The audience were taken on a soulful journey, steeped in devotion, at the venue of the Vanchipattu contest at the State School Arts Festival here on Sunday. The participants rendered Bheeshmaparvam, Santhanagopalam, and Kuchelavrutham swaying and clapping to the rhythmic notes in an ambience of piety.
While Vanchipaatu or boat songs are enjoyed by the public regardless of the style in which they are sung, tutors of these songs have a different take. They say that a wave of change is sweeping through the Vanchipattu rendition in these competitions.
“Children are not that keen on learning or performing Vanchipattu in the Kuttanad style,” said Sibi Dev, a tutor. “This style features faster rhythms while the Aranmula style is all about devotion and slowness. The Kuttanad style brings in an infectious energy; it has such power that it can hold everyone’s attention.”
Students of the Vanchipattu team from RRVGHSS Kilimanoor, Thiruvananthapuram, said they chose the Aranmula style because it suited their voice. “It is important that our voices blend in. After trying to sing both styles, we found that the performance was better in Aranmula style,” said Safana Fathima.
More girls’ teams
Devanarayanan, a trainer with 15 years of teaching experience, said that a notable shift in gender participation has also been observed. “More teams of girls are competing and excelling in the competitions,” he said. ”It is difficult to get boys to practise.”
Christin M. Mathew and Afi Baiju, Class XII students of Marthoma HSS, Pathanamthitta, one of the few boy teams to participate, said that things would change. They were confident that the boys would regain their place.
Published – January 18, 2026 09:35 pm IST
