How Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram is promoting Kavyakeli

Lakshmi Das recites eight lines from Kumaran Asan’s poem, ‘Chandalabhikshuki’ , starting with ‘Innale cheythorabadham…’ and posts it as a voice note on a WhatsApp group comprising her students. Within the next four days, they post their renditions in the same group. Lakshmi gives feedback to each of them.

That is how Thiruvananthapuram-based Lakshmi has been taking Kavyakeli classes for 30-plus students for a month now. She is among the four experts who are taking lessons in Kavyakeli for more than 130 students under an initiative launched by Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan, a cultural centre in Thiruvanathapuram under Government of Kerala. The initiative was launched on April 15.

Different from Aksharaslokam

Although Kavyakeli is similar to Aksharaslokam as both entail recitation of Malayalam poems, there are some major differences. In Aksharaslokam, a quatrain with only Sanskrit meters ( vrutham) are recited, while in Kavyakeli eight lines from a poem with Dravidian meters are chanted (see box). At an Aksharaslokam session, a participant has to recite a sloka with the first letter of the third line of the previous sloka. In the case of Kavyakeli, it is the first letter of the fifth line of the previous verse.

Kavyakeli classes are attended by those aged 10 and above. “It is interesting to learn new poems, that too in different tunes,” says Meenakshi U, 12, from Tripunithura near Kochi.

Smrithi PK, an IT professional, says that she has been practising Aksharaslokam from childhood and eventually got interested in Kavyakeli as well. “I love Malayalam poetry like never before. My pronunciation has improved. Also, I can appreciate rhythm and beauty of verses better now,” says Smrithi.

Each trainer has at least 30 students in their respective WhatsApp groups. “We hope to teach them at least 52 eight-line verses over the next six months. However, the learning is a never-ending process. I took to Kavyakeli when I was in class six and continue to pick up new verses from time to time,” says Lakshmi, assistant professor in Malayalam at NSS College, Nirmanakara, Thiruvananthapuram, and the coordinator of the programme. The other trainers are Krishnan Kuroor, former proof reader/librarian with a Malayalam daily, Chithra Jayanthan, teacher, Paruthoor HSS, Pallippuram, Pattambi, and Sunil Kadakkal, teacher, Government HSS, Kottarakkara, Kollam.

“In our group, I post the stanzas on a Friday and students have to send in their rendering by Tuesday. We also include details such as the name of the poet and meaning of the verses in the voicenote,” says Lakshmi.

The cardinal rule of Kavyakeli is that the eight lines chosen should convey a complete meaning. “Also, from one poem itself, for example, Vyloppilly Sreedhara Menon’s ‘Mambazham’, you can find four or five such sections for a Kavyakeli session. Some students are in it for the love of poetry. We don’t go deep into the meters because not all students would be able to comprehend them,” adds Lakshmi. She has students from Maharashtra and Karnataka and one from the US as well.

Krishnan posts two poems at a time and gives the students almost a week to post their renditions. “Many of my students are from upper primary classes and a good number of them are extremely focussed and serious about it. We plan to hold a Zoom meet once a month to interact with them and get their feedback,” he adds. All trainers keep an eye on the students’ attendance and those who fail to post their renditions repeatedly are removed from the group.

Lakshmi says, “We have started with verses they are familiar with, such as poet and devotee Poonthanam’s lines from ‘Njanappana’. In my class, I have already taught sections from P Kunhiraman Nair’s ‘Gurudakshina’, G Sankara Kurup’s ‘Perumthachan’ and ONV Kurup’s ‘Theere Cheriya Shabdangal’.”

The idea to start Kavyakeli session was put forward by VP Joy, Chief Secretary of Kerala, an Aksharaslokam and Kavyakeli connoisseur. Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan has been holding Aksharaslokam sessions via WhatsApp since last August and he suggested that Kavyakeli should also be promoted.

The Chief Secretary, a prolific poet himself, says: “I don’t mind keeping aside a few hours for Aksharaslokam and Kavyakeli sessions although I have not been able to do so because of my work. When I was working in Delhi I used to take part in Aksharaslokam sessions there.”

Literary forum

He has been instrumental in the formation of Aksharakeli, a forum to promote Aksharaslokam and Kavyakeli. It has experts and trainers from across Kerala. “They are in it not for money or fame but because of their love for the language and poetry. So I felt that there should be a platform to encourage them. We conducted a poetry recitation competition and plan to conduct more programmes,” Joy adds.

Kavyakeli gained attention in the last five decades or so whereas Aksharaslokam has been around for several centuries now. “Aksharaslokam got wider acceptance because we old-timers have learned a lot of slokas from our childhood. They were part of our school curriculum and it was a habit for most of us to memorise them. There were also individuals and groups who promoted Aksharaslokam sessions in a big way. However, over the years, slokas gave way to modern poems in school text books. The new generation is not that keen to learn them,” explains Krishnan.

It was in the early 80s that Kavyakeli became a competition item in school youth festivals in Kerala. Since then, there has been an increase in number of people learning it. “It is true that some students are attending the classes keeping competitions in mind,” Krishnan adds.

There are a few books on Kavyakeli available, the latest being a book by Kochi-based Sarasamma K Nair, who has been teaching Kavyakeli for several years now.

“Extracurricular activities, be it art, music, dance or sports, always help in personality and intellectual development. Aksharaslokam and Kavykeli too are like that. Besides instilling love for Malayalam language and poetry, these literary forms help to improve concentration, memory and pronunciation of words. Malayalam language is such a rich language and it is important that the new generation realises it,” concludes Joy.