The literal meaning of Patayani is `array of soldiers`. This is the collective social consciousness preserved myths and rituals as mediums of empirical pragmatism about nature and life. Patayani illustrates a creative resolution by which the festive involvement of the social mind enlarges and illumines its horizon. Since martial training is involved, the etymology of the name has relevance, but in a wider connotation it denotes people at large. The whole village, irrespective of cast or creed, participates from preparation to final execution. Patayani is performed in the open courtyard of certain temples to Devi in Pathanamthitta district. There are references in certain Patayani songs indicate that it existed in the eighth century. Afterwards, a solo art by the name of kolam Tullal or `masked dance` developed. It was practiced by members of the Kaniyan community of professional astrologers. They used to make masks from areca sheaths painted in natural colours with grotesque figures of different spirits. Wearing these masks, they performed dances of possession in village homes to ward off evil spells. The spirits propitiated in this ritual such as Devata, Pisachu, Sundara Yakshi, Sukumara Yakshi, etc. These are common to Patayani. The Kaniyans contribute even now to Patayani by painting the kolams or masks for the performers.

The festival usually falls in the Malayalam month of Medam during April-May and its duration may vary from seven to twenty-eight days. Different territorial divisions of the village are represented by their leaders. They assemble in front of the temple on the first day with torches lit from the lamp in the sanctum. They proceed in a procession around the temple to the accompaniment of tappu, a special percussion instrument exclusively used in Patayani, with cymbals keeping time. The tappu is round and wooden, covered with very thick hide heated to the maximum to produce a high tone. On occasions when it is played without heat treatment, it is called pacha tappu.

From the third day of the festival, the masked dance commences with Ganapati kolam, painted with the god Ganapati`s face. Among the many kolams in the rich repertoire, Kalan i.e. god of death or time is prominent. Kalan appears to take away the life of the young boy Markandeya whose death was predestined at age 16. But through strict penance and concentrated devotion, Markandeya pleased Siva, who kills Kalan when he tries to snatch the boy`s life. The dancer performs all three roles. Accompanying vocal music describes the whole Puranic myth of Markandeya. The song describes graphically the consequences of the death of the god of death, and the dancer enacts the pangs of death suffered by Kalan. When the dancer in his possessed state collapses, stagehands sprinkle water on his face to wake him up after a while to resume the drama.

Another kolam, of Kutira or the horse, refers to the establishment of commercial relations between Kerala and Arabia in the past. Apart from the manifestation of spirits, social characters like the Brahman landlord with his valet and the Christian ferryman make for interesting dramatic sequences in performance.