers[3] and wear ankle bells. Oyilattam is one of the folk arts identified for mainstreaming by the Tamil university.[4] Mainly Oyilattam is performed at village festivals. It is a dance used after harvest to protect the grains from birds.
