Oppana — Muslim Wedding Music and Dance of Kollam

Oppana is a festive dance and music form performed by women at Muslim weddings in Malabar and the Kollam coastal communities. Young women seated in a circle clap rhythmically and sing devotional songs (primarily in Arabi-Malayalam) while a performer in the centre dances gracefully to the clapping rhythm. The songs celebrate the joy of the wedding, praise the bride's beauty, and invoke blessings. Traditional Oppana songs were composed by classical poets and learned orally within the community. Costumes are elaborate — performers wear silk sarees with gold jewellery, and the bride sits at the centre. Kollam's Muslim communities have developed distinct Oppana traditions that differ in song repertoire and dance vocabulary from those of northern Malabar.