Aksharaslokam
Encyclopedia
Akshara Slokam is a traditional way of Sloka chanting
, a poetic entertainment developed in the Malayalam (മലയാളം) language of Kerala
, India. It is in a classical format with strict rules on the meter of quatrain
s called sloka
s or mukthaka. A number of scholars sit to recite either Sanskrit
or Malayalm slokas ( with more than eight letters in a line ). Once the recitation is started the next one in the turn has to recite a sloka having the first letter of the third line of the previous sloka. This resembles the north Indian Beit bazi.
It is mostly unused, but is active as the forerunner of the present day Anthakshari (അന്താക്ഷരി). Kairali Solaka Rangam Palai is a famous Aksharasloka institution in Kerala. There are many active groups in Kerala from Kozhikode
to Thiruvanthapuram with Trichur as the hub of the revival. There is a magazine dedicated for slokam called Kavana Kauthukam published from Trichur.
One of the prominent Aksharaslokam competition is the one held in connection with the Thrissur Pooram
. Traditionally this competition was called the "Chakolas Gold Medal". Eventually it has been renamed now as "V. Kamalakara Menon Suvarna Mudra". Incidentally, Sri. V. Kamalakara Menon was the first recipient of the Chakolas Gold Medal. As per tradition, participants who have won the Gold Medal once do not participate in the competitions again. Currently, separate competitions are held for groups separated as per their age.
Sloka
Sloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
, a poetic entertainment developed in the Malayalam (മലയാളം) language of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India. It is in a classical format with strict rules on the meter of quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
s called sloka
Sloka
Sloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
s or mukthaka. A number of scholars sit to recite either Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
or Malayalm slokas ( with more than eight letters in a line ). Once the recitation is started the next one in the turn has to recite a sloka having the first letter of the third line of the previous sloka. This resembles the north Indian Beit bazi.
It is mostly unused, but is active as the forerunner of the present day Anthakshari (അന്താക്ഷരി). Kairali Solaka Rangam Palai is a famous Aksharasloka institution in Kerala. There are many active groups in Kerala from Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
to Thiruvanthapuram with Trichur as the hub of the revival. There is a magazine dedicated for slokam called Kavana Kauthukam published from Trichur.
Competitions
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...
. Traditionally this competition was called the "Chakolas Gold Medal". Eventually it has been renamed now as "V. Kamalakara Menon Suvarna Mudra". Incidentally, Sri. V. Kamalakara Menon was the first recipient of the Chakolas Gold Medal. As per tradition, participants who have won the Gold Medal once do not participate in the competitions again. Currently, separate competitions are held for groups separated as per their age.
External links
- http://aksharaslokam.blogspot.com/ Link to aksharaSlOkasadass
- http://aksharaslokam.usvishakh.net/ To read Akshara slokams in Malayalam
- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aksharaslokam/ Link to Yahoo group for Akshara slokam
- http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2603366339398574760 To view/ listen video/audio on aksharaslokam
- http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/cawards.shtml Akshara Slokam Competitions in Kerala