Pulluvan
Encyclopedia
A Pulluvan is a male member of low caste group called Pulluvar of India
n state of Kerala
. They belong to the Hindu
religion. The term pullu means a bird of omen. There are many sub-divisions within the Pulluva community, the majority known as Nagampatikal (people who sing snake-songs). There are also pulluvars who are not Naagampatikal, known as Pretampatikal (people who sing ghost songs).
Most of the art forms of the Pulluvar are ritualistic. Most of their songs are related to worship, ritual, custom and exorcism. The pulluva art is expressed in the background of snake-worship, ghost worship and magic.
The pulluvar of Kerala are closely connected to the serpent worship. One group among these people consider the snake gods as their presiding deity and perform certain sacrifices and sing songs. Known as 'Pulluvan Paattu
', this is performed in the houses of the lower castes as well as those of the higher castes, in addition to serpent temples.
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...
n state 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....
. They belong to the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religion. The term pullu means a bird of omen. There are many sub-divisions within the Pulluva community, the majority known as Nagampatikal (people who sing snake-songs). There are also pulluvars who are not Naagampatikal, known as Pretampatikal (people who sing ghost songs).
Most of the art forms of the Pulluvar are ritualistic. Most of their songs are related to worship, ritual, custom and exorcism. The pulluva art is expressed in the background of snake-worship, ghost worship and magic.
The pulluvar of Kerala are closely connected to the serpent worship. One group among these people consider the snake gods as their presiding deity and perform certain sacrifices and sing songs. Known as 'Pulluvan Paattu
Pulluvan Paattu
At olden times in kerala, the people were divided into different castes . A Pulluvan is a male member of low caste group called Pulluvar. The term pullu means a bird of omen. The term pulluvan must have meant ‘a person who predicts from the sound of birds’. There are many sub-divisions within the...
', this is performed in the houses of the lower castes as well as those of the higher castes, in addition to serpent temples.
Sources and external links
- Chummar Choondal , Pulluuvar (janatapathanam). Trivandrum : Charithram Publications. 1981 L.S. Rajagopalan , "The Pulluvans and their music". The Journal of the Madras Music Academy 51 : 72-80, 1980 Christine Guillebaud, Le chant des serpents. Musiciens itinérants du Kerala (+ 1 DVD-rom), CNRS Editions, 2008. http://www.cnrseditions.fr/ouvrage/6022.html