The Valluvanadan Thiruvathira

The festival of thiruvathira is as important as Onam or Vishu in the Vallluvanad regions of kerala. Although most of us are familiar with the term Thiruvathira kali (or Kai kottikali), there are some rituals which are very native to Valluvanad.

Chozikali is folk dance ritual performed on the night before thiruvathira which is now slowly becoming extinct in most of the urbanised Kerala.The chozi is played out by children dressed in plaintain leaves who represent the bhoothaganas of Lord Shiva. The children are accompanied by elders in the form of various other characters such as Kaalen and Muthiamma. The desha chozi (village chozhi)will be native to a particular village and they will have a prescribed place to don the attire which is kept sacred.The chozhi kali first performs at the temple and then they roam around the villiage visting each house to bless the people on behalf of Lord shiva.

Once the chozi performs, the Kaalen(Yama devan) yells at the threshold of the house to claim any souls ready to ascend with him.This is often accompanied by some witty comebacks such as "Poyikollu ivide aarum illa"(You may leave as no one in this home is ready yet ).

Another humurous character that accompanies this folk group in muthiamma who is basically a young man dressed as an old frail lady visting the people of her village and singing folk songs.Her exchanges with the people will be mostly humorous where she would make some commentary on the current affairs and then sing folk songs.

On the day of thiruvathira the women dont consume any rice based dishes which is believed to be the fasting Goddess parvathi followed to attain Lord shiva as her husband.This makes Thiruvathira Kerala's own version or Karwa chauth although there is no fasting per say but only avoiding rice.The day starts with a mixture of arrowroot powder,ripe banana and tender coconut water and any other food is consumed only after having this.The most important dishes made on this day are Thiruvathira Puzhukku and Koova(arrowroot) payasam.Thiruvathira puzhukku is basically a medley of various tubers such as Chembu(colocasia),chena(yam), kaaya(raw plaintain),idi chakka(baby jackfruit) and red beans with a good amount of coconut.This is mandatorily followed by Koova payasam made of Arrowroot and jaggery.The lunch is to be followed by betel leaves (Paan).The kids play aroud swings.

There are many more rituals associated with Thiruvathira such as dashapushpam chudal(adorning 10 varieties of flowers) and Thudi paatu.This post is based on the cutoms and rituals which I have observed at my home since I was a kid, which I am most certain is a much smaller cut-down version of what it used to be a few years back.

As we are getting more and more urbanised some of these native folk forms and customs are slowly fading away.Although some of these are being now reveived by urbanisation such as kai kottikali and pookalam competitions during Onam festival, the true essence of the customs are no longer deemed relevant.

I am writing this long post more or less as a journal entry so that we will have a digital footprint of this infromation somewhere. The information which I added here is most certainly incomplete and I will be happy to add more to this,please feel free to comment. Soon we will be in a time where these art forms will be mere remanants of a bygone past.

Amma's puzhukku Recipe:

Ingredients:

1. chembu(Colocasia)
2. Chena(yam)
3. Thoppa Kizhange
4. Koorka(Chinese potato)
5. Idi Chakka(baby jackfruit)
6. Kaaya(raw plaintain)
7. Kaavuth
8. Vamb payar(red beans)
9. Grated Coconut
10. Salt
11. Red chillipowder
12. Turmeric
13. Coconut oil
14. Curry leaves

Boil ingredients 1-8 cut to small pieces after adding chilli powder,turmeric and salt to taste(preferably in pressure cooker) .Once the pieces are cooked properly boil off rest of the water to get a thick gravy like consistency.Add grated coconut to this gravy.Finally top it off with a tadka of coconut oil and curry leaves.

Amma's Koova payasam recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Arrowroot powder
2. Jaggery
3. Tender coconut
4. Water

Melt the jaggery and keep it ready.Dissolve the arrowroot in water and stir it continously to cook the arrow root. The mixture will harden fast hence the consistency is to be maintained so that we get a jelly like texture.Add the tnder coconut chunks to thesemi cooked mixture.Once this is achieved add the molten jaggery and keep stirring continously to avoid hardening of the payasam.The payasam's final look will that of jelly and then it can be removed from the stove and kept aside.