Neralattu Rama Poduval
Encyclopedia
Neralattu Rama Poduval
or Njaralathu Rama Poduval (1916–1996) was an exponent of the ashtapadi/sopanam
music form practised in Kerala
in southern India
. A recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Academy award
, he hailed from a rugged village called Thiruvaazhaamkunnu, near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram
district.
Born into an Ambalavasi
family on 16 February 1916, Poduval had his schooling till the fifth standard and moved on to practice the idakka
and the chenda
. He inherited the art of playing the edakka from his uncle, Njeralathu Karunakara Pothuval, and went on to establish an indelible mark in this field.
He also practiced instruments like the veena
from Parappanaatu Rama Kuruppu. He practised Carnatic music
from the Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
besides Kodikunnath Madhavan Nair. His experience in Kerala Kalamandalam
helped him in gaining knowledge in Kathakali
music as well.
Poduval married Lakshmikutty Amma at the age of 41. By the age of 61 he became the father of seven children - Janakikutty, Krishna Vijayan, Gopalakrishnan, Anjaneyan, Gaayathri, Hari Govindan, and Aananda Sivaraman. After his marriage, he lived at Palakkode village near Angadipuram
under the patronage of the chief priest of Thirumandhamkunnu temple at Angadipuram
, Pandhalakkode Sankaran Namboodiri. Poduval died on August 13, 1996.
Rama Poduval rejuvenated the Sopanam
style of traditional Kerala temple music and enthralled the music lovers of Kerala for decades. He brought out this art from within the walls of the temple and made this art popular among the people. There are six different documentary films based on his life and music. 'Sopaanam', his biography in Malayalam, is also implemented as study material for university students in Kerala. The awards he received also include fellowships from both government and cultural organisations.
Pothuval
Pothuval is a caste of Ambalavasis in Kerala. Ambalavasis are broadly grouped into the sacred thread wearing castes and the non-threaded castes, and Pothuvals belong to the latter group. The males were usually employed as managers, accountants or store-keepers in temples. Pothuval women are...
or Njaralathu Rama Poduval (1916–1996) was an exponent of the ashtapadi/sopanam
Sopanam
Sopana Sangeetham is a form of Indian classical music that developed in the temples of Kerala in south India in the wake of the increasing popularity of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda or Ashtapadis.-Etymology:...
music form practised in 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....
in southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. A recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Academy award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
, he hailed from a rugged village called Thiruvaazhaamkunnu, near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
district.
Born into an Ambalavasi
Ambalavasi
Ambalavasi is a generic name for a collection of castes among Hindus in Kerala who render temple services.-Etymology:The term Ambalavasi is derived from two Malayalam words, being Ambalam and Vasi...
family on 16 February 1916, Poduval had his schooling till the fifth standard and moved on to practice the idakka
Idakka
The idakka , also spelt edaykka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in south India. This handy percussion instrument is very similar to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by rattling knotted cords against the resonators, the idakka is played with a stick...
and the chenda
Chenda
The Chenda is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande....
. He inherited the art of playing the edakka from his uncle, Njeralathu Karunakara Pothuval, and went on to establish an indelible mark in this field.
He also practiced instruments like the veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
from Parappanaatu Rama Kuruppu. He practised Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
from the Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
Chembai
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad . Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, at Kottayi near Palakkad on Janmashtami day, with Bharani star in the month of Chingam...
besides Kodikunnath Madhavan Nair. His experience in Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...
helped him in gaining knowledge in Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
music as well.
Poduval married Lakshmikutty Amma at the age of 41. By the age of 61 he became the father of seven children - Janakikutty, Krishna Vijayan, Gopalakrishnan, Anjaneyan, Gaayathri, Hari Govindan, and Aananda Sivaraman. After his marriage, he lived at Palakkode village near Angadipuram
Angadipuram
Angadipuram is a town, important pilgrimage center for Hindus, and a suburb of Perinthalmanna located 1.5 km from Perinthalmanna taluk headquarters, in Malappuram District of Kerala, southern India on the Chennai-Calicut road. Angadipuram was the capital of the powerful medieval kingdom of...
under the patronage of the chief priest of Thirumandhamkunnu temple at Angadipuram
Angadipuram
Angadipuram is a town, important pilgrimage center for Hindus, and a suburb of Perinthalmanna located 1.5 km from Perinthalmanna taluk headquarters, in Malappuram District of Kerala, southern India on the Chennai-Calicut road. Angadipuram was the capital of the powerful medieval kingdom of...
, Pandhalakkode Sankaran Namboodiri. Poduval died on August 13, 1996.
Rama Poduval rejuvenated the Sopanam
Sopanam
Sopana Sangeetham is a form of Indian classical music that developed in the temples of Kerala in south India in the wake of the increasing popularity of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda or Ashtapadis.-Etymology:...
style of traditional Kerala temple music and enthralled the music lovers of Kerala for decades. He brought out this art from within the walls of the temple and made this art popular among the people. There are six different documentary films based on his life and music. 'Sopaanam', his biography in Malayalam, is also implemented as study material for university students in Kerala. The awards he received also include fellowships from both government and cultural organisations.