Music from India

Kodungallur Devi, Bharani song

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:04:35

  • Cultures

    Kerala (Malayalee)

  • Shelf mark

    RK DAT 20

  • Recording date

    2001-03-25

  • Recording locations

    Outside the Bhagavati temple, Kodungallor Bharani festival, Central Kerala, Kerala

  • Performance occasion

    Evening

  • Recordist

    Killius, Rolf

  • Description

    This piece belongs to the Bharani vocal genre, which is sung during the annual temple festival in Kodungallur (central Kerala). Here the story of the resident deity, Kodungallur Devi, is recounted. The rhythmic phrase ‘thaanaro thannaro thaka thaanaro thannaro’ is repeated after each verse by the chorus. Once in a year the birthday of the famous goddess of Kodungallur is celebrated by 100,000 people with a huge festival; one prominent feature being the singing of mainly erotic Bharani songs by numerous groups. The majority of people come from the tiny villages in central and northern Kerala. The numerous priests and priestesses from village temples are visible in their red cloth garments. The 2001 festival featured around 60 singers, who were supported by chorus singers, dancing and jumping around the lead singer. The artists speak and sing in the south Indian language Malayalam. (additional input by Arun Varma)

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Kodungallur Devi, Bharani song

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