''Uli Sandam'' is among the oldest works in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
language. It is a ''
sandesa kavyam'' (message poem), a message written in poetry, on the lines of the famous ''
Meghadūta
''Meghadūta'' (, literally ''Cloud Messenger'') is a lyric poem written by Kālidāsa (c. 4th–5th century CE), considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets. It describes how a '' yakṣa'' (or nature spirit), who had been banished by ...
'' of
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviv ...
. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a lover to his lady-love staying at a far-off place. The message is therefore written as if it is sent through a messenger. The work was written in the 14th century AD, when transport and communications were very limited in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
. The messenger in the poem is, therefore, a
carrier pigeon
The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practic ...
. Apart from the message proper, the poem gives detailed instructions to the messenger pigeon, including the route to be taken and the landmarks in route.
Besides the literary value of the work, it throws light on the geography of Kerala of that period. It, therefore, reads in part like a
travelogue too. The journey starts in
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
, the capital of the
Venad
Venad was a medieval kingdom between the Western Ghat mountains of India with its capital at city of Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143 ...
(
Travancore
The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
) Kingdom of that day, and ends at
Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy is a town in Kottayam District in the state of Kerala, India. The State Highway 15 connecting Ettumanoor to Vytila passes through the town.The town is located 27 km from Kottayam the district collectorate. The Vaikom Road Railway ...
, a pod bodies mentioned in the poem are not to be seen now.
The poem is written under the pen-name
Amruthanilakshi, and some believe that it was written in 1362 AD. The exact identity of the author remains a mystery, but it is widely believed that one of the members of the
Vadakkumkur royal family.wrote it. An annotated version was published by
DC Books.
[ ]
Notes
References
* Unnuneeli Sandesam - Thembattu Sankaran Nair; Published by DC Books, Kottayam; 132 pages.
{{Authority control
Malayalam-language literature
Poems in Malayalam
14th-century poems