ALAPPUZHA: The idyllic surroundings of Alappuzha will soon reverberate to the tunes of vanchipattu (boat songs), the most popular of the folk songs in Kerala.
An inevitable feature of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race to be held next month, when the oarsmen participate in the races singing the songs, vanchipattu competitions are being held by the district administration every year prior to the NTBR.
The competitions will be held in different styles of vanchipattu, including Aranmula, Vechupattu and Kuttanad in the categories for men, women and students.
Students and other contestants are being trained by teachers well-versed in vanchipattu lyrics. P.S. Nayana, a trainer, says that vanchipattu is folklore which later developed into a separate branch of Malayalam literature.
P.B. Lekshmipriya, member of vanchipattu team, says, “I will be participating in the contest for the third consecutive year. My father is an oarsman who helped me to learn vanchipattu. We are eagerly waiting for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race to witness the battle of Chundans (snake boats),” adds Lekshmipriya.
The vanchipattu, which incorporates traditional stories, legends, satire, local gossip and witticisms, has evolved over a long period and captured the imagination of the new generation as well.
The vanchipattu verses originated from Ramapurathu Varrier’s 18th century classic ‘Kuchelavritham. Legend says the classic happened when the poverty-stricken Varrier was advised by his friends to pay his respects to the then ruler of Travancore, who had come to the Vaikom temple to offer puja.
When the poet reached Vaikom on foot, the Maharaja was about to embark on his return journey by the royal boat. The king summoned Varrier into the boat and asked him to sing a boat song.
The poet sang the story of Kuchelavritham, Kuchela’s visit to Sri Krishna, which ended when the royal boat reached Thiruvananthapuram.
“Kuchelavritham is still the most popular and heart-warming boat song with 32 mantras in each line which was composed in the first half of the tenth century,” says V.V. Gregory, noted boat race commentator and Vanchipattu singer.
