Pattole Palome

Kodagu: home of the Kodavas shown above in the map of Karnataka,India (in orange)

The Original Book

Editions

The Pattole Palame, a collection of Kodava folksongs and traditions compiled in the early 1900s by Nadikerianda Chinnappa, was first published in 1924. The most important Kodava literature, it is said to be one of the earliest, if not the earliest, collection of the folklore of a community in an Indian language. Family histories, rituals and other records were scripted on palm leaves by astrologers. These ancient, scripted leaves called Pattole (patt=silk, ole=like) are still preserved at Kodava Aine manes. Palame was the name for the hereditary oral tradition of folk songs and ballads among the Coorgs (Kodavas). The fourth edition of the Pattole Palame was published in 2002 by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy. Nearly two thirds of the book consists of folksongs that were handed down orally through generations. Many of these songs are sung even today during marriage and death ceremonies, during our festivals relating to the seasons and during festivals in honour of local deities and heroes. Traditionally known as Balo Pat, these songs are sung by four men who beat dudis as they sing. The songs have haunting melodies and evoke memories of times long past. Kodava folk dances are performed to the beat of many of these songs.^[1]

Contents

The book is of 556 pages and divided into six sections. The first is called the Kodagu vivarane (Description of Kodagu) and consists of the first 76 pages. It speaks mainly of Kodagu's history, mythical and political, and geography. The second section (pages 73–202) is called Kodavara paddathi (Kodava customs) which speak of the ceremonies in the life of a Kodava from birth until death. Habbagalu (pages 203-298) is the name of the third section and it speaks of the Kodava festivals. The fourth section Devatheyada Pattu, gods' songs, from pages 269-403, consists of the songs of the village gods and goddesses. Goddess Kaveri, Seven Gods, Five Gods, Three Gods, Two Gods, Sarthavu (Aiyappa), Ketrappa (Kshetrapala), Pudiyodi (Bhagwathi) and others were the gods to whom these songs were dedicated. Keli Ponada Pattu (Songs of the well-known) forms the fifth section, pages from 404 to 502. It consists of ballads dedicated to Kanniyada Kamayya (also known as a folk song of Seven goddesses), Kaliatanda Ponnappa, Nadikerianda Devayya, Keyyondira Appayya, Aiyakovira Appayya and Poledevira Appayya, who were folk heroes of Kodagu. Naana Tharada Vishayagalu, from pages 503 to 556, forms the last section which consists of mainly sayings, proverbs and other matters.

Modern Uses

In the past the village elders knew the traditional laws by heart and passed it on orally over the generations. In recent times the Pattole Palame has acted as a reference for Kodavas who sought the ancient law. One known example was when a couple had to be divorced. The law court referred to the Pattole Palame where they read about the 'Kallu-mara Kaipa' tradition and decided to have them separated (Biddappa 1996: viii). The elders of Kodava couples who marry outside Kodagu or even abroad refer to the Pattole Palame in order to follow the customs faithfully.

The Author

Nadikerianda Chinnappa and Appaneravanda Hardas Appachcha Kavi are the two important poets and writers of the Kodava language. Nadikerianda Chinnappa (1875–1931) was a Kodava Police Inspector in Coorg. He spent his leisure in travelling on horseback through the hills of Coorg. He got acquainted with several folk singers and thereafter he began to compile folk songs. Some prominent Kodavas reviewed his compilation (the Pattole Palome) and then C.S.Sooter the then Commissioner of Coorg got the British Government to publish it. In 1929 Chinnappa's translation of the Bhagwat Gita into Kodava thakk, called Bhagvathanda Patt got published. Chinnappa was also a well-known Kodava thakk poet.^[2]

Kodava (Coorg) old man, with son and grandsons in 1875, by J. Forbes Watson (from NY public library)

The Translation

The Translators

The Pattole Palame was written using the Kannada script originally; it has been translated into English by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa, grandchildren of Nadikerianda Chinnappa, and has been published by Rupa & Co., New Delhi.^[3] The translators’ introduction explains: “Since the Kodava language does not have a script, he used the Kannada script that has been in vogue since the 17th century, when the Lingayat Rajas ruled Kodagu and Kannada was their court language.”

Nadikerianda Chinnappa had begun translating the work into English in 1925 but he died in 1931, before he could complete it. Chinnappa's daughter married into the Boverianda clan. His son and daughter-in-law were both teachers. Their daughter Nanjamma and Chinnappa's daughter's son, also called Chinnappa, cross-cousins, got married. Boverianda Chinnappa, an engineer with a degree from an Illinois university, and Nanjamma, a statistician who was a visiting fellow at Cambridge University in 1974, pursued their professions at Chennai, Kolkata and Canada. In the 1970s, Boverianda Chinnappa, Nanjamma's mother and Nanjamma began to copy out the Pattole Palome in longhand over almost three years.^[4]

While they were searching for copies of the original edition of the Pattole Palame, a ninety-year-old farmer and self-taught folk artist, Bacharaniyanda Annaiah, responded to their advertisement. During his youth unable to afford the book he had copied out the entire text word by word under a kerosene lamp. This hardcover book he gifted to the Chinnappas. Nanjamma's parents assisted in translating and interpreting the text. In the second edition of ‘Pattole Palame” (or ‘Silken Lore’), published by the University of Mysore in 1975, the editor describes it as one of the earliest extensive collections of folklore from any Indian community.^[4]

After retirement they settled down in Bangalore in 1995 and began to realise his cherished dream. Finally in 2003, they completed the work and it has been published by Rupa & Co., New Delhi. That same year it was released in Madikeri (Mercara). This book has become the chief text for the Coorgs.^[5]

Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa have chalked out at least ten Kodagu-based projects for the future, including a directory of aine mane or ancestral homes, a lexicon of the Kodava language and a biography of the late Bacharaniyanda Annaiah, a self-taught folk artist. Presently they have been working on the ainemane project, this can be found on the Ainmanes website.^[6]

'You who know - why do you need this?

You who do not wish to know - why do you need this?

You who are incapable of knowing - why do you need this?

You who want to know - do read this.’ (Introduction to the Pattole Palame)

Reference Notes

External Sources

Biddappa, Major Puggera P. Nadikerianda Chinnappa (in Kodava thakk), Bangalore, 1996.