Heritage-Aranmula

Aranmula brings to mind the colorful images of boat races, a unique heritage of Kerala. Oldest of the boat races, originally a march past of the Karas, tiny chieftaincies, on the banks of the Pampa river, the racing component was added later. The name itself is UthrittathiVallam Kali, pageantry, and could have been linked to the naval prowess of the distant past. It is also a religious function rather than secular and is linked to the AranmulaParthasarathy Temple. The boats, called ChundanVallam, snake boats in English, are crafted by master carpenters just as idols for worship and the huge boats are worshipped as symbols. The naval architecture is symbolic of Anantha, on whom Lord Vishnu, reclining inPalazhi, travels. No wonder the boats are kept in high regard on each Kara and one passing by boat through the Pampa river, this was the highway in olden days, shall see these in huge boat houses on the banks. These Karasare also places where the martial schools called Kalaris were there, who supplied the armed men for battles. This sub-culture of the ancient Kerala, lost interim, is fairly retained by this region.

 

The ritual of Kuthirayeduppu, where miniature Kuthira mostly made from paddy straw, was an integral part of the festivals here and these used to be brought to the temple and the taken to the particular hills. This was mostly the communities, predominantly dalit, who managed the hill shrines and was an occasion of great jubilation and faith. This has reduced in the interim phase with some of the families converted or leaving the place, or where the new generations did not show much interest in the communist phase of Kerala. This was also a great tradition in Aranmula, that celebrated the harvests. Originally part of the calendar of paddy cultivation these declined perhaps after the low status to agricultural operations that came I after the phase of westernization. The agrarian relations getting misinterpreted, what had its rationale in the caste prejudices is also possible. Here corrections are happening, with both farmers and farm labor paying a heavy price, as also the ecosystem and food base.

 

Aranmula, as most of traditional Kerala, had a rich stock of cattle poultry and assorted domestic animals which remained an integral part of the culture here. The cows were particularly honored and played a pivotal role in the agrarian economy, feeding cows was a sacred ritual at the place. The cows helped recycling of agricultural residues and converted to dung, provided milk and the oxen gave the much needed draught animal service. The harmony was lost interim and there is hardly any cattle left. The animal wealth was crucial in recycling left over food and other organic matter which in the days of waste as a problem remains unsung. These were ecologically significant, though least understood, cultural heritages of Aranmula.

 

Aranmula also has its own undying continuity of arts and crafts and the famous metal mirror, Aranmula Kannadi, is a relic of the technological finesse of the region. This is, again, part of the faith and is made by a community who live around the temple premises. It was originally used as a symbol of the Goddess and is worshiped at many temples, what continues even today. The mirror is considered auspicious and formed a part of the bride s trousseau in marriages, called Ashtamangalyam, the eight items. Presently the Aranmula Kannadi is used more for ornamental purposes and the tradition is safely preserved by a handful of families at Aranmula. The rigor with which these traditions are preserved in Aranmula also shows a high degree of resilience to withstand pressures. It has a vibrant tradition of performing arts and Kathakali has a place of pride. The Valla Pattu, boat songs, of Aranmula are part of the culture here and they sing that swaying for almost every happy occasion. It is a classic case of inner harmony and the river banks here are famed to be a land of peace.

 

There are also innumerable other live traditions in Aranmula which includes the science of architecture, and for this a training school is functional here, VastuVidyaGurukulam, supported by the government. The ancient houses of Aranmula, those that survive, have the unique traditional style of construction and the Sacred Groves and Ponds in the compound point to extreme awareness of environmental processes in the population. The seasonal calendar of farming operations, the region being fertile wetlands, was also unique and the rice culture was highly evolved. The network of shrines and hill gods with the temple at the centre was a system that honored nature and co-existed with it, till during the colonial phase this was almost lost. The home stead gardens of each traditional house, once part of entire Kerala, boast of an immense biodiversity. This includes edible plants to medicinal, ornamental to religious and was an apex conservation model. The homestead gardens of Kerala have been increasingly studied by international scholars in the recent past. The traditions of Kalari, martial cum healing science, Valla Sadya, a multi-course meal that is highly scientific, are all part of the Aranmula culture.

 

No wonder Aranmula was one of the sites selected from across India under the Endogenous Tourism Project (ETP) a joint venture of the Union Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The ETP program was aiming at sustainable development through tourism promotion and simultaneously taking the tourism itinerary beyond regular frames. Also aimed at was a shift from monument infrastructure tourism to one that values intangible heritages, like culture, traditional arts, landscapes. One of the core understandings of the ETP was to create a unique rural experience. Creating opportunities for tourists to experience authentic rural life in a way that it transforms their mindsets was the challenge.

 

The main objective to demonstrate that with community empowerment and management, endogenous resources in rural areas can become an important source of sustainable livelihoods.The main objectives of the Project were,i. Build capacity at the local level, ii. Initiate location-specific models of community tourism enterprise, iii. Build strong community-private partnerships, iv. Support innovative and promising rural tourism initiatives, v. Provide inputs for national tourism policy implementation. Some of the sites included from all over India were KuluManali in Himachal Pradesh, Pochampally in Andhra Pradesh, Sualkuchi, in Kamrup, Assam, Banavasiin Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka. The AranmulaPaithrukaGrama Karma Samithy is aiming at evolving a model for Aranmula and a master plan is under consideration which is to have a private public participation and global networking. This will help achieve a place specific and culture friendly model for Aranmula and also Kerala. The Master Plan incorporates the adjoining areas of Onattukara, like the celebrations of Chettikulangara Bharani, handicrafts and wet land utilization.