Folk Music of Kerala

About this place

Folk music traditions of Thiruvananthapuram form an important part of the cultural heritage of southern Kerala, reflecting the region’s rural life, religious practices, oral storytelling and community traditions. The district has a diverse collection of folk and ritual art forms, including Nadan Pattu, Pulluvan Pattu, Thottam Pattu, Kakarissi Natakam and other musical traditions associated with temples, sacred groves and local celebrations. The Forest Department of Kerala specifically identifies Pulluvan Pattu, Thottam Pattu and several other folk forms among the traditional arts performed in the sacred groves of Thiruvananthapuram district. Nadan Pattu, broadly meaning traditional folk songs, is an important part of Kerala’s oral musical heritage and has historically been transmitted through communities rather than through formal classical music institutions. Kerala’s educational resources classify folk songs according to themes and contexts, including occupational songs such as Krishi Pattu and Kadal Pattu, place-based traditions such as Thekkan Pattu, and instrument-associated forms such as Villadichan Pattu. Thekkan Pattu is particularly relevant to southern Kerala because it refers to a collection of folk songs associated with the southern Travancore region, with Malayalam lyrics showing traces of Tamil influence. In Thiruvananthapuram and neighbouring parts of southern Kerala, such traditions provide a musical connection to the history and everyday experiences of local communities. Another important tradition is Villadichan Pattu, also known as Villadichan Paattu or Villadichan Pattu, a folk-song tradition identified in Kerala’s educational material as a form associated with musical instruments. The tradition belongs to Kerala’s broader narrative folk-song culture, in which music is used to convey stories and themes through rhythmic performance. Pulluvan Pattu has an especially strong connection with the ritual culture of Thiruvananthapuram. It is traditionally associated with the Pulluvar community and serpent worship, particularly rituals such as Sarpam Thullal conducted in sacred groves and family shrines known as kavus. During these rituals, Pulluvan and Pulluvathi perform songs accompanied by instruments including the Pulluvankudam, Pulluvan Veena and ilathalam. Kerala Tourism describes Sarpam Thullal as a ritual performed to propitiate serpent deities, with the musical component forming part of a larger sequence of prayers, offerings, floor drawings and ritual actions. The Pulluvan musical tradition therefore cannot be understood simply as a stage performance; it is closely connected with the religious and social practices surrounding serpent worship in Kerala. The musical repertoire may include narratives concerning serpents and episodes associated with traditional mythology, while the performance itself contributes to the atmosphere of the ritual. Thottam Pattu is another folk-song tradition associated with Kerala’s ritual performance culture and is documented among the folk forms found in Thiruvananthapuram’s sacred groves. More broadly, Kerala’s folk music includes numerous traditions connected with annual festivals, occupations, religious ceremonies, communities and performing arts. An official Kerala government publication notes that forms such as Paanan Paattu, Pulluvan Paattu, Sarpapaattu, Villadichaan Paattu, Vanchipaattu, Velan Paattu, Nandunipaattu and Thottampaattu are connected with the everyday life, festivals and rituals of different communities across the state. Visitors interested in culture and heritage tourism in Thiruvananthapuram can encounter these traditions in different settings, including temple surroundings, sacred groves, cultural programmes and traditional-art presentations, although individual performances depend on the occasion and local organizers. The city’s wider cultural calendar also includes public programmes that bring together traditional folk arts and contemporary musical performances, illustrating the continuing presence of folk culture within modern Thiruvananthapuram. For travellers exploring Kerala culture, the folk music of Thiruvananthapuram offers an opportunity to understand the region beyond its better-known classical arts, historical monuments and natural attractions. Its combination of oral storytelling, regional language, rhythm, ritual and community participation demonstrates how music remains closely connected with the social and cultural landscape of southern Kerala. Rather than representing a single style or fixed performance, Thiruvananthapuram’s folk music heritage encompasses several traditions whose meanings and performance contexts vary according to community, location and occasion, making it an important part of the district’s living cultural heritage.

🚆 Railway: Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station (~4 km)

✈️ Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (~5 km)

🚌 Bus: Nalanda / Nandancode bus stop area

🏨 Stay: Hotel…