Poonthen Mozhi | Mohiniyattam Dance by Anitha Menon

Poonthen Nermozhi is a padam (slow paced allegorical love song) composed by Swathi Thirunal. In this padam, set in Ananda Bhairavi ragam and Adi talam, the pining nayika praises the calm and collected demeanour of Lord Padmanabha and entreats the sakhi (friend) to bring him to her. In her yearning, the nayika imagines her Lord coming to her, covering her face with sandal paste, singing to her and she dancing to his music and giving him the tambula (betel leaf). When she realizes that her thoughts and dreams are in vain, she begs the sakhi to go and tell him about her plight and bring him back. The dance ends with sakhi going and the nayika waiting anxiously. Performed at the 37th Annual Prathistha Day & Festival at the Guruvayurappan Temple, Mahalingapuram Sree Ayyappan Guruvayurappan Temples, Chennai, 10 June 2026.