Kerala's ancient serpent-worship folk music comes alive in Delhi

In a big hall in the city of Delhi, people gathered to hear a very old kind of music from Kerala, a state in the south of India.

This music is called Pulluvan Pattu.

For many hundreds of years, people in Kerala have sung it to worship snakes, which they believe are special and holy.

The songs were passed down by word of mouth from parents to children for a very long time.

On August 9, singers and musicians came together at the India Habitat Centre to perform it.

The show was part of a big music festival called the IHC Lok Sangeet Sammelan 2026.

Two groups, the India Habitat Centre and Anwesha Kala Kendra, helped organise the evening.

The performers were led by Sathyanarayanan P, a well-known singer of this music who won a special award in 2024.

He played with four other musicians who helped recreate the sound of this ancient ritual.

The audience got to hear music that has been kept alive for centuries through the Pulluva community.