How ‘Raveli pattu’, Kerala’s ancient story telling tradition, is struggling to survive

PK Narayanan sits crosslegged in front of a scroll filled with tiny illustrations. After a moment’s silent prayer, he points a thin wooden stick at it and begins to sing. A centuries-old story unspools, in a mix of prose and poetry, in ancient Malayalam. Narayanan from Vengola in Perumbavoor is one among the few artists who perform Raveli /Blaveli pattu (raveli vayana), a folk storytelling art performed during the month of Karkkadakam in the Ernakulam region. Over time, with urbanisation and shifts in socio-economic circumstances, spaces for such traditions shrank. Practised by the Veerasaiva community, known to have migrated from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu centuries ago, Raveli pattu evolved as an oral tradition, passed down generations. The artistes would go from door to door, with their scrolls and sing the same song, in praise of Lord Siva, during the month of Karkkadakam and the families would offer rice, coconut, and at times, a small cash offering. It was believed to bring in a dose of positivity to the otherwise “inauspicious” month. It is also performed during the Malayalam month of Kumbham, around Sivaratri.On the brink of fading awayToday, the number of people who practise the tradition has dwindled. Narayanan performs only on request. “At times, researchers and students, curious about this vanishing art form, reach out. Other than that, I rarely perform,” says Narayanan, who used to accompany his father Nanukuttan from the age of 15. “The song has no written script. I learnt it purely by ear,” he says. At 72, Narayanan says none of his three children is captivated enough by it to follow it. P K Narayanan | “We have been here for so long that our culture is deeply intertwined with that of Kerala. However, certain traditions such as this managed to survive,” adds Narayanan.History aficionados such as Sajitha G, Professor of Malayalam at T M Jacob Memorial College, Manimalakkunnu, realises the importance of preserving the an art form that is on the verge of being forgotten. Fascinated by it, she chose Raveli pattu as a subject for her MPhil thesis in 2001. “It is a form of live storytelling that has survived time and it is important to document it,” she says. “I remember my childhood when the Raveli pattu singer (Narayanan’s father Nanukuttan) would come to perform at my home in Keezhillam. Though we children didn’t understand the story or the history of the tradition, we would watch intently,” Sajitha adds. A sacrificeThe story in the scroll is derived from the Periya Puranam, an epic Tamil poetic account depicting the lives of 63 Nayanars, the poets of Shaivisim. “This particular story,” says Sajitha, “is based on an anecdote from the life of Chiruthonda (Siruthondar) Nayanar, who was a devout Shaivite.” The story goes that Lord Siva decided to test his devotion and appeared at Chiruthondar’s home in the guise of an ascetic and demanded to be fed. Chiruthondar and his wife, however, were shocked to learn that the ascetic would only eat if he was served the flesh of a five-year-old boy, cooked without a flaw and served by the boy’s mother.Chiruthondar and his wife decide to sacrifice their only son Seeralan, chopped his head off, cooked the meal and served the ascetic. As he was about to partake of the food, the ascetic invited the hosts to join. Chiruthondar’s wife fainted at the thought. Just then, Seeralan appeared, as if returning home from school on an ordinary day. The parents, who couldn’t believe their eyes, ran to embrace him. It was the same Seeralan, their precious child. Only that he smelt a little of turmeric and asafoetida. “It is a violent story, yes, and as children, we were horrified by it,” laughs Sajitha. Professor of Malayalam, Sajitha G |