ALAPPUZHA: Both Pulluvan Veena and Stethoscope perform equally well when it is held by Dr Vishnu V Nath. Vishnu V Nath (29) is a house surgeon at Kollam Travancore Medicity. If he gets a day off, the doctor will rush to Chettikulangara Bhagavathi Temple with his Pulluvan Veena. Forgetting everything in the Sarpatthara (place where serpents are worshipped), he will merge into Pulluvanpattu playing his Pulluvan Veena.

Vishnu was tuned to Pulluvan Paattu from his childhood along with family difficulties. Even as a busy doctor, he never gave up on that art form. He started singing Pulluvan Paattu with his father Chettikulangara Unichireth Viswanathan and mother Geetha and was able to sing alone from class 8.

Vishnu's father died when he was studying first year of BSc Zoology. It was Viswanathan's ambition to make Vishnu and his daughter Lakshmi doctors. There was no financial capability at home to send both children for entrance coaching.

Geetha did not give in even though there was pressure from many people to make her son take up the family tradition as a means of living. That mother was determined to educate her children despite her debts. Vishnu got MBBS admission on merit seat. He used to visit the Sarpattharas of Chettikulangara Bhagavathi Temple and Chengannur Mahadevar Temple on all the holidays he got during his MBBS classes. With joining house surgery, there were fewer off days. Vishnu last visited the temple and sang Pulluvanpattu on Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani last month. His sister Laxmipriya V Nath is a doctor at Shornur Ayurveda Medical College.

Relatives were supportive

Vishnu's uncles and cousin Jayakumar supported him in his studies. Besides his father and mother, his gurus in Pulluvanpattu include his elder uncle and Akashvani artiste TR Ramesan and his father's brother Chettikulangara Gopinathan. Vishnu wishes to preserve the legacy of Pulluvanpattu even during his humanitarian service.

Even when the family faced financial crisis, my mother did not ask me to quit my studies and join the family tradition for a living. Happy to fulfil the wish of my father and mother. I will not quit Sarpam Pattu just because I became a doctor.

Vishnu V. Nath