Ayyappan 15 - Tarattu Or A Lullaby Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Ayyappan 15 - Tarattu Or A Lullaby
One of my earliest choreographies,
In dance, was a lullaby named
" Omana thingal Kidavo',
A very popular song in Malayalam,
Composed by Irayimman Thanmpi,
The famed court poet, who lived
during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal
Of Thiruvananthapuram- the capital of Kerala.
When I first performed
"Omana thingal Kidavo' in Thiruvananthapuram,
There were many who raised their eyebrows
And criticized me for including a song,
That depicted Mother's love,
Instead of performing,
Romantic love songs,
The mainstay of Mohiniattam!
My argument back was that
There was nothing in this world
Than a mother's love for her child.
The love that is purest,
The love most sublime,
The love most unconditional.
Over the years, this choreography of mine
Became my masterpiece and the most popular with the audience.
In my dance recital of "Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'
Not disturbing with the flow of narration of the story,
Once again, I introduced a' Tarattu' or a lullaby
Where the queen mother puts little Manikanta to sleep,
Highlighting Mother's love or ‘Vatsalya rasa' in Mohiniattam.
Many Mohiniattam dancers followed suit.
They began performing ‘Omana thingal' in Mohiniattam.
Today, almost all dancers have it in their Mohiniattam repertoire.
As the Queen Mother sings the lullaby,
She says, "Oh my beloved child,
I shall hold you in my arms and rock you to sleep.
Close your eyelids, which are like the petals of a lotus flower.
How many days have I waited for you?
With tears in my eyes!
Now that you have come,
You have brought great joy into my life."
A performance, a memory, a biography,
An experience as a dancer.
This is an extract from my book
"Mohiniattam -The Dance of the Enchantress"
Part 2 -The Choreographies entitled "Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa".
This prose poem is an edited version
Lord Ayyappan is a popular deity of Kerala, worshipped by countless devotees in South India.
According to the Puranas, Lord Ayyappa is none other than Hariharaputra, the son of Hari and Hara. Hari is Lord Vishnu while Hara is Lord Shiva. Hence, Hariharaputra is a powerful combination of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, the indweller and inner ruler of all hearts, the timeless and space less ‘Taraka Brahman', before whom thousands of devotees prostrate with the ardent cry of"Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa".
There was nothing in this world/Than a mother's love for her child/The love that is purest/The love most sublime/The love most unconditional…..so true! I really have not ever watched " Omana thingal Kidavo”. As this poem articulates, it must be a typical dance carrying different poses displaying vibes of love and affection! An elegant piece of work….10
As a mother of three children I can echo your words that no love comes closer to mother’s love. So very happy to know that you took advantage of your skills as a dancer to bring it to live performance. Reading your story I was reminded of saint Soordaas. His Hindi poems of Yashoda’s motherly love towards Krishna we’re some of the best of Hindi literature. It’s a pleasure to read your narrative.
The ultimate stanza is very touching. It vividly depicts the most unconditional, sublime and purest love of a mother. Beautifully crafted and well executed write.10+++××
A wonderful write, Geeta. A lovely and informative write. You are such a talented person. Your talent is encompassing. Through this poem I was able to learn a bit of your history. And you made history, too when you included Mother's. Love in your wonderful performance.
Dear Geeta Ma'am, I must admit that each poem of yours, whether the part of a series or stand alone on a common topic, is a learning experience. I simply don't know how to explain it. It may have a story, a philosophy, art & aesthetics, emotion, expression and style along with the challenges arising out of real life situations as this poem precisely shows. Thank u so much indeed.
This poem regarding ' Ayyappan' a popular deity of Kerala, worshipped by countless devotees in South India, the son of Hari and Hara and about unconditional love of mother and regarding dance has a vital role in this poem hunter site. Thank you dear madam for sharing this poem having extraction from your book ' Mohiniattam -The Dance of the Enchantress" Part 2.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/5/2025 11:08:46 PM # 1.0.0
Maube you can post a plot-map to the dance steps of Omana Thingal so that we can do the dance too. As well as perhaps posting the music at the 'sound' stage of the poem- there is a spoken voice allowance. Please trade it out for the music the dance is to with a picture of the plot map of the steps so we can do it too celebrating your lovely poems.