Keecheri - it's past and the present

Keecheri is basicaly a place of people of lower strata. The term keecheri implies that it is a place of  keezhalar that is it is a place of people economically and socially weak. It was so in olden days and it is so even today .There are many other  places  in Kannur district bearing the name Keecheri.. The place I am mentioning is the one in Pappinisseri Panchayat This is a place I am most attached with and associate with. . It is a small strip of land about five hundred square meter in area.This is an NH17 junction situated in Pappinisseri Panchayat. It shares it's boundary with Kalliasseri Panchayat The people who are the part of keecheri are the people dwelling in these two panchayats.

         When we travel from Kannur towards Thaliparamba we reach keecheri after a distance of 12Km,passing Pappinisseri Panchayat stop and Velaapurm. .A junction under the cover of a big banyan tree welcomes us .This place is the center of keecheri . One branch road leads to Anchampeedika a historical place in Morazha village. The other one is the way to Pallot kaavu which  is the historic monument of keecheri. A little bit towards north  in NH is the place keecheri kunnu which leads us to Vateswaram temple,another important  worship center attached to keecheri. The juma masjid very close to keecheri junction is also an important worship center.The Keecheri Puthiya bhagavathi kaavu and Chirakkutti puthiya kaavu  are also important worship centers adjacent to keecheri...         

              

             Just like any other village in  north malabar keecheri was also under British rule before independence but the feudal lords like Chirakkal raja, Karkkaattitam Nayanar ,Chanthroth Nambiars practically ruled this area in their own feudal style for a very long period .Majority of the people were back word class and scheduled class They were legally not slaves but practically slave like. Poverty was the land mark of the day .The law and order was controlled in terms with the will and pleasure of the  feudal lords .The long historical night passed away and people began to awake to welcome a new sunrise in the early years of twentieth century.

             

             

The railway net work was extended up to mangalore by 1906. The British took interest to spread English education among natives for their own cause . But it cut the feudal roots and opened doors for modern thinking.The establishment of a spinning mill at Pappinisseri by Samuel Arown gave an opportunity to the poor peasants  in and around keecheri for regular employment and income .A new class ,the real working class emerged in this area and became a mighty force .The great communist leader P.krishna pilla reached Kannur by 1930.He along with K.P.R .gopalan, Kanthalottu Kunhambu.and E.K.Nayanar  organized a trade union in Arown company . The strike in 1940 and 1946 was under the leader ship of com : P.Krishna Pilla.The anti imperialist day observed by  the left wing  K.P.C.C. in 1940 sept 15  turned in to a violent clash . The meeting was scheduled at keecheri. The notorious police sub inspector Kuttikrishna Menon band the meeting at keecheri and lathi charged the gathering ..The angry crowed staged a protest march to continue the meeting at Anchampeedika ,a small town adjacent to keecheri in morazha village . The police again lathi charged the the people and tried to disrupt the meeting .There was a violent clash. Kuttikrishna Menon and a police constable was murdered.The Malabar special police was deployed in this area and they unleashed brutality for months together.K.P.R. gopalan was arrested and punished for death. The whole people of india awake and protested. Under pressure the punishment was reduced as life term imprisonment . All these are now part of freedom struggle .An area which was under caste influence became a prime centre of national movement and later became a strong communist belt ..Apart from political heritage the area had its own contribution in  folk art like theyyam and poorakkali . Koroth Thondan panikkar,Appa panikkar , Koroth Kunhappa master and Kunjan Kunhi raman panikkar were prominent poorakkali ashaans of this area .Similarly Poovankulatthil Rama peruvannan, and Chirukanda peruvannan were prominent theyyam artists from this area. Morazha Raman peru malayan, kolatthuvayal Kannan panikkar and Morazha Balan panikkar were some other theyyam artists who performed theyyam around keecheri .The small tea shop at the prime center of keecheri owned by late Venkan Aboobakker is no more . It was the regular meeting place of Krishana pilla,K.P.R.and leaders like A.V. Kunhambu who regularly visited  this area .Aboobakker was a strong communist who participated in the morazha struggle in 1940 and was imprisoned for more than one year .Religious harmony was the land mark of this area . Every thing coexist. But the working class culture dominate . It was so in earlier days and it will be so in future... 

Theyyam

Theyyam is a worship form and a belief system in North Malabar. It is a unique combination of rtetuals,dance and geethams and chitra kala.Martial art also play an important role in the performance of theyyam.Mother worship is its root base.It includes all types of hero worship ,Nagaradhana, worship of martyrs and elders .Irrespective   of all these Theyyam historically carry an ingredient of protest against feudal land lords who were oppressing the backward toiling class.It up holds equality and social justice.It always opposed cast discrimination.These are the unique quality which gave theyyam a universal acceptability.
Theyyam is originated from bootharadhana which was prevalent in thulu nadu. The area under kasargode taluk and some adjacent northern district comprised thulunad.Our area was known as Kolathu nadu  ruled by Kolathiries from 13th centuries onwards and by Moozhika kings from second century onwards to twelfth century.
In fourteenth century Udaya verman kolathiri and Manakkadan gurukkal lived adjacent to present Karivallur jointly renovated theyyam and formulated "onnukuravu nalpathu theyyams. Even though there are more than four hundred theyyams now, the thirty nine theyyams formulated by koolatheries and Manakkadan gurukkal are considered as basic theyyams.
As we know Kathivannur veran, Chathamballi vizhakandan,Vettakkoru makan and Madiyan kshathra palan and Madayi kari gurukkal  are war heros. Pottan theyyam and kurathi amma represent down trodden caste and they are warriors who fought for social justice.Pottan theyyam ask to Sankarachariya "Nangalae kothiyalum chorayallai chovvarai. Neengalai kothiyalum chorayellai chovvarai. Pennaanthinu chovvarai vasam periunnu.?This is a universal question even relevant today where caste is trying to re emerge.
Some bagavathis are unique symbol of crusaders. Muchilottu bhagavathi, Thottum kara bhagavathi and Neeliyar bhagavathi include in that category.
Theyyam ,thottam, vellattam and komaram or velichappadu co exist.Velichapadu or komaram is the thiruvayudhakkaran . Through him also the bhavathi communicate with people. Thottam is the first form in theyyam which narrate the history of the the theyyam he may perform in detail.In some case like in marakalithilamma it takes three to four days to complete thottam. Usually the performance is for one hour or less. Eleam kolam and vellattam represent the  theyyam as a youngster where as the moothapothi or thiruvappana in its fully grown matured stage.
The pertinent question is whether theyyam will survaye during this ultra scientific period. My answer is yes. Theyyam is a thread to our past and a driving force of the present and a hope for unification of man kind irrespective of caste and religion. So long as it carries a universal message it will exist till we achieve such a social order. 

 - keecheri Raghavan

poorakkali

Puuram and puurakkali are the unique festival in Kannur and Kasargode district , performed during meena masam.The festival is basically meant for fertility. The thriving aspects of puuram and puurakkali are that it transforms individual urge for fertilization to a social urge for agricultural fertility.This purified transformation take place in a care fully planned Dance system called puurakkali , a vibrant ritualistic play performed by a group of men in Bhagavathi kavues. . The leader is called Panikker. he is singing the charismatic pattu and leads the play with so many twist and turns.
Puuram is celebrated from meenamasa karthika nal  to puuram nakshtra ie for nine days. In certain bhagavati kavu it is for seven days or less. But all will culminate on puuram day!, the day on which "Puuram kulichu madam kayaruka" is performed.
We are well aware about Bharani pattu and Cherthala pura pattu and the saying chenakkethae puuram thanikkotha polae.But in north even though the subject is more ore less  same the language in poem are very elevated and kayyialmakam.! It is a performance in bhagavathikavu giving due participation to girls in rituals. They are called puurakuttikal . They live in kavues during the whole puram days.
The under neath legend behind puuram is kamadeva pooja.this is tagged with the story of kamadeva dehana .
Deksha was one of the prominent prajapathi with fifty daughters. In addition he had one adapted daughter called Sathi devi. Sathi married Paramsiva with out the cuncurance of Daksha.He was terribelly enoyed by such an act of his daughter.In order to take revenge and to defame siva ,Dakshan condected a maha yaga. All gods were invited except siva and sathi.Even with out the concurance of siva sathi went for the maha yaga. But Daksha again abused sathi and siva.Un bearable sathi sacrificed her life in the holey fire of maha yaga. Naturaly the angry siva sent his bootha ganas to kill Daksha and it was carried out. later the brhama gave re birth to daksha. but siva became a veyiragi ,discarded all the duties and went to hymalaya for thapassu.To bring back siva to worldly affairs parvathi ,the daughter of himavan was depuated by devas. Parvathi lured siva with the help of kamadeva. she succeeded. Sivaa broke the thapassu. Yet he found out the reason for his oscillation of  mind.when he realized that kamadevan was the assistant in this affair  he got angry and ruined kamadeva by magic fire!.The worldly life came to a stand still with out kama deva. In order to please Maha vishnu for arranging to the re birth of kamadeva 18 ladies comprising urvsi, meenaka ,rembha, thilothama ,retnavi, bhuumidevi, seetha, draupathi, thara ,mandodari and others performed puurakali. since it is composed by 18 ladies there are eightteen nirangal or items in puurakkali . only at a later part men took this play from women and added certain martial art with it. It is basically a kama pooja. See the beginning..
karthikanal kalathai poyi 
Kaminimar kavu thannil
Poo murikkan pookunneram 
Poobanantae banameattu.
Banamathaettu nadungina manga mar 
Nanamatuttu nadannudnnae.!!
But at the tale end this urge is transformed in to an  agricultural urge . see the praying at a later stage.
Narayana narayana varam tharika
Nanmayodae en veyalil vela vilavan...!!
The transformation of individuals physical urge  seeking individual pleasure to social urge for cultivation is the essance of puurakkali. This is not a forced change, but a self realized group change with out suppressing any emotions. That is one of its social importance more relevant in this period of time.
Maratthu kali
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Marathukali is an elevated form of puurakkali. In this play two Panikkkers and their players are involved.
Each leader sings and illustrate the songs of all items in puurakkali. The players perform each play alternatively.This is certainly a competion !. The play,  the poem ,its presentation style ,its grammar, and legend  is questioned by the opponent and they are answerable.Nattiyaa sasthram, joythisasthram ,and all most all literal aspects of Malayalam and Sanskrit are elaborately discussed in the play.So many verity of knowledge  is illustrated before the audience. It is more superior than any other intellectual cross examinations like Anniyonniam or Ravethi pathanam. It needs a lot of study and practice.
What is the social relevance of puurakkali ?
Basically it up holds the dignity of women  and right to equality.It categorically put forth that cultivation is the prime duty of the society . Demonstration of the strength of unity and grouping together is magnificently expressed. It is a superior expression of strength of the depressed class of people.Finlay it up holds the spirit of secularism.