Tula Sankramana and Kodavas

Above : Talacauvery, the site of River Cauvery's Birth.

On October 18^th was the Festival of Tula Sankaramana, the celebration of the Birth of the River Cauvery. Cauvery(also spelled Kaveri) is considered as one of the seven sacred rivers in Hinduism, the others being Ganga(or Ganges), Yamuna(or Jamuna), Godavari, Saraswati(the one that has dried up flowing in the Rann of Kutch), Narmada and Sindu(Indus). It is a festival of great importance to the Kodavas, the people from a small district of Kodagu or Coorg in the state of Karnataka in India. On this day, every year, the river is said to spring forth at the Holy Place, Talacauvery, in the Brahmagiri hill of the Western Ghats. On this day, people flock to Talacauvery for it is believed that a dip in her waters, at the time of her birth will wash away any "Bad" Karma they earned.

Below is the view of the Mountains from Talacauvery

There are many different versions of how Kaveri came to Being. Let me share with you the story I was told. In the hills of Sahyadri in the western ghats , a Brahmin named Kavera lived with his wife. Many years into their marriage they did not have any children. Kavera decided that he would appease Brahma(yes, there was a time when Brahma the creator was worshipped) with severe penance so that he would be granted a child. His penance was so powerful that it created great heat in the three worlds and a great fire was born spreading into the three worlds(according to lore, there was nether world, the heavens and the earth) . All the Gods were terrified and asked Brahma to visit Kavera before everything became Ash. Brahma visited Kavera and granted him a child named Lopamudra. She was the Earth incarnate. When she came of age, Sage Agastya was smitten by her beauty and asked her to be his wife. She became his wife on the condition that he should will never leave her without her knowledge. Agastya used to travel a lot, taking disciples along the way. Of course Agastya being the sage he is found a way to circumvent the promise. Everytime he wanted to go anywhere, he could transform Lopamudra into water and take her in his Kamandala(a vessel for carrying water). This angered Lopamundra. One day, while Agastya was atop the Brahmagiri hills, he placed the kamandala on the ground to take a rest. This was Lopamudra's chance to punish him for not keeping his word, she tipped the kamandala and flowed out. Giving up her human form, she became and remained the waters that nourished the land.

I belong to that group of people who worship the River. Traditionally, on the eve of the festival, every nook of the home and surroundings are cleaned in anticipation of Mother's birth. On the day, my mother used to prepare a Kalash(a Brass pot with holy water in it) as a representation of the Goddess, decorate it with flowers, clothing, black, green and red glass bangles and jewelry, placing it on a plate filled with raw rice. Lamps were lit after the entire family has gathered and everyone takes the blessings of the Goddess by bowing their heads and touching her feet. After this the young ones in the clan pay obeisance to the elders in the family starting with the oldest in the clan. They touch the elders feet and seek their blessing. It is believed, that blessings received from elders, on this day comes to fruition.

Now for a little history of Coorg and its people-In the past, Coorg, has seen many dynasties ruling its different parts at different times. The most commonly accepted version of history is that the northern part Coorg was ruled by the Kadambas from 2^nd century to 6th century. The Southern parts were in the hands of Gangas from 4th century to 11th century. The Changalva Kings were the representative administrators for this region for both the Dynasties. In the 11^th century the Cholas overthrew the Gangas and t were the rulers of all of Coorg. In the 12^th century the Hoysalas defeated the Cholas and Coorg was their territory. Changalvas accepted the supremacy Of Hoysalas from 14th to 16th century. The next dynasty to rule the region was the Nayakas, who later paved the way to the Haleri Rajas till 1834. Hyder and Tippu Sultan did have temporary control of this region in the years 1780-89. In 1834 the British took over Coorg. They imprisoned the last ruler Chikkaveera Rajendra. Some locals believe that the British were invited by the Kodava(as the people of Coorg are known) noblemen to remove Chikkaveera from Kingship, as he was a despot with numerous vices and had angered them with his abuse of power. It is also believed that the British were very impressed with the courage and confident attitude of the Kodavas that they had granted some sort of autonomy to the region of Coorg. After India gained Independence in 1947, Coorg was made into a state but in 1956, during a reorganization of states, Coorg was made a district of Karnataka.

Kodagu, has a curious mix of peoples. It is known as the Land of the Kodavas, a group of people who belong to a warrior class, very distinct in their facial features, customs, traditions and attire compared with the other south Indian People. It also has other tribals like the Erravas, Kurubas, Banna and Kudiyas. The traditional attire of the Kodava women is the sari worn such that the pleats go behind and the edge pulled over the right shoulder. A head scarf is worn that is tied at the nape of the neck. It looks like the picture below.

The men wear long black overcoats over white shirts, usually with a short pant(not something that goes all the way to the ankles as it is done today)with silk shashes at the waist into which is tucked a dagger. A White turban with gold edges worn on the head. They look like the picture below.

No one really knows the origin of the Kodavas but everyone knows and acknowledges that they are different. They are known for their courage, hospitality and stoicism. Most every Kodava family has someone in the Military/Air/Navy force. The most famous among the Military Sons are Field Marshal Kariappa and General Thimayya. Kodavas are also known in the field of sports, their sport of preference being Field Hockey. Now they have their own Kodava Hockey Tournaments that are conducted every year by the clans, with each clan having their own team. I think it has become a record of a kind

The Kodavas are an anthropological puzzle. There are theories on their origins but none are backed up with facts(so I think its speculation, I could be wrong). Some say that they are the descendants of the soldiers from Alexander's Army. It is said that these Greeks fled to the south after they were overthrown by a rebellion in Punjab long after Alexander's death. They settled in the hills of the Western Ghats and married the local women, forming martial communities of their own. Others say that the Kodavas are the descendants of a band of Kurds from the Yemen/Oman/Kurdistan/Iraq region who fled to India to escape forceful conversions by the sword, to Islam. Still others say that they are Rajput/Scythian soldiers who fled the NW frontier during the Mughal Invasions.

Whatever their origins, today, they consider themselves Hindus. All their festivals are associated with Ancestors, Nature, Agriculture and Weapons. Their Main God is called Igathappa, a local name for Shiva and Choundi, local name of Chamundi/Parvathi. They are the only group of people in India who can own firearms without a license(by a special provision) and probably the only Hindus who don't have- priests presiding over the important sacraments in their lifetimes, dowry system or a taboo on widow re-marrying. Every occasion is presided by the Clan Elder(a position of respect). Their Language is a dialect with a mix of words from Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Tulu along with a few foreign words that have no resemblance to any of the above. It is called Kodava tak. There are two variations in the Dialect depending on where the speaker is from. North Kodagu and South Kodagu have variations in the words used but most Kodavas do switch from one to the other with ease. Recently there has been talk of developing a script to for the Dialect, although it is doubtful that the people will adopt it.

If anyone asked me what are the things associated with Kodavas, I would have to answer- rifle, armed forces, wine, tiger weddings(this used to be part of tradition but now to find a tiger itself is a puzzle) Pork curry, steamed rice balls(Kadumbote), Coffee, Paddy, cardamom, oranges, pepper, field hockey, not necessarily in that order J. With that I will sign off.

Peace,

Mithuna