Padayani is a sacramental art form performed in temple premises, especially Goddess temples, in South Kerala. It represents the symbolic act of appeasing Goddess Bhadrakali after the annihilation of the demon Darika.  Performed in night, the duration of the festival may vary from 7 to 28 days according to the number of villages taking part in it.

The performers who perform in this act are usually trained in ‘Kalarippayattu’, for, the act involves a lot of rigorous physical movements and steps. ‘Kolam thullal’ is a major part of Padayani, in which the performers use different types of masks to do the ritual dance in devotion. ‘Thappu’ is the main instrument used in Padayani apart from Chenda and Kaimani (hand cymbal). Padayani uses attractive songs set in typical tunes which are handed down through generations.