Kerala has a wealth of soft lilting folk lullabies. Nurtured down
the generations, they have even cast an influence over mainstream
Malayalam poetry. This poignant lullaby "Omanathinkal kidavo...",
strikes a tender chord in every Malayalee. Generations of children
have been lulled asleep by its soothing notes.
Sung by innumerable mothers over centuries the strains of this lullaby
is dyed into the warp and woof of the Malayalee's cultural repertoire.
Evoking intense nostalgia for a bygone phase of one's life filled
with tender affections and motherly care, the lullaby also thrills
one with a sense of deja vu.
This song is believed to have been composed for the young prince
Swathi Thirunal of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom by the famous
poet lyricist Ravi Varman Thampi (1783-1856 AD), popularly known as
Irayimman Thampi. He later became the court poet of Maharaja Swathi
Thirunal, himself an eminent music composer and poet.
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