| Thirunizhalmala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written | c. 13th century |
| Country | Aranmula |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Genre(s) | "Pattu" genre |
Thirunizhalmala ("Garland of the Sacred Shade" or "Grace"[1]) is a c. 13th century "pattu" genre poem inMalayalam language.[2][3] Along with "Ramacharitham", it is one of the earliest extant poems in Malayalam.[2] It is generally considered as a work associated with theVaishnavitebhakti movement in south India.[4] It is sometimes called "the first religious work in the Malayalam".[1] "Thirunizhalmala" was discovered by scholar M. M. Purushothaman Nair in 1980.[5][1]
"Thirunizhalmala" is composed, most probably by a high caste poet (from certain "Kurumur Palli"), in local meters and with Dravidian orthography.[6][7] It is assumed that the work predates the famous "Ramacharitham" by around a century.[8] The manuscript of the poem was discovered from northern Kerala.[4] Central topic of the poem is the description of the ritual life ofAranmula Temple inPathanamthitta.[9] The main rites described are the ancient rituals of the Malayar/Malayarayan or Malayan community (performed to remove the various impurities of the gods).[8][4] It also describes the temple and its environs, the families of the temple-villages’ owners and the protecting soldiery.[4]
"Thirunizhalmala" is linked to the north Kerala art-formTheyyam and the community of its performers.[10] The poem contains the earliest instance in Malayalam of the legend ofParasurama "founding" Kerala and the sixty-four settlements of Brahmins.[6] It also mentions the medieval Tamil poetKamban.[6]
Modern editions of "Thirunizhalmala" are by M. M. Purushothaman Nair (1981 & 2016) and R. C. Karippath (2006)[10]
