Captions: The book cover; author K. Hari Kumar; a Kola dancer
Best-selling author K Hari Kumar has written an eye-opening and engaging book about the folk practises in Tulu Nadu, South India
By Shevlin Sebastian
K Harikumar received an invitation to take part in a podcast in Mumbai in 2022. It was a time when Hari, a Pune-based best-selling author, was at a low ebb. Hari’s instinctive reaction was to avoid taking part in the podcast. But he changed his mind.
During the podcast, the host probed his origins in Tulu Nadu. And he ended up talking about the tradition of spirit worship in that area. Tulu Nadu comprises the regions of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi (Karnataka) and Kasaragod (Kerala). In Indian mythology, this area is said to be part of the Parashurama Kshetra and is steeped in legends and folklore.
After the podcast, Hari went into a restaurant to have an idli and sambhar. To his surprise, a familiar visage greeted him from behind the cashier’s desk. It was a framed photograph of Kateel’s Durgaparameshwari. ‘This was no ordinary picture of any goddess. She was the presiding deity of the very place I had discussed in the podcast,’ wrote Hari.
He took this as an omen. Thereafter, Hari embarked on writing the book, ‘Daiva – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship’.
The 245-page book, released on May 13, has a blurb by bestselling author Amish Tripathi.
‘To read Daiva is to experience a world that few from modern urban India have access to. It is to immerse oneself in the realm of spirit worship, which comes to life through Hari’s tireless research and spellbinding wordcraft.’
Indeed, it is a unique book. Perhaps, for the first time in recent history, the book highlights the language and beliefs of the people of Tulu Nadu.
In the early part of the book, Hari delves in detail about the history, culture, language and the customs of these little-known people.
He states that daivas is a Sanskrit word, relating to gods, caused by or coming from gods, divine or celestial. ‘According to some scholars and experts, daivas are those spirits which have originated from divine sources or from prakriti (primordial creative source),’ wrote Hari.
In most Tulu households there is a room where the deities are revered. Sometimes, a large wooden plank hangs from the ceiling. This is used as a cot for the deities. In the village, there is a sthana, a small hut or concrete structure, where people gather for a communal prayer.
Hari asks a question: ‘What if, in the world we inhabit, there exists a realm beyond our limited perception — a domain where spirits of various kinds dwell? Here, one might encounter the daivas, the bhutas, the ganas, the maatrs, the grahas, minor supernatural entities, and even the restless pretas. The notion that these otherworld beings, both benevolent and malevolent, roam amongst us unseen is a deeply rooted belief. It is a belief that holds sway over the people of Tulu Nadu as well, a belief that is old as time itself.’
However, since the spirit is intangible, and beyond human perception, there is a belief that during the time of a kola dance, the spirit joins the physical body of the dancer, who falls into a trance, and communicates with the people.
As Hari met people and did research on the deities, many told him that the spirits send omens. He had an experience himself. Once when he was in his aunt Shashi’s house, a neighbour came and spoke about a powerful female deity called Thannimaaniga.
A group of people came seeking donations for an upcoming kola. Hari discovered that one of them was a ‘mukkaldi’, an officiator who held a special position in the kola ritual.
Hari asked about the daivas who were involved in the kola. To his surprise, the man mentioned the name of Thannimaaniga. Hari wrote, ‘Was that merely a coincidence or a sign from the spirits themselves? I wondered whether spirit deities might be omnipresent, like the people believed, silently observing and foreseeing every unfolding plan that eludes our awareness? Did their subtle messages manifest as omens?’
Hari writes in specific detail about the kola ritual: the importance of bananas, and the purification of the land, which includes tilling the soil, levelling the land and using cow dung. ‘Cow dung is a revered agent of purification in the region’s ancient customs,’ wrote Hari.
The sacred area where the dance is going to take place has natural decorations like mango leaf garlands, coconuts as well as tender leaves of coconuts. For luck, a bunch of bananas hang in front of the performance arena.
The dancer wears a skirt comprising the leaves of the coconut palm. He also wears a headdress called ani, and a face mask made of areca leaf sheaths.
During the preparation for the dance, the artist passionately strikes a steel plate against their head. This results in a deformation of the vessel. ‘I have felt a profound sense of energy in the atmosphere, stirring deep emotions,’ wrote Hari.
When the artist starts dancing, in rhythmic movements and accompanied by music, within a matter of time, he gets possessed. Soon, he experiences an altered state of consciousness and starts uttering words. ‘During this period, the spirit is believed to impart wisdom, resolving conflicts and providing answers to the questions posed by the assembled devotees,’ wrote Hari.
Once you get into the atmosphere of the book, each page is an eye-opener.
The second half of the book is about folk tales about the daivas and heroes from Tulu Nadu. The tales had been passed orally from generation to generation. So, it keeps changing or as Hari said, over time, these stories would naturally evolve and be adapted to suit the cultural, social and political contexts of the communities in which they were told.
Here is one tale:
There was a boar who was dark at night and a sow who was very fair. They sought the blessings of Subbaramanya, the lord of snakes. The Lord blessed them and said, “You may now become husband and wife.”
While they descended from the ghats, the sow became pregnant. By the time they arrived in the plains, the sow was seven months pregnant. She craved yams. The boar got it by destroying crops and gardens.
Eventually, the sow gave birth to a few piglets. One night, the couple wandered into the garden of Ishvara and wreaked havoc upon the flowers and the creepers.
A furious Ishvara asked, “Who committed this heinous act?”
The attendants searched all over the forest, saw the sleeping boar and sow and killed them. When Ishvara noticed the piglets, he asked them to bring them to him. Feeling pity, he gave it to Parvati and asked her to look after them. The childless Parvati nurtured them with great love and care.
But when these piglets grew up, owing to their innate nature, they ravaged Ishvara’s garden. Ishvara cursed them and was going to destroy them when a sorrowful Parvati begged her husband not to do so.
A mollified Ishvara said they would ascend to the spirit realm as Panjurli. And from there they can descend to earth, seeking tribute from the people who live there.
Hari’s skill as a storyteller is on full display in this section.
Overall, this is an important book. And on a subject that few people know about.
As an author, Hari has put in a lot of hard work. Over several months, he visited about 30 villages and towns in Tulu Nadu. Hari stayed for a few days in some places. He observed the rituals first-hand. He interacted with a host of people and meticulously took notes.
Hari also read a few books on the subject but did admit books in English were only about five. But he got important archival material from British civil servant AC Burnell, who was a scholar in Sanskrit and Dravidian languages. Burnell published a book on the Tulavas in 1879. He also read up on research papers on the subject in India and abroad. Thereafter, he sat down to write.
Little did he realise that after completing the first draft, he would rewrite it numerous times in order to satisfy himself. It has been a labour of love. After all, he was writing about his homeland. And readers have responded positively. The book has become a best-seller.
(Published in kitaab.org – Singapore)
Book Details:
Title: ‘Daiva’ – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship
Author: K Hari Kumar
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 245
Price: Rs 399
No comments:
Post a Comment