At midnight when the whole world asleep, a group of people are busy with a Lent ritual. Carrying wooden crosses and wooden bells, they break the silence of the night with their loud howls. They kneel down, look up at heaven, shut their ears with their fingers and closing their eyes recite some mysterious words. This is Devasta vili, an Indo-Spanish ritual art form that prevailed among Latin Christians in Kerala and it was performed during the Lent.
Though performed as a prayer, the song of Devasta vili can send shivers down the spine. However, the 400-year-old tradition, like many other art forms, is now on the verge of extinction, with the present generation showing little interest in it.
Devasta vili is believed to have commenced during the 16th century and the spiritual exercise is a reflection of the European legacy, especially the Portuguese, handed over to Kerala.
The tradition of Devasta vili was seen mostly in coastal areas and popular in the coastal areas from Kodungalloor to Kottar in Nagercoil. It includes seven prayers praising Virgin Mary, Holy Mass, etc. During the time of 50 days of Lent, it was performed in some Latin churches, cemeteries, houses and at public junctions. The original version of the vili was in Latin and later it evolved in Tamil and subsequently in Malayalam. “It is believed that the loud worship would keep evil spirits at bay. This can be done only on Tuesdays and Fridays,” says Justin Ralphin Correya, who has been performing vili for past three years.
“I was interested in learning the ritual even as the present generation are put off by it. Now there are only a few who know exactly how to go about it and they are very aged,” said the 68-year-old Raphael.
He is one of the few persons known for Devasta vili songs.
Raphael who started singing at the age of 15, is worried about the apathy of the present generation who are not keen on carrying on with the tradition. “I learned it from my ancestors and it is handed over orally as there’s not transcript. None in the community is coming forward to keep the tradition alive,” laments Raphael.
Devasta vili is performed by a group of men and the group members have to perform it with most respect and devotion. The group members observe fasting as part of their preparation. Since the vili should crack the silence at night and it is hard to sing, it cannot be done solo. One has to ring the bell thrice, while another sings a two-line hymn. Then another one sings the next time. This will go on for about 25 to 30 minutes.
The wooden cross is the centre of attraction of the vili. Men who perform the ritual carry the wooden cross to the place where it is conducted.
Vili can be done only in odd number of times. Chathiath, Chellanam, Mulavukad, Vypeen are the places where Devasta vili are conducted in Kochi. Apart from Kochi, it is also performed in some parts of Alappuzha.
