Original Draft :
There
are a number of village temple festivals as well in Kodagu. The major
festivals are the Bhagwathy
namme
and the Boad
namme,
associated with the Mother goddess temples. While the first is
celebrated in the Bhagwathy temples the second is celebrated in the
Bhadrakali temples. These happen at different times in different
village temples.
Bhagwathy
namme
I
attended as a guest of my uncle Mukkatira Roy and cousin Ashok.
Traditionally Arapattu village had fifty families and Poddavadi
village had ninety families. The Arapattu Bhagwathy temple is
supported by the villagers of Arapattu and Poddavadi, known as Dand
Keri,
or two hamlets. In the past, the Bhagwathy and the Vishnu Murthy
shrines of this region used to be managed by the Mukkatira family of
the Arapattu village, as it is said that the temples were on their
lands. But since some decades ago the management is by a village
committee.
Nerpanda
Chitra member of the Arapattu Bhagwathy temple committee was supposed
to manage the festival affairs but since there was a death in his
family
he didn't, as per custom. In his stead another member of the village
temple committee, Mukkatira Changari,
presided. Mukkatira
Changari had this to say on the last day of the feast, “From the
seventh until the eleventh day of the Fish month (Minyaar
or Pisces), every morning and evening, dance and song is conducted in
the name of the goddess, special light arrangements are done, people
come for the Darshan and offer money, flowers and tilak of sandalwood
paste are distributed and then finally everyone disperses home.
On
the seventh of the month of the fish, the villagers get together and
observe a special fast. Fines for deviations from ritual observances
are paid and the main Puja is held in the evening each day. A temple
priest carries the idol upon his head and a dance occurs. On the
ninth of the month, the astrologers meet the villagers at the temple
in the evening. Then they all go to the shrine of Mandana Murthy. On
the tenth day, every family from the two villages, brought fine rice
on the backs of the oxen and presented it to the goddess.
Today
on the eleventh of the fish month, at four in the afternoon, the two
villages come together, took part in the goddess' dance and song and
took the money offerings. Then afterwards, we the villagers pay any
fines for deviations from ritual observances and go down to the
stream along with the priest dancer where the idol is bathed. After
the decorations and the main puja, flowers and the tilak are
distributed, we have dinner and we disperse.”
On
the finale day of the week long festival, lunch was offered at the
temple. A member of the temple priest's family wore the priestly
robes and carried the Bhagawathy idol, called the thadamb,
upon his head. Bidderianda Satish, a designated native called the
Thiralekara,
wore the traditional white Kuppya
Chele
costume and danced the thirale
('whirl') before the idol. He also behaved as an oracle, answering to
the devotees queries.
Late
in the afternoon, the idol was taken down, across the fields and by
devotees on foot, to the stream to be washed. Bisi
Bele bath
was offered to the accompanying people. Then the idol was brought
back and taken around the temple. While taking the idol around the
temple the carrier also danced on his feet, all the while holding the
thadamb upon his head. After this coconuts hung up in the air are
shot at with guns. Finally the priests served a vegetarian feast for
the devotees. Dr. John Napier, an Australian ethnologist and guest of
Balyameederira Subramani of Arapattu, recorded the events of the last
day.
Temple
history
According
to Kanniyada Prakash, secretary of the Arapattu Bhagwathy temple,
“The Bhagwathy goddess came to Kodagu from Soli, in Kerala,
accompanied by her assistant gods, Mandana Murthy and Vishnu Murthy,
along with my Kanniya family, who are astrologers, the Banna people,
the Maleya people and the Pale people. The Kanniya were given farm
land and settled in Arapattu. They perform the ceremonies at the
Mandana Murthy shrine. The anji
kutt murthy
(five spirits) and the patt
kutt patala
(ten protectors) are also given place at the shrine.”
Normally
wherever a temple was built for this Bhagawathy a shrine was also
dedicated to Vishnu, in the Vishnu Murthy form, and his five
companion spirits. The five spirits Anji
Koot,
are also called the Kootali,
bodyguards or companions, of Vishnu Murthy. They are Kutti Chatta,
Kala Bhairava, Kari Baala, Kuliya, also known as Gulika, and
Nuchchute. Each of them have some peculiarities.
According
to the Pattole Palame , the worship of Choli Povvadiamme (Soli
Bhagwathy) in Kodagu was first established in Kirundad village, then
in Arapattu and next in Kokeri. Thereafter the worship was begun in
several other villages of the region as well. Three individuals find
mention as having assisted the worship, an astrologer Movayi Kaniya
and two shamans, Anata Banna and Manat Maleya, who settled in
Arapattu, Podavada and Kirundad respectively. The Pattole Palame is a
compilation of the folk songs of Kodagu by Nadikerianda Chinnappa.
Published in Kannada in 1924, it was translated by his grandchildren
Bovverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa into English.
In
the past a folk hero Kayyandira Appayya of Arpattu and his
successors, chiefs of the Kayyandira and the Bidderianda families,
would wear the white Kuppya Chele and be carried in a palanquin to
the Arapattu Bhagwathy temple during this festival. The practise was
however stopped many years ago.
It
is said that once Kullachanda Chondayya of Ammathi was the undefeated
warrior champion of Kodagu. He received tribute obtained from the
regular share people gave to the village temples. But one day
Kayyandira Appayya, a young boy at that time, challenged him to a
duel. In this Appayya outwitted Chondayya by throwing mud into his
eyes. When the warrior was momentarily stunned, Appayya slew him.
Thereafter Kayyandira Appayya and his successors received the title
of Periya
Moli.
Published in the Spectrum, Deccan Herald, February 7th, 2017 (A unique temple festival)
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