When the daughters of Lord Malleeswaran, untrained in classical dance, arrived in the land of Lord Sree Padmanabha to perform their group dance, their first act was one of devotion: visiting the deity at his temple.

Having heard the tales of Perumattu Kali, the divine figure behind the temple's establishment, and the many incarnations of Lord Mahavishnu, they were eager to witness it all for themselves.

These young girls, students of the Attappadi Model Residential School, were visiting the capital city for the first time. On their inaugural day, they explored the landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram, marvelling at the Assembly complex, the Secretariat, and the iconic double-decker buses. They set foot inside the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple after observing a period of fasting.

The group of seven, some of them members of the indigenous communities of Attappadi, will participate in the Higher Secondary Group Dance competition today. Their performance is a result of dedicated practice under the guidance of M Athulya, wife of their teacher, K Vijesh.