Palli Palan: lizard omens
Palli palan is the Tamil tradition of reading omens from a house lizard (palli, also kavuli or gowli) falling on the body (vilum palan) or chirping (sollum palan). These pages follow two old printed editions, Sahadevar's Kevuli Sastiram (Madurai, 1937) and an 1893 Erode edition, in our own words; every reading is a traditional belief, not a prediction.
Source: two old printed books, in our own words, by body part, direction and count
These are traditional beliefs from old printed books, not predictions. The old books sometimes give harsher readings than these, and we do not reproduce them. "Not favourable" here means only that tradition reads a minor setback.
- Good by traditionThe book reads a gain, a visit, good news or success.
- MixedNeither good nor bad: a journey, a delay, a small worry.
- Not favourableTradition reads a minor setback, nothing more.
The two pages
Which books are these from?
The readings here were written from the pages of two old printed books. One is the Kevuli Sastiram credited to Sahadevar (Madurai, 1937), which gives chirping readings for each weekday by direction, a reading for the number of chirps, and a short falling list. The other is an 1893 Erode edition with text and commentary, which lists the falling readings part by part in more detail.
- 1937Sahadevar's Kevuli Sastiram, Madurai, Meenakshi Vilas Press, 1937The 1914 (Madurai) and 1924 (Chennai) printings carry the same text; they were compared to correct printing slips.
- 1893Kevuli Sastiram, text with commentary, Erode, Sakalakala Nilaya Press, 1893 (ed. V. Ramalinga Mudaliar)
The two books do not always agree; where they differ we show both side by side. We have left out some passages that do not belong today, and the readings for a few body parts.
Frequently asked
Is palli vilum palan true?
It is a traditional belief, not a prediction backed by evidence. The book itself frames it as faith: verse 3 of the 1937 text (page 2) reads "nambinorkku sakalamum palikkumappa", that it all comes true for those who believe. Read it as heritage and curiosity, and do not base real decisions on it.
Is palli vilum palan different for women and men?
No. The 1893 Erode text says plainly on page 36 that the results apply equally to men and women. The 1937 text has one list for everyone as well. The old mention of male and female lizards is about identifying the chirping lizard, not about the listener.
Should you bathe after a lizard falls on you?
Neither of the two books we read prescribes a bath. Many families bathe out of custom, but that is a household habit, not a rule from the text. Doing it or not is your choice.
Is there a remedy (pariharam) for a lizard falling?
Neither of the two books we read names any remedy. So we recommend none, and we sell nothing.
Is a falling lizard good or bad?
It depends on the body part. The books mix good, mixed and not-favourable readings, and a little over half the readings are good. Even "not favourable" only means tradition reads a minor setback. The full list is on the falling page.
