Harivarasanam
Harivarasanam is a Sanskritised Malayalam ashtakam sung as a lullaby to Hindu god Ayyappan at the Sabarimala Temple, in Kerala, India. The traditional version of the song is sung vocally inside the temple during the closing ceremony, while various popular versions of the song are sung by the devotees.
Background
Harivarasanam is an ashtakam (eight metre stanzas) composed in Malayalam. The song is used as a lullaby to Hindu god Ayyappan at the Sabarimala Temple, in Kerala, India.[1][2] The exact origin of the original song is unclear. Kambakudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer, who authored a collection of devotional songs, is claimed to the author of the song. However, descendants of Konnakathu Janaki Amma claimed that she had composed the song as an offering to Ayyappan when her father, Ananthakrishna Iyer, was the chief priest of Sabarimala.[1][2] Swami Vimochanananda was the first to recite the song at Sabarimala in the early 1950s, at the end of the day's rituals to put Lord Ayyapa to sleep, and the tradition has continued since.[1][2]
The popular version of the song, often sung by the devotees, was part of the 1975 Malayalam film Swami Ayyappan. The song was rendered by K. J. Yesudas with background music by G. Devarajan.[1][2] The centenary celebrations of the composing of the song was celebrated in 2023 by the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam.[3]
Lyrics
| In Malayalam | IAST transcription[4] | English translation[5] |
|---|---|---|
|
ഹരിവരാസനം വിശ്വമോഹനം |
harivarāsanaṃ viśvamōhanam |
Repository of Hari’s boons, Enchanter of the universe, |
Harivarasanam Award
The Harivarasanam Award was instituted in 2012 and is jointly awarded by the Government of Kerala and the Travancore Devaswom Board. It is awarded for contributions towards propagation of secularism, equanimity, and universal brotherhood of Sabarimala through music.[6] The award winner is announced ahead of the annual Makaravilakku festival.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "This Sabarimala season, an updated lullaby for Lord Ayyappan". The Hindu. 19 November 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Harivarasanam, the lullaby of the Lord". The New Indian Express. 15 January 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Governors inaugurate Harivarasanam Centenary celebrations". Chennai Vision. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Harivarasanam (Hariharatmaja Ashtakam)". Vignanam. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Ltd, Celextel Enterprises Pvt (11 July 2018). "Vedanta Shastras Library". Vedanta Shastras Library. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "Renowned music composer Ilaiyaraaja was awarded the Harivarasanam Award for 2020 by the Kerala Government". Vajiram. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Harivarasanam Award for Ilaiyaraja". The Times of India. 28 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2020.