There are different variants such as pinnal kolattam (an intricate form of the kolattam) and chakke kolattam. Pinnal kolattam uses ropes instead of sticks. Kummiattam is a folk dance similar to Kolattam, with the difference being that hands are used to make sounds while dancing in kummiattam instead of sticks used in the later. The dancers form a rhythm by clapping the hands in different postures. A similar dance form practiced in
Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana is known as
Kolannalu. In
Karnataka it is known as
Kolata.
Dandiya Raas practiced in
Gujarat and parts of
North India uses similar sticks and has some commonalities with kolattam. Sometimes, long colored ribbons are used instead of sticks to dance. In the recent years, men are also involved in the dance and children often dance in school festivities. == References ==