Toddler nursery rhymes preserved among the Tanjore Marathis were some of them action songs where the child could understand and some action of holding hands, clapping etc. would be done.
This nursery rhyme would be sung having the little toddler clap his hands
Thaale Bai Thaale
Amma karti Pole
Polela nahi thoop
Baalala lagla bhook bhook bhook
Here's another one with the hands,
लावा लावा संकलि
मामा आला
खोबरा-च वाटी (और सोना-च वाटी )
आणून देला
मामी आली
हिरिन्गु गेली
Lava Lava Sankli
Mama aala (Mama came)
Khobra-cha vaati (or Sona-cha vaati ) (coconut cup or golden cup)
aanun dela (brought and gave)
Mami aali (Mami came)
Hiringu geli ( snatched it and went away! )
(Why they implicated poor mami in this rhyme beats me!)
This next rhyme was to help a toddler get interested in eating and yet make him laugh so that even
a poor eater would be tricked into eating and look forward to the fun while eating.
The toddler's palm would be opened and holding the palm, and imagining it is a banana leaf actions like serving food on it would be done with finally tickling the palm.
मोठा पान मानठुना
कोशाम्बरी घालून
भाजी घालून
भात घालून
तूप घालून
वरण घालून
बेश कालीवुना
पाळ करुना
थ्यजान्था कड़ी घालून
कड़ी च पाल फुटला, फुटला, फुटला
Motha paan maanduna
koshambari ghaluna
bhaji ghaluna
Bhaat galuna ( while holding my palm up as a plate and using her hand to mash the imaginary cooked rice).
Thoop galuna
daal galuna
Baesh kalivuna
Paal karuna
Thejantha kadi galuna
Kadicha paal phutla, phutla, phutla ( and tickling my hand).
Here is another one... This one was for a toddler to find his hand and at the same time to make him realise the way to reach God! The song says "I gave flowers to God " and ends with "What did God give you? My Hand!"
A child’s hand would be held to his back and..
” हाथ कोटा गेले
किवाड़ माघ गेले
किवाड़ काई दीला
किवाड़ कुप्पा दीला
कुप्पा काई कर्लीसा
झाडाला घटले
झाड काई दीला
झाड फुला दीला
फुला काई कर्लीसा
देवाला घातले
देव काई दीला
हाथ दीला हाथ दीला हाथ दीला”
and the hand is brought forward victoriously in jubiliation!
” Haath kota gele (Where did your hand go?)
kivaad maagha gele (Went behind the door)
kivaad kai deela (What did the door give you?)
kivaad kuppa deela (The door gave dust and dirt)
kuppa kai karleesa (What did you do with the dirt?)
jhaadala ghatle (Put it for the tree/plant)
jhaad kai deela (What did the plant give you)
jhaad phula deela (Tree/plant gave me flowers)
phula kai karleesa (What did you do with the flowers)
devala ghatle (Put it for God)
dev kai deela (What did God give you?)
haath deela haath deela haath deela” (Gave my hand back!)
