His silence tells it all

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsWith Onam just days away, rural Malabar is preparing to welcome Mahabali like the rest of the state, but with a slight twist. Theirs is not the rotund version of the demon king that the rest of Kerala has become accustomed to, but a heavily bearded ‘Onapottan’ who trudges along from house to house silently, unable to speak to his subjects. Legend in these parts has it that when Mahabali was sent down to the underworld, he asked to be permitted to visit his subjects once an year. Lord Vishnu in the form of Vamana agreed but on one condition - the king was not allowed to speak a single word. It was from this legend that the character of Onappottan evolved - ‘pottan’ meaning ‘one who cannot speak’ in local vernacular. People dressed as the character roam houses on the occasion of Uthradam and Thiruvonam and preparation are already underway for this year’s sojourn. “We took our sacred vows on Atham and we will stick to a strict diet avoiding meat till the end of Onam. We also are forbidden to speak when we are in the character of Onapottan as legend has it that if we do so, we will lose the ability to speak in real life as well,” said Lalu, a resident of Ambalakulangara, who is going to dress up as the character this year. The costume of the character is carefully designed with each minor part having its own significance.“It is made up of numerous different parts, all made up of different materials. The beard is made up of banana fibre while the bangles and side arm decorations are made of wood,” said Lalu. And while the art form remained unaffected by the commercialization that afflicted most other Onam rituals, older practitioners of ‘Onapottan’ are not too happy with the character being used by local clubs in recent years. “It is something sacred but these clubs get someone to dress up as the Onapottan and go around collecting funds. They are violating the sanctity of something that has been done in a particular way for centuries,” said Kelappan who has been dressing up as Onapottan for the past 50 years.first published:August 27, 2012, 12:29 ISTlast updated:August 27, 2012, 12:29 IST
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With Onam just days away, rural Malabar is preparing to welcome Mahabali like the rest of the state, but with a slight twist.

Theirs is not the rotund version of the demon king that the rest of Kerala has become accustomed to, but a heavily bearded ‘Onapottan’ who trudges along from house to house silently, unable to speak to his subjects.

Legend in these parts has it that when Mahabali was sent down to the underworld, he asked to be permitted to visit his subjects once an year.

Lord Vishnu in the form of Vamana agreed but on one condition - the king was not allowed to speak a single word.

It was from this legend that the character of Onappottan evolved - ‘pottan’ meaning ‘one who cannot speak’ in local vernacular.

People dressed as the character roam houses on the occasion of Uthradam and Thiruvonam and preparation are already underway for this year’s sojourn.

“We took our sacred vows on Atham and we will stick to a strict diet avoiding meat till the end of Onam.

We also are forbidden to speak when we are in the character of Onapottan as legend has it that if we do so, we will lose the ability to speak in real life as well,” said Lalu, a resident of Ambalakulangara, who is going to dress up as the character this year.

The costume of the character is carefully designed with each minor part having its own significance.

“It is made up of numerous different parts, all made up of different materials.

The beard is made up of banana fibre while the bangles and side arm decorations are made of wood,” said Lalu.

And while the art form remained unaffected by the commercialization that afflicted most other Onam rituals, older practitioners of ‘Onapottan’ are not too happy with the character being used by local clubs in recent years.

“It is something sacred but these clubs get someone to dress up as the Onapottan and go around collecting funds.

They are violating the sanctity of something that has been done in a particular way for centuries,” said Kelappan who has been dressing up as Onapottan for the past 50 years.