Kodungallur Bharani Pattu Lyrics Access
The lyrics are performed exclusively during the Kodungallur Bharani (March–April). The singers—male elders from specific communities—stand before the deity’s sanctum, often in a trance-like state. The songs follow a call-and-response pattern, punctuated by the explosive Kumbham drumming.
| Element | Description | |---------|-------------| | Language | Archaic Malayalam mixed with Tamil, Sanskrit, and colloquial slurs | | Meter | Loose, rhythmic prose-poetry; no fixed chandas (metrical rule) | | Themes | Mockery, sexual innuendo, menstrual imagery, praise through abuse | | Performers | Potties (ritual singers from the Marar or Poduval communities) | | Target | Goddess Bhadrakali (to “cool” her anger by shocking her into attention) |
“Ninte kozhiyum, ninte poriyum
Ninte kuzhalum, ninte kombum
Ellam pottum—njan chirikkum!
Ayiram kai, ayiram kann,
Kodungallor Amme, jai jai jai!”
Translation:
“Your fowl (offering), your puffed rice,
Your flute, your tusk—
All shall break—and I shall laugh!
Thousand arms, thousand eyes,
Kodungallur Mother, victory, victory, victory!”
After the abuse, the sudden Jai (victory cry) marks the resolution: the Goddess’s fury is transformed into blessing. kodungallur bharani pattu lyrics
Traditionally, Bharani Pattu uses simple, repetitive meters like Panchamaru or Champakamala (common in folk poetry), with short lines and heavy alliteration. Rhyme is often end-rhyme but flexible. The rhythm is fast and pounding, matching the drumming of Chenda and Pandi Melam.
At the ancient Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala, the annual Bharani festival is not just a ritual—it is a sonic descent into the primal. The air thickens with sweat, camphor, and the beat of chenda drums. But cutting through the percussion are the Bharani Pattu (Bharani songs)—raw, aggressive, and often obscene verses sung by devotees known as Potties.
These lyrics are not devotional in the conventional sense. There is no gentle pleading or serene bhajan. Instead, they are a weapon: a ritualized abuse of the Goddess herself, designed to provoke, awaken, and ultimately appease the fierce deity Kodungalluramma (also known as Bhadrakali).
If you are a researcher or a devotee looking to read or hear the authentic lyrics, here is a practical guide: The lyrics are performed exclusively during the Kodungallur
Academic Books:
PDF Libraries: Search Google Scholar or Archive.org for “Bharani Pattu Malayalam PDF.” Some university thesis documents contain full lyrical transcriptions.
Cultural Troupes: The “Kodungallur Bharani Pattu” is now performed on secular stages by groups like Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. Their printed event booklets often contain the lyrics.
Due to the vast variations and the traditional nature of the song, providing exact lyrics might be challenging. However, here's a short poetic representation: Translation: “Your fowl (offering), your puffed rice, Your
"Oh Kodungallur Bhagavati, with your fierce form so divine, You protect Kodungallur, this sacred place of mine. With your chains and weapons, you dance with such glee, Destroying the asuras, setting the world free."
When we think of temple music in India, we often imagine soothing carnatic ragas or gentle bhajans praising the benevolence of the deity. The Bharani Pattu, however, flips the script entirely.
Sung in honor of Goddess Bhadrakali at the Kodungallur Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple, these songs are raw, aggressive, and absolutely unapologetic. They are not sung to the goddess; they are often sung as the goddess—or rather, as her fiercest devotees.
The lyrics are not found in a standard hymn book. They are part of an oral tradition passed down through generations, laced with archaic Malayalam and a dialect that borders on the colloquial and the rustic. To the uninitiated ear, the "lyrics" might sound shocking. They are often described as "vili pattu" (songs of abuse) or rough, explicit taunts.
But why would devotees abuse the Goddess they worship?
