Kāma Worships of Northern Kerala: in a Women Centered Ritualistic Perspective

ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 KĀMA WORSHIPS OF NORTHERN KERALA: IN A WOMEN CENTERED RITUALISTIC PERSPECTIVE 1Anju M, Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of History, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem- 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. Email – [email protected] 2 *Dr. C. Jeya Veera Devan, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem-636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. -------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------- -------------------- Abstract Kāma worships is one among the important ritual festival. The centre of this worship mainly in Northern Kerala. One of the important specialty of this festival is the involvement of the female participants. This Kāma worships is otherwise called as Poorothsavam, and which is very distinct from other ritual practice of northern Kerala. Thus so there have been many studies that prevailed in the area of Kāma worships of northern Kerala. But here in this, the study focuses on the women representation in it. And it also tries to study in a women-centered point of view. In other words, the paper tries to enquire about the role of women in Kāma worships and how they are involved in it? Why they are chosen for this ritual? The reason to celebrate this ritual as a traditional ceremony, the mythological relevance of this ritual in the traditional Kerala culture, and how this is regarding to the concept of fertility? These questions are analyzed in detail in this paper. Keywords: Kāma worships of Northern Kerala, Ritual activities, Female participations, Lore of a Community, Cultural/Ritualistic background of Norther Kerala, the Fertility concept. Introduction Kāma worships is one of the rare ritual practice exists only in northern part of Kerala. In reality who is Kāma? Why people worshiping him through the ritual practice? and what is his duty towards the society? According to Indian Hindu mythology, Kāma is the god of love, desire, affection, lust. So He is seen as a symbol of lust and love. His duty is to produce love, which means makes love in nature and this can cause the production. Thus according to Hindu beliefs, there is no love unless there is Kāma. Thus, the village folk worship him for the fertility and preserve generations. This is the main intention of this Volome 8, Issue 11, November 2019 735 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 ritual practice. Therefore, in this study are going to examine the women's participation in it, how the ritual exists through the female participants? The relevance of the myths etc. Women in Kāma Worships The discussion primarily focuses on Kāma worships and its specialty? If we analyze this ritual in detail one could easily understand the facts behind this particular ritual. E Unnikrishnan categorized this ritual as a spring festival and then he called it a women’s festival as well.i But Dr: Sanjeevan Azhikode said that this is the festival of Apushpinikal girls who are not menstruated).ii The more acceptable and relevant term is Apushpinikal than using the term ‘women’s festival’. It is because of the main performer or participant of the Kāma (cupid) worshipers is girls especially who are not menstruated. But the term women festival can be interpreted in different dimension since it is different from the other performance like Thiruvathirakkali, Oppana, Margam Kali, Charadupinnikkali, (These are various kinds of women performance) etc. Because these are commonly classified as Women Festivals. Here the performer is women, not the girls who are not menstruated. Therefore, the Kāma worships in northern Kerala cannot be called the women festivals rather it is the festivals of Apushpinikal (girls who are not menstruated). Hence, if they are Pushpinikal (girls in puberty) or Apushpinikal, both of them belong to the same category by birth. So this study is focusing on the representation of women in Kāma worships ritual practice of northern Kerala especially. Besides, this Kāma worship of northern Kerala is also known as Pooram festivals. It’s a very rare festival and it’s a festival of fertility. When we go through these, there can see many symbols related to the fertility and ritual for reproduction, etc. This is the nine-day festival beginning with the Malayalam zodiac Karthika to Pooram in the Malayalam month of Meenam. There are four types of fasting for this ritual like Kathipooram, Kathirpooram, vappunliyam, Pooppunaliyam, these are mentioned in The Makkam thottam of theyyam (God’s dance/ a ritualistic dance performance). Here the girl is named as Makkam. She asks her mother which type of fasting is suitable for her. The lines of Makkam thottam (Malayalam ritual song) is given below, “Nālayallamme Pooram Nōmbu Nōlkkēndathum, Kathippooramo Kathirpūramo Nōlkkēndathum, Volome 8, Issue 11, November 2019 736 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 Vāppunaliyamo Pūppunaliyamo Nōlkkēndathum? Vāppunaliyamenna Pooram Nī Eduthāl Vāyile Pallinum- Mudiyazhakum Kurayum, Pūppunaliyamenn Pooram Nī Nōttālātho- Puruusha Gunamallathe Puthra Gunamundāvūlā Kathirpūram Ēzhu Pūvum Kanjiyumanallo, Kathipooram Onpathu Poovum Kanjiyumanallo Nammalkkazhakiya Kathippooram Nī Nōttokuttī”.” By the above lines, we could understand that Kathippooram is good. The unwritten rule of Kathippooram is that the person must take nine days of fasting i.e., from asterism Karthika to Pooram. This produced a strong effect. These nine days of fasting remarks on the connection between women and reproduction. They took nine months for delivering a child, the same phenomena happening here also. After the nine days of fasting, they rejuvenate Kāmadevan. The nine days of fasting comes from the nine- month processes of delivering a child. This shows how much the women are involved in it. But the other fasting ceremonies are different from each other. This Kathirpooram celebrated by the seven days of fasting from Malayalam asterism Makayiryam to Pooram. And Vāppunliyam is five days(asterism), from Punartham to Pooyam, the last one is Pūppunaliyam is three days, beginning from Pooyam to Pooram. The features of Vāppunaliyam is, loss of teeth and hair, so the majority of them are not ready to take this fast. And the importance of Pūppunaliyam is very good for the husband but at the same time, it becomes harmful for sons. These are different fasting norms in Kāma worships. They used particular flowers for this worships are, Jadayanpoovu (a kind of regional flower in Northern Kerala), Erikk (The madder plant), Murikk (Erythrina Indica), Pala (The tree ‘Alstonia Scholaris’), Chambakam (The flower tree Michelia Chempaka), etc. Thus keeping these perfect orders, they worshiped Kāma and revitalized. Here the remarkable thing is that, for the incarnation of Kāmadevan (The Hindu god of desire), girl child was chosen by the patriarchal society through breaking the so-called norms makes by them. That is, usually, women are expelled from worships and rituals based on gender division. And the society denies the entry of women without providing them complete freedom in the rituals and ceremonies by pointing to their impurity. Here unnecessary beliefs and restrictions are not imposed on Volome 8, Issue 11, November 2019 737 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 women. So this becomes relevant on the basis that women represented the main role in the patriarchal society. Then the next step of this study is, to enquire about their involvement and how these are practiced by the girl child (Apushpinikal)? During the occasion of Pooram festival or Kāma worships the girls who take fast wake up in the early morning and bath to be fresh and pure. An after that they worship the idol that they have molded at their houses, using particular flowers named Pala, Chembakam, etc. They do not consume anything before they performed ritual. Moreover, Chandrolsavam also gives a reference to the Pooram festivals which exist in northern Kerala. The following lines prove this, “Pooram Kulikka Puruhōtha Vathu Uvathāra- Vindham Bajikka Kathir Vāduka, Nōmbu Nōlkka- Bhadhadaram Ganapathikkidu Ketrivannam Mugdhā Dinagale Nināya Manōharānghi”.iii Here there is an opinion regarding Chandrolsavam. The concept of Chandrolsavam is originated from Kāma worships.iv And here the word Pooram Kulikka, Kathirvāduka, Nōmbunōlkkuka which denotes Kāma worships exists in Kerala. Besides, the important day for the fast is Makam. Thus the day is known as Kāmanārmakam.v Because the day is known as rejuvenating day of Kāmadēvan that means, celebrating as the birthday. This is the final stage of the fast on this day they prepared and offered special types of food like Poorakanji (Rice- gruel regard to pooram) and Poora ada (a kind of flour- cake) to Kāmadēvan. And the Poorakunjungal, the girls who took fast were carried the idol from their houses to jack tree and left this with prayers and song, in the Makkam thottam also gives some references to the valediction of Kāma, is given below. Pōvum Kālam Nērathe Kālathe Podē Kāmā Varunna Kālam Nerathē Kālathe Varenē Kamā Kunjimagalath Āratt Kānan Varenē Kamā Pokūlum Pōkallu Thekkan Dikkilu, Īnthada Chuttu Thannu Chadikkum Kamā Īntholapanthalil Ninne Ākku Kamā.vi Volome 8, Issue 11, November 2019 738 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 These lines show, how much they care and love Kāmadēvan, i.e., they treat him in a good manner and tell to him If you are going, start early at the apposite time, and When you are coming again, come back early at the apposite time, and also invite him for to watch Kunjimangalam āratt (Festival of Kunjimangalam). Moreover, caution him not to visit the southern part, they are not well persons and definitely, they will cheat him through gives some foods so don’t go there. Thus, like these, the ritual practice still exists in northern Kerala. This study already discussed the role of women in Kāma worships how they are involved in it and the customs of this ritual etc.

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