OMANATHINKAL KIDAVO...Cradle song for generations
to come
OMANATHINKAL
KIDAVO...
Kerala has a wealth of soft lilting folk lullabies. Nurtured down
the generations, they have even cast an influence over mainstream
Malayalam poetry. This poignant lullaby "Omanathinkal kidavo...",
strikes a tender chord in every Malayalee. Generations of children
have been lulled asleep by its soothing notes.
Sung by innumerable mothers over centuries the
strains of this lullaby is dyed into the warp and woof of the Malayalee's
cultural repertoire. Evoking intense nostalgia for a bygone phase
of one's life filled with tender affections and motherly care, the
lullaby also thrills one with a sense of deja vu.
This song is believed to have been composed for
the young prince Swathi Thirunal of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom
by the famous poet lyricist Ravi Varman Thampi (1783-1856 AD), popularly
known as Irayimman Thampi. He later became the court poet of Maharaja
Swathi Thirunal, himself an eminent music composer and poet.
Festivals
: Kerala is a land
of colourful festivals, which have a long history and tradition behind them.
Kerala's innumerable festivals however stand out because of their uniqueness.