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Good Practices in Safeguarding Traditional Crafts for Sustainable Development in Communities: A Case Study of Aranmula Kannadi
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Manage No DI00001438 Country India Author Venugopal Bhargaviamma (Convenor, India Heritage and Museum Field School (IHMFS), India) Published Year 2023 Language English Copyright 
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| Description | Aranmula is one of the oldest villages in the state of Kerala, India. The village nestles on the banks of the River Pamba in Pathan- amthitta District. At the center of Aranmula is the Sree Parthasarathy Temple, around which the life, culture, and traditions of Aranmula village revolve. In the temple, the presiding deity Lord Krishna assumes the role of the charioteer Arjuna in the Kurukshetra War. Legend has it that Aranmula is one of the sixty-four ancient villages established by the Brahmins along the western side of India from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Of the sixty- four villages, thirty-two are located in present-day Kerala, including Aranmula. The rich cultural heritage of Aranmula encompasses the surrounding twenty-eight local regions called Karas along the River Pamba. The annual Aranmula vallamkali boat race is the oldest of its kind in Kerala. The Uthrattathi Jalotsavam race is held as part of the larger harvest festival Onam during August and September. Fifty-two palliyodams (snake boats) measuring 30–36 meters in length with more than a hundred oarsmen on each boat take part in the jalotsavam. The oarsmen sing the traditional Vanchi Pattu (boat songs) that invokes Lord Krishna of Aranmula. The palliyodams are also associated with ritualistic oral traditions, as embodied in the Vanchi Pattu, and social, ritualistic, and festive events such as a vegetarian feast (Valla-sadya or boat feast). | ||
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