Rhythms of the spirit
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
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A little-known temple art of Kerala, the marapaani tradition is steeped in symbolism.
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The Pooram festival in Kerala conjures up images of the grand spectacle at Trichoor Pooram, the highlight of the celebration, with caparisoned elephants with `Kudamattom', `Thalappoli,' with the Panchavadyam and Pandimelam playing. The Delhi audience was treated to a mini sample of this spectacular event with the procession of elephants starting from Kerala House and finishing at Travancore House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, the festival mounted by Delhi's Panchavadyam Trust. More interesting was the intellectual component of a morning seminar at Kerala House on The Role of Marapaani in the Tantric Services of Kerala Temples. If the Tamil Nadu temples revel in mantra based on the Agamic tradition, then the "tantra vidhi" is undoubtedly a specialty of Kerala's temple ritual.
Linked with the `sacred and secret' tantric ritual, is the marapaani, a little known percussion instrument. As K. Jayakumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, said in his introductory remarks, marapaani cannot be viewed outside the religious context. It is a peculiarity of Kerala that even with the prevailing modern psyche, traditions are not discarded. For the consecration of a painting even in the home, priests urge marapaani accompaniment. While certain traditions may not have too many practitioners, those following it have sufficient commitment to continue their involvement even while earning their livelihood through some other profession. Kerala harmonises tradition with modernity.
Throwing light on the 2000-year-old Kerala traditions, Dr. Leela Omchery mentioned that many of the oral traditions within the temple precincts were practiced in utter secrecy. She traced the connection of paani with the hand, citing the talinangai temple women prior to the devadasis who in Kerala were a post-14th Century development. The etymology of talinangai — tali (temple) nan (good) kai (hand) — obviously suggests the hand gesture (mudra) as an essential part of the temple service amongst all levels of these women, namely tauratrika (the most exalted), madhyama (middle level) and samanya (the ordinary). The dance entertainers were the Kootu Nangiyars, who were regarded as imitative shadows of the "nijam" (true) Nangiyars. As the Tali Nangiyars dwindled, the Marar males (term deemed an abbreviation of Maharaja) took over the services with kottipaatusevai, and drumming substituted the mudra/music ritual. Two brothers wanting to enhance the ritualistic potency are believed to have added the marapaani ritual as a tantric aid.
Leela also touched on the ancient tala system of Kerala, different from the Carnatic system. Unlike the latter with its accent on the sama, Kerala talas play with the khaali or unarticulated time interval symbolising emptiness, void, or space.
Equated with yoga
Kalleikulangara Achyutankutty Marar equated marapaani with upasana and yoga. The Keralam Tantra credited to Parasurama, is different from the Kashmeeram tantra of the Trika School. It integrates the human being and the pancha indriyas (five sense organs) with faculties sabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa and gandha with the five Cosmic elements. The conch blowing starts the ritual followed by the edakka playing. Tantra Samooksham mentions rituals for the main and the secondary deities.
Talams like Chempada, Panchadi, Jhampa and Triputa (the last for night services) are played at different times. While Sribali is offered to the Bhootaganas, paani is played to invoke the deities, the rhythm being specified for Saivite and Vaishnavite deities. Timila and chengala are also associated instruments. The chenda is played, only on the right side. The paani maram (wood) has to be from a 16-ring tree bark. The small percussion instrument rubbed with turmeric on one side and gingelly on the other, is played on both sides simultaneously. The different banis and significance of each sabda (sound) is not known to all practitioners, who often play mechanistically.
As Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan summed up, Tantra in Kerala is a complicated science with the aadidaivika (what is beyond individual control), aadibhautika (what springs from the immediate surroundings) and aadyaatmik (what is self propelled) integrated in a unique way.
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