Kerala's ancient storytelling art Raveli pattu faces extinction
In a quiet home in Vengola, near Perumbavoor, 72-year-old PK Narayanan sits cross-legged before a long scroll covered in tiny illustrations. After a silent prayer, he lifts a thin wooden stick and begins to sing. The story, told in a mix of prose and poetry in ancient Malayalam, is part of a tradition that has been passed down for centuries.
Narayanan is among the few remaining performers of Raveli pattu, also known as raveli vayana, a folk storytelling art practised in the Ernakulam region during the Malayalam month of Karkkadakam. The scroll he uses is portable, and the song is always in praise of Lord Siva. Historically, performers would go door to door, singing the same song for families who would offer rice, coconut, or a small sum of money. It was believed that the ritual brought positivity to a month traditionally considered inauspicious.
The art form is rooted in the Veerasaiva community, which is believed to have migrated from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu centuries ago. Over time, the community has become deeply integrated with Kerala's culture, and its members, commonly known as pandarams, often make and sell appalams for a living. But while other aspects of their heritage have adapted, Raveli pattu has remained an oral tradition, passed down from parent to child without a written script.
Narayanan learned the art from his father, Nanukuttan, whom he accompanied from the age of 15. 'The song has no written script. I learnt it purely by ear,' he says. Today, he performs only on request. 'At times, researchers and students curious about this vanishing art form reach out. Other than that, I rarely perform.' None of his three children has shown an interest in continuing the tradition, reflecting a broader decline as urbanisation and economic change have reduced the spaces for such practices.
The story depicted in the scroll is drawn from the Periya Puranam, a Tamil epic that recounts the lives of 63 Nayanars, poets and devotees of Lord Siva. Sajitha G, a professor of Malayalam at T M Jacob Memorial College in Manimalakkunnu, chose Raveli pattu as the subject of her MPhil thesis in 2001. She says the art form is a rare example of live storytelling that has survived through centuries. 'It is important to document it,' she adds.
Sajitha recalls her childhood in Keezhillam, when Narayanan's father would come to perform at her home. 'We children didn't understand the story or the history, but we would watch intently,' she says. The particular story performed involves Chiruthondar Nayanar, a devout Shaivite whose devotion was tested by Lord Siva. In the tale, Siva appears as an ascetic and demands to be served the flesh of a five-year-old boy. Chiruthondar and his wife decide to sacrifice their only son, Seeralan, to fulfil the demand. As the ascetic is about to eat, he invites the parents to join. The mother faints at the thought, and at that moment, Seeralan appears, as if returning from school. The child smells of turmeric and asafoetida. 'It is a violent story, yes, and as children, we were horrified by it,' Sajitha laughs.
The tradition is also performed during the Malayalam month of Kumbham, around Sivaratri. However, the number of active practitioners has dwindled, and researchers like Sajitha have noted that many artists she interviewed are no longer alive. She emphasises that the art form faces the risk of being forgotten without immediate documentation.
Narayanan, who continues to keep the art alive despite the lack of interest from the younger generation, sees his role as a custodian of a fading heritage. For now, the scroll remains unrolled only occasionally, but the story, its song, and the memory of a tradition that connected families across Karkkadakam still echo in the lives of those who once listened.
