Salangai pooja is a ceremony honoring the salangai (ankle bells) of the dancer. Salangai is the most auspicious item of a dancer’s costume. One is not allowed to wear their salangai and perform until after the salangai pooja. On an auspicious day, the family and friends gather together at a temple, wherein pooja is done for the new salangai and the guru offers the same to the student(s). The beauty of this ceremony is that the first time the student wears a salangai, it will be tied by the guru to the student’s feet.
