Kerala - Kochi   

The forgotten tradition of ‘pilleronam’

KOCHI: The dawn of Chingam, the first month of the Malayalam calendar, brings a host of memories for those steeped in customs and traditions. The month heralds the arrival of Onam, the most important festival of the Malayalis. But the traditional Onam used to have many manifestations, some of which are gradually fading into the past.

Karkkidakam, the month that precedes Chingam, has gained focus thanks to an Ayurvedic boom. The month has been considered as ideal for taking up rejuvenation therapy. The month also used to be remembered for a happy occasion, the ‘pilleronam’, the mini-Onam.

The ‘pilleronam’ used to lift the spirits of the people. The day corresponds to the Thiruvonam star in the 27-day lunar cycle in the Malayalam calendar. It used to be the harbinger of Onam, which would fall a month later, on the Thiruvonam star in Chingam.

‘Pilleronam’ used to be an occasion to brace up for the forthcoming main festival, remembers Suhasini, an octogenarian. The children were particularly eager to make merriment as it was their Onam (The Malayalam word ‘piller’ means children). A sumptuous meal, a mini-Onasadya, was an essential part of the celebrations. Swings were spotted on the tree branches in the compound. In fact, it could be a smaller version of a larger one to be set up a month later. The ‘Arppo Aiyyo’ sound used to rend the air. It was fun time throughout the day for the children, she recalls.

Like Suhasini, there could be hundreds who would like to swing through the golden memories of the past. But the changes in the Malayali lifestyle have relegated the ‘pilleronam’ to the background. While Onam, appropriately called ‘Ponnonam’ (golden Onam), is being celebrated with renewed vigour, with a complement of commercial activities, one wonders whether the ‘pilleronam’ would regain its past glory.

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