International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) International Open Access Journal | www.ijtsrd.com ISSN No: 2456 - 6470 | Volume - 2 | Issue – 6 | Sep – Oct 2018 Re-reading Caste and Gender: A Stud y of the Rituals of Kodungallur Sri Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple of Kerala Mr. Sudheesh S Ms. Athira Prakash Research Scholar, Department of History , Assistant Professor, Department of English, Nesamony Memorial Christian College , SVR NSS College Vazhoor , Marthandam, Tamil Nadu, India Theerthapadapuram, Kerala , India ABSTRACT every society has a set of cultural value systems, by Every society has a set of cultural value systems, by which its members are socialized into a desirable code which its members are socialised into a desirable code of conduct which clearly distinguishes what an of conduct which clearly distinguishes what an individual is expected to do and what not. Such value individual is expected to do and what not. Such value systems later find expression in various rules and systems later find full fledged expression in various norms and are explained and expanded through social rules and norms an d are explained and expanded practices like rituals and rites. Hen ce social practices through rituals and rites. Ritual is a more or less in the form of myths and rituals do not simply refer to repeatable sequence of action units which, take on a private taste, but to assumptions by which certain symbolic dimension through formalization, groups exercise and maintain power over others. stylization, and their situation in place and time. On Those who manipulate and design the rituals, rites and the one hand, individuals and groups express their myths will have definite s et of objectives and they ideas and ideals, their mentalities and identities execute it and make them entrenched in the human through these rituals, on the other hand the rituals psyche in such a way that the powerless majority take shape, foster, and transform these ideas, mentalities it as natural and universal, hence not to be questioned and identities. The members of the upper strata of or changed. This often leads to social injustice, power hierarchy manip ulate and design the rituals, marginalisation and e xclusion of the vulnerable rites and myths in order to suit their needs and group. The paper is an attempt to read the sexual and preserve their power in such a way that the powerless caste politics, not only in the way it is designed but majority take it as natural and universal, hence not to also in the way it is received and got modified through be questioned or changed. This often leads to social ages. injustice, mar ginalisation and exclusion of the vulnerable group. The study focuses on the select Keyword: Gender, Caste, Sexual Politics, Cultural rituals and rites of the temple mainly that of Bharani Hegemony, class, caste festival. INTRODUCTION According to tradition, Sage Parasurama is said to Ritual studies is not a school, nor is it a theory or a have established Temples by raging the land of Kerala method; it is a multi- or interdisciplinary platform for from Sea throwing his battle axe. He further built 108 the academic, critical, and systematic study of ritual.It temples in this region. Kerala Mahatmyam, a great initially combined the fields of religious studies, book which deals with history of Kerala discusses that anthropology, liturgical studies, and theatre studies. God Vishnu instructed Parasurama to establish Later it has got wider political and cultural numerous temples all over the region and to install implications as the impact of rituals and myths is very different deities in them. According to another belief, much get reflected in the way people think, live and the temple was built by Charan Chenguttavan, the behave themselves. brother of Elango Adigal who wrote the monumental work 'Shilappadikaram' residing at Kodungallur. @ IJTSRD | Available Online @ www.ijtsrd.com | Volume – 2 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2018 Page: 1154 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456 -6470 However,the beginning of the Kodungallur temple is opined that it was in 8th C A.D. The modern shrouded in antiquity. It is also believed that the historians opined that one cannot assume that they temple was built to commemorate the martyrdom have come to Kerala as a big settlement g roup rather of Kannakis in the Sangam age. During the reign of than they came as small groups in different times and Kulasekhara dynasty, Kodungallur was the capital settled in various places. There are references of of Kerala and one of the most important parts of the Brahmins in Kerala in Sangam literature. regio n. There is a good number of records available describing the unique rituals and rites of the temple, Brahmins had known about Kerala through the trade but there are hardly any work detailing the hidden and commerce of those days between North and S outh agenda behind every ritual and there by exposing the India. Once they reached to Kerala, Brahminism class, caste and gender politics associated with i t. could not flourish like the North Indian Brahmanism/Vedic tradition in Kerala. In The temple is dedicated to goddess Bhadarakali and is pazhamtamil literature, they are mentioned as fondly called as "Kodungallooramma " by devotees. It Anthanar and their main duty was to conduct yagas is one of the famous devi temples in Kerala. This city and other Vedic rituals fo r Cheras.6 Brahmins gave was also the capital of Cheraman Perumals, during the ideological support and justification of the 7th century. During the rule of the Chera dynasty, administration of the Chera kings. As remuneration, Kodungallur was a great emporium of trade even they got land and other valuable things from the king. before the dawn of Christian era. It was the centre of Then the Brahmins became a strong socio economic trade and commerce with foreigners like Jews, power. The other classes such as Panar (Bards of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs. It had direct Nayar community), Vedar (local tribe) and Kuravar trade links with countries like Egypt, S yria and the (local tribe) who were getting help from the king were Middle East countries. The city used to export a large sidelined and downgraded their position to the lower quantity of spices, like pepper, to different countries. strata of society. Muziris is a well-known port city in Kodungallur. Neither the history of Kodungallur nor the study of Jains and the Buddhists in Kerala were basically rituals of Kodungallur temple would be complete and traders. When the land trade stagnated, the Jain meaningful without mentioning the socio political and centers where the temples are kept alive by the cultural changes emerged in the society. donations from the caravans, lost their prosperity. Gradually the temples must have deserted and some Though Prof Elamkulam made the first attempt to of them were taken over by the Brahmins and turned unravel the major issues related to Kerala History, them to Hindu t emples. Similarly , in the Buddhist nothing he mentioned about common pe ople, centers on the sea shore which were obviously the settlements, markets, network of sacred groves, offshoot of the trade with Sri Lanka seemed to have family systems, customs and manners of the dark suffered from the cola imperial wars of 11 th 12 th and periods from 300 AD to 800 AD.he confesses that 13 th century .Moreover, the Brahmin settlement in there is no valid evidences found to do it. Later it was Kerala and the conflicts within the Buddhist and Jain MGS who started investigation and analysed histor y philosophy also gave rise to the decline of these two of Kerala. These two great historians inspired N M creeds. Namboothiri to explore history of Kerala based on toponymycal data. It was taken up to understand the The Kodungallur Bharani festival is one of the most social and cultural history of Malayala Naatu and unique rituals in Kerala. For years, it w as one of the these studies are generally termed as Janapadanam or only temples that allowed lower castes entry into the settlement studies. temple premises. This was one of the earliest temple festivals with a predominantly lower caste crowd It was in the 3 rd cetury BC that the Budhist and Jains including vannans, mannans and pulayas. During the reached kerala. Even though there is no unanimous kavu teendal ceremony of the festiv al, devotees from opinion among historians regarding the exact date of the lower caste communities sing songs composed of Brahmin migration to Kerala many considered it as abusive terms, expletives and explicit reference to the continuation f the Budhist Jains settlement. female sexual organs. V T Induchoodan has rightly According to K.P Padmanabha Menon, the Brahmins pointed out this ritual as an earlier form of dalit reached in 3rd C A.D, where as William Logan performance. @ IJTSRD | Available Online @ www.ijtsrd.com | Volume – 2 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2018 Page: 1155 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456 -6470 During the kavu teendal ceremony of the festival, heroine of the famous Cilappatikaram . Legend has it devotees from the lower caste communities were that Kannagi and her husband Kovalan , lived in allowed to participate. The temple receives an Madurai. Kovalan spent most of his time with a local additional act of pollution by the touch of the Palakkal courtesan. However, after he lost all his money, Velan (a desecrating priest), and devotees of most Kovalan returned to Kannagi and asked her for help. levels of society thro w offerings over the walls Kannagi , the virtuous wife, gave him her anklet to simultaneously.