January 16_KV
The story of Lord Sudalai Madan, is very interesting. Mythology has it that devi Parvathi missed her 2 sons, who had left on a journey to seek their life's missions. Her strong maternal instincts made her yearn for a child. Siva, being on a severe tapasya, took pity on Parvathy's lonely state. He told her to go to Patala Loka and to gather a spark from the sacred lamp that burns there. Parvathi does so, carrying the spark in the hem of her garment.
On returning to Kailash, she opened the folds of her garment, and found that the spark had become a shapeless mass of tissue. she was really worried and pleaded shiva to give her a solution. Siva asked Brahma to give the baby a shape. Siva gave life to the baby .
The baby was named Sudalai Madan because he came to the world from a lamp(sudar)and he was shapeless. He is also called Mundan, which means a person without head and other body parts.
The boy was thus blessed by everyone and he was brought up as Siva & Parvathy's son.
The boy was thus blessed by everyone and he was brought up as Siva & Parvathy's son.
Parvathy feeds the child on Amrita (the nectar of immortality). So it is said that the child became immortal. However, the child also became desirous for solid food. He began to eat everything around him, the spirits, the animals, the trees, the ground itself etc. He feasted with a heavy appetite.
Because he ate so much, Siva feared for the fate of the universe. So he instructed Sudalai Madan to go to Earth, and to care for its people. Siva proclaimed that Mada Samy's protection and kindness would be re-paid with offerings of cooked food and drink, and thus he would always have a meal, as well as people who would pray to him. So Mada Samy came to earth, accompanied by a number of singers and dancers who were sent by Siva to see to his worship.
Today we will hear this story preformed as a Villupaattu, which literally translates to BowSong. It is a story narration (typical of Tamil/Kerala villages) interspersed with lively songs.
The main singer here is accompanied by a chorus, musical instruments and a main instrument, the Villu or Bow, fixed with bells . The villu is struck rhythmically when the bells jingle in tune.
The bow rests on a mud pot kept facing downwards. A co-performer beats the pot while also acting as active participant in the narration, uttering appropriate oral responses.
The bow rests on a mud pot kept facing downwards. A co-performer beats the pot while also acting as active participant in the narration, uttering appropriate oral responses.
The songs used by the Villu Pattu artists are mostly traditional folk-songs.They are played during occasions of temple festivals in villages. The songs sung mostly in Villu Paatu praise a god or convey a good public message.
(Info courtesy Hindu mythology & wiki)
Thanks to SV for sharing a film song based on this God -
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