Why people in Tulu Nadu return to pray to Bhootas each year in February

Come mid-February, which corresponds with the Tulu month Maayi, and the hustle and bustle in coastal districts of Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, begins to rise. Bus and train stations get busier than is usual, while villages start swelling with people who had left them in search of better livelihoods. It is in Maayi that people are drawn to their Bhoota Illu (house of Bhoota) for Daivaradhane (worship of Daivas) in honour of the family deity, who stay back at the family homes in remote villages as people move to far away cities. The distance notwithstanding, the ties with the Daivas, considered to be the provider and protector, stand strong, drawing people back to the deity each year.

“I attended the Daivaradhane and performed the Bhoota rituals on Monday [February 13] at my maternal ancestral home at Bantwala in South Kanara district. I make the return journey to Bantwala every year since I firmly believe in the power of my family deity Kallurti,” Narayan Uppiyan, who works as a software engineer in Bengaluru, told The Federal.

The Tuluvas practice a matrilineal system, which traces kinship through the female line. Culturally, Tuluvas are happier having daughters than sons. A famous saying that captures the sentiment prevalent in the region goes like this, “If a daughter is born, the family grows; but if a son is born, the family will not continue further.”

A direct bearing of the culture is seen in the fact that children return to their Taravadu (matrilineal house) to offer prayers to Bhoota, the family deity, and the deity of their mother’s house is their Bhoota Illu.

Daiva worship as a belief is prevalent in several parts of the coastal districts of Karnataka and some parts of Kasaragod in Kerala, the region that loosely constitutes Tulu Nadu, home to Tulu-speaking people. The age-old belief involves worshipping the powers believed to be gods for centuries, including Kallurti Daiva and Panjurli Daiva, as family deities.

Tulu Nadu is distinct from the rest of India in terms of social practices. The 10th century inscriptions found in the coastal districts, called Jayasimha’s inscription describes the matru moola (mother-centric) system. A distinctive social system, which rises from the matru moola system, that is characteristic of Tulu Nadu is Aliya Kalltu in which the son-in-law moves into the house of wife’s mother. Under this system, the daughter has all powers over land and property, and her husband lives with her family. The nuclearisation of families has now given way to a system in which the daughter and son-in-law stay on their own but both join the Bhoota rituals at the wife’s house. The practice is followed in all Tulu communities including Bunts, Moolya, Moily, Billavas and Sapalyas.

Why February is important

Every Sankranti (transmigration of the Sun from one zodiac to another) falls in the middle of the Gregorian month, which means the 14th day. The new Tulu month, however, starts after Sankranti.

The Tulu months thus overlap months as per Gregorian calendar – Paggu (April-May), Besa (May-June), Kartel (June-July), Aati (July-August), Sona (August-September), Nirnal (September-October), Bonthel (October-November), Jarde (November-December), Perarde (December-January), Puyinthel (January-February), Maayi (February-March) and Suggi (March-April).

For Tuluvas, Maayi is important as it marks the end of the agricultural year. The agricultural cycle of Tulu Nadu is divided into Enelu, Suggi and Kolake. Enelu heralds growing of paddy when monsoon starts at the end of May and ends around August.

Suggi corresponds with the paddy growing months which start after Diwali and end by March-April. On April 14, the Suggi month ends with Tuluvas celebrating Bisu, which marks the agricultural new year. The 10-day celebrations of Bisu end marking Pattanaje, which also means the end of all celebrations till Diwali.

So, religious and cultural activities start with Diwali and last till Pattanaje. While agricultural activities happen between the Tulu months of Besa to Suggi, Maayi assumes importance marking the harvest season and temporary halt of agricultural activities. This is when the religious and cultural activities must start getting wrapped up. And so families get together at their matrilineal homes for Daivaradhane.

Why is Bhoota important?

There is no person without a Taravadu in the Tulu-speaking area of Tulu Nadu. All Taravadu’s have their Bhootas. From birth to death, Taravadu is central to a person’s existence. Even if the elders think about the marriage of their daughter or son, they perform the Bhoota rituals and ask permission from the deity.

These houses are known by different names in the region, including Taravadu, Budu, Janananda, Talamane, Kattamane, Barike, Guthus, Garadi mane, Bhandara houses, Bontramanes. The family deity is critical for all important matters. Even family disputes or clashes between the members are solved by performing Daivaradhane in the presence of moolyanna. The moolyanna are people who perform the rituals and act as the interpreter between the deity and the people by conveying the ‘deity’s wish’ on all matters.

Interestingly, all people sharing the same matrilineal link come under one ‘Bari’ system. Tulu tradition has around 64 Baris by some estimates. Members of the same Bari have one Taravadu where Daivaradhane is performed. Men and women belonging to the same Bari cannot marry each other since they are considered siblings.

Kallurti-Panjurli

Though about 400-plus bhootas are worshipped across Tulu Nadu, the most revered and feared ones are Kallurti-Panjurli and Rahu-Guliga, who are found in most family homes.

“The legend of Kallurti is a rather tragic one. It is said Kallurti, a female Daiva, went looking for her brother Kalkuda, after he did not return from work. Kalkudu had carved the monolithic statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali and impressed with his work Shantara king Bairarasu ordered him to carve such statues for him too. When Kalkudu refused, the king severed his arms and legs.

When Kallurti found her brother in that state, both decided to commit suicide to get the powers that spirits are believed to have and extract revenge upon the king.
Later, both became Daivas to protect innocent and honest people,” said Dr Madhava MK, head of Tulu Peeta at Mangalore University.

Panjurli, on the other hand, is believed to have incarnated when the first crop grew, and is thus revered by agricultural communities.

Daivaradhane

The rituals generally start at Taravadu with a bunch of bananas.

“The rituals start 10 days after they place a tender banana bunch and start counting the days to the arrival of all family members to begin Daivaradhane. The bananas are used in the rituals,” Shankar Kunjattur, a researcher, said.

On the day of Daivaradhane, a mudipu (a miniature temple in which the Bhoota is seated) is prepared. Only one mudipu is set for the entire family. The mudipu is placed in front of a tulsi plant, next to which rice is spread over a banana leaf. People are expected to offer money.

There is a belief that if a person does not offer money at the mudipu, he is not eligible to be a member of the family. So Tuluvas keep reserve money as ‘mudipu offering’ in a small clay pot after collecting coins from every member. “After the rituals, the mudipu is tied to the roof of the house,” Kunjattur said.

The Daivada kone (room of the spirit) is where the family deities are worshipped. On a wooden seat (mancha), metal masks or idols of the deities and ritualistic items like swords, bronze pots, and metal vessels are placed for worship in this room. The family members decorate the mancha and idols with kepala flowers (red ixora), which is believed a favourite of the deities, apart from other flowers such as jasmine.

Later, panivara – paddy puffed rice, jaggery, areca nut and other such things – is kept in the mancha. Worshippers of Kallurti Boota, offer a hen, which is called ‘laaki’ in Tulu, while those who believe in Panjurli, offer a cockerel as sacrifice.

A rooster is offered outside the house to the Rahu deity. People also place toddy in small mud pots to please the Daivas. The rituals happen in the evening and once the rituals are completed, people pray for their well-being. The moolyanna, who represents the Daiva, clears the doubts and solves the issues being faced by people. At the end of the day, the family dines together.

“Daivaradhane is an agricultural and cultural tradition. These days, people have become more religious and so they make it a point to gather at Taravadu for the rituals, even if it is only for a day. Even people who live abroad come and join the rituals these days. Though it was a rural tradition, people who have risen to be officers and professionals in cities come to attend the pooja and pray. It is interesting to see women wear sarees and men wear lungis with a shawl rolled over their heads in a bid to keep the traditions alive, said professor Na Da Shetty, a scholar and retired HOD of Kannada department of St Aloysius College.