Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 1080; Dated 2nd June 2014.

It is very interesting to watch street circus and acrobatics in India. The nomads travel from one town to another town and perform such acts. Though nobody likes child labour, most of the acts are done by children. When children perform such acts and show their acrobatic skills people are moved easily and the sympathy thus evoked get more money from the watching general public. It is more interesting to know that such street circus has been held in Tamil Nadu for more than 2000 years. The performers were called Aryan acrobats. The commentators explained that they came from the north. Sangam literature and later literature also had many references to Aryan wrestlers and singers from the North. They challenge the Tamils for some open contest and loose in most of the contests and run away. And in few of them they have won.

There are at least two references to such acrobats in Tamil Nadu from the ancient literature where they are praised.

Sangam poet Kottampalavanar sings in Natrinai verse (95): “A dancing girl climbs and dances over a rope skilfully to the accompaniment of flute(musical ) tunes and leaves the place, when a female monkey with red face full of soft hair like a ripe fig, climbs over it and carefully moves and balances itself. The young boys there witness it and immediately join together and keep time with their hands. Kottu is the verb used by the poet to denote the rhythm of their clapping, and so the poet is called “Kottu” ambalavanar.

Tamil scholar AK Ramanujan has translated another poem from Kuruntokai, part of Sangam anthology, which gives a graphic description of an acrobat:

“The bowman has a warrior’s band
On his ankle;
The girl with the bracelet on her arm
Has a virgin’s anklets
On her tender feet.
They look like good people.
In these places the winds beat
Upon the vakai trees
And make the wide seed pots rattle
Like drums for Aryan acrobats
Dancing on the tight ropes.

Poor things who could they be?
And what makes them walk
With all the others
Through these desert ways
So filled with bamboos. — (Kuruntokail-7 by Perumpatumanar)
Kuruntokai and Narrinai are two Sangam anthologies with 400 verses each.

Tamil Proverbs also exist about Aryan acrobats. “Even if one does perform Aryan Acrobatics, one does not lose focus on the task”.

Kamba Ramayanam, a 12th century text, also has reference to Aryan acrobatics.
Such is beauty and continuity of Indian culture.

But one may still wonder why they were called Aryan (Northern) acrobats. Were there no Tamil acrobats in those days?