Pulluvanpattu Hindu Ritual Art Kerala

Pulluvanpattu Hindu Ritual Art Kerala

The Pulluvanpattu is a ritual song in praise of serpent deities. In Kerala, snakes have been worshipped since ancient times. Most Hindu homes, especially the Nair tharavads have a shrine dedicated to the serpent gods in the south west corner of the compound. These shrines are called Sarpakkavu or serpent groves. The Pulluvanpattu is sung by the Pulluvar community, the bards of the snake groves. The song is led by the Pulluvan (male member of the community) to the accompaniment of the Pulluvarkkudam. These bards act as intermediaries between the deity and the devotees. In central Kerala, the ritual offering takes the form of the Sarpamthullal or snake dance. Two women of the community sit in the Kalam,or ritual drawing made on the floor and move in serpent-like motions. As the song and music draws to a crescendo, the writhing women, possessed by the deities, answer the queries of the devotees and forecast the future before finally erasing the Kalam in a climactic frenzy. The Pulluvar veena is a smaller native adaptation of the fiddle and is used by the men of the Pulluvar community. Pulluvarkkudam is a string instrument that produces the sounds of a percussion instrument, generally played by the women (Pulluvathy).

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