Oppana

Oppana is a popular form of social entertainment among the Mappila (Kerala Muslims) community of Kerala, South India, prevalent throughout Kerala, especially in Malabar. The term Oppana is believed to be originated from the Arabic word "Affna". Oppana is traditionally performed in various important cultural ceremonies, and in particular, is a component of Mappila weddings. In Kerala, this art form has been revived with much popularity on the performing stages of the Youth Festivals of the student community.¶

Oppana is generally presented by females, numbering about fifteen, including musicians, on a wedding day. The bride dressed in all finery, covered with gold ornaments and her palms and feet adorned with an intricately woven pattern of mylanchi (henna), sits amidst the circle of dancers. She is the chief spectator sitting on a peetam (chair), around which the singing and dancing take place. While they sing, they clap their hands rhythmically and move around, the bride using simple steps. Two or three girls begin the songs and the rest join in chorus. Sometimes, Oppana is also presented by males to entertain the bridegroom. It usually takes place just before the bridegroom leaves for the bride's residence where the Nikah (marriage) takes place or at the time he enters the Maniyara. Harmonium, tabla, ganjira and elathaalam are the musical instruments employed for this performance.¶

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Oppana”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.¶

Oppana is type of dance, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition.¹¶

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation.¹¶