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‘We wanted an unforgettable memory’: Malayali women perform Thiruvathira on Great Wall of China

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Kozhikode: While the world may marvel at the Great Wall of China, what truly astonished the Chinese was how a six-metre-long saree is worn. Their attention shifted to the traditional Indian attire after witnessing a Thiruvathira performance atop the historic wall.
Draped in set saree, veshti and mundu, a group of Malayali women performed Thiruvathira, a traditional Kerala dance, while men in kasav mundu supported them, turning the group into local celebrities in China. This unique cultural moment was brought to the Great Wall by a group of Malayalis from different districts of Kerala who had travelled to China as tourists.

The 38-member group boarded a flight to China on the morning of May 7. The travellers hailed from nine districts across Kerala. The trip was organised by Yathrananda Travel Fusion, a Kannur-based travel company.

Soon after bookings were finalised, a WhatsApp group was formed to coordinate among the travellers. The idea of performing Thiruvathira on the Great Wall was first shared in the group by Hima from Kannur. “I posted it with the thought that we should create an unforgettable memory. No one objected,” said Hima.

She followed up with another message, “If we bring Kerala sarees and other traditional attire, we could pull this off.” On the morning of May 12, the group arrived at the Great Wall dressed in traditional Kerala outfits. During breaks, they practised a few dance steps. To the tune of “Parvanendu Mukhi…”, they performed Thiruvathira atop the wall. Around 10 women between the ages of 44 and 66 participated, led by Hima, Sulaja, Dr Susheelamma, Sreeja, Latha and Geetha.

Once the performance ended, even the Chinese gathered to take selfies with the dancers. Questions flowed—how long is the saree, is it two pieces, how is it worn? By the time they left, the Malayali group had become nothing short of stars on the Great Wall.

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