Vilayilveedu family makes Onavillu for Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram

Six-year-old Shivaparvathi is an image of focus as she nimbly fills within the colors on a determine sketched on a red-painted, flat piece of wooden. Within the firm of her father, cousins, uncle, grandfather and his brothers, she is busy ending work on the ritualistic Pallivillu, also called the Onavillu.

A rustic boat-shaped flat piece of wooden with hand-drawn miniature footage, primarily of Lord Vishnu, Onavillu is devoted to the reigning deity and different deities of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Thiruvonam day, which falls on September 15 this yr.  

Sitting on the ground or on low stools, they work in silence in an area in entrance of their household temple adjoining to their ancestral house. A number of wood planks in several phases of the artwork work are organized towards a low wall to dry. Every pure color has to dry earlier than the following might be utilized. Colors combined in coconut shells are utilized with brushes of various sizes. 

Colored powders used for Kalamezhuthu is used to color the Onavillu.
| Photograph Credit score:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

By custom and an historic royal decree, the correct to make the ritualistic Onavillu rests with members of the Vilayilveedu household at Karamana within the coronary heart of town.

Vilayilveedu relations making the ritualistic Onavillu devoted to the principle deities at Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
| Photograph Credit score:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

Led by RBK Achari, aka R Bin Kumar Achari, the senior-most member of the household, the 4 brothers — Binkumar, Sudarsan Achari, Umesh Achari and Sulabhan Achari — and their households pitch in to finish the work, which begins from procuring the proper of wooden, normally of kadambu (Bur) or mahogany, from Tamil Nadu. The wooden is then minimize into the required form and dimension and planed to smoothen the wooden.

Bin Kumar says the household fasts and presents prayers earlier than starting the work on the six sorts of Onavillu.

Bin explains: “Within the olden days, charcoal, white sand, crimson sand, turmeric powder and the juice of leaves and flowers had been used to color the planks. Now, we use powders which can be used for kalamezhuthu (the artwork type of drawing deities and ritualistic shapes on the bottom). No chemical substances or plastics are used.”

The colored powder is combined with water, sieved after which once more combined with water to get the correct consistency. “As soon as painted, it needs to be shielded from water. In any other case, it’s going to get washed away. After the work is over, we varnish it to guard it,” provides Umesh Achari.

First a coat of yellow is utilized adopted by a coat of crimson. As soon as dry, outlines of figures are drawn with charcoal or pencil on the plank. “The size have all been set down by our ancestors,” says Sudarsan, the one one among the many 4 brothers who attracts the eyes of the figures on the principle Onavillu.

Sudarsan says within the early days, there have been solely three sorts of Onavillu. Whereas one (4.5 ft in size and 6 inches extensive) depicted the principle deity of the temple as reclining on his aspect (Ananthashayanam), one other one (4 ft lengthy and 6 inches extensive) portrayed the Dashavathaara (10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu) and the third (3.5 ft lengthy and 4 inches extensive) the antics of Lord Krishna as a baby.

A wood board formed like an Onavillu signifies the residence of the Vilayilveedu household at Karamana.
| Photograph Credit score:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

“Within the nineties, another was added that picturised the Sri Rama Pattaabhishekam. And in 2009, we got here out with an Onavillu every devoted to Ganesha and Sastha,” says Bin Kumar.

The one with the picture of Ananthashayanam is submitted on the sanctum of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple whereas the others are devoted to the totally different deities within the temple.

The crimson string and crimson tassels connected to the Onavillu are made by prisoners within the District Jail who’ve been making it for the reason that early nineteenth century.

Till the reign of Sri Chitra Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Onavillu, after the rituals within the temple, had been handed over to the monarch or the eldest male of the royal household of Travancore. Throughout the reign of Chitra Thirunal, he opened it for all devotees. From then on devotees may prebook the Onavillu of their option to be devoted to the respective deity. After the rituals, it could be handed to them. 

Work on the Onavillu begins within the month of Mithunam (June-July) within the Malayalam calendar to satisfy the growing demand for it. Bin Kumar asserts that every piece made by the household is hand-drawn as per stipulations handed over to them by their ancestors.

Aswathy Thirunal Gouri Lekshmy Bai of the royal household of Travancore notes in her ebook Glimpses of Kerala Tradition that the Mathalikam data say that in 1502, it was determined that earlier than “gadgets of worship equivalent to gold, silver… had been taken to the platform in entrance of the sanctum of the temple, submission of the Palli Villu needs to be carried out by Mathevan Kumaraan residing in Puthangadi.”

“Mathevan Kumaraan was our ancestor and we observe the custom,” says Bin Kumar.

Displaying a printed copy of the writing on the traditional palm leaf manuscript (about 164-plus years previous) granting the correct to make and submit the ritualistic Onavillu to the household, he reads the previous Malayalam that describes intimately the geographical particulars of the village and the way the household was given the correct to current the Onavillu so long as there was “the solar and the moon and the celebs within the sky.”

The household believes that their ancestors got here from Kanchipuram and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu to flee persecution from an unfriendly ruler. They imagine that their ancestors used to stay on the banks of the Killi river close to Karamana, the place a shrine devoted to Kanchipuram Amman is positioned. Later, the household relocated to Vaniyanmoola.

“Maybe, that’s the reason the deity that we draw on the Pallivillu devoted to the principle deity of Padmanabhaswamy temple resembles the deity at Sri Rangam in Trichuchirappalli,” causes Bin Kumar.

Eradicating an vintage Pallivillu product of teak, wrapped in a bit of sentimental fabric, he exhibits the image drawn on it. “We imagine that this has been in our household for eight generations. I’m not certain how previous it’s,” says Bin Kumar.

Vilayilveedu relations with an vintage Onavillu in teak.
| Photograph Credit score:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

“Throughout the Malayalam month of Chingam (August-September) we work around the clock to satisfy the demand for the Onavillu that’s devoted to the temple. The remainder of the yr is spent in assembly the demand for it from all all over the world,” he provides.

As Onam is across the nook, your complete household steps in to complete the work on the Onavillu. “Two of my brothers had been authorities staff. I’m an entrepreneur. However throughout this time of the yr, all of us pitch in to complete the work on the Onavillu. It isn’t enterprise for us however persevering with an age-old custom,” maintains Sulabhan.

Ananthakrishnan, a pupil of engineering and one of many artists engrossed in portray the Onavillu, says he’s proud to proceed the household custom. On the day of Thiruvonam, Ananthakrishnan will accompany the household handy over 12 bows to a senior priest of the temple. At an auspicious hour, two bows every are positioned contained in the sanctum sanctorum of the respective deities. After the fourth day of Onam, the bows are given to the devotees.

Again of their houses, the brothers resume their work to make the Onavillu to satisfy the growing demand for this piece of custom that blends artwork and devotion.