Bootha Kola

                                         Bootha Kola

  

Bootha Kola or Devil Worship  also known as the worship of Daivas or Bhootas or Demi-Gods, is an ancient ritual prevalent among the Tulu speaking community in the Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and in kasargod taluk of kerala,which is collectively referred to as Tulu Nadu. While in Kerala is celebrated as Theyyam.

The coastal Karnataka is known for two great art forms, namely Bhuta Kola, a highly stylized version of the ritual dance of the spirit impersonator and a fine tradition of Yakshagana, creating a world of divine and supernatural beings with all the paraphernalia costumes, make-ups, music, dance, and dialogue.

In ancient world too, people regarded some of the Gods as being too extreme and strict. However, pleasing the God on one hand brought a lot of propserity and  on another hand hurting the sentiments of the God brought calamities. The above concept could still be seen in modern Indian believes. where the planet saturn is believed in the same way like a careful mother. When the child commits mistake, he is given punishment but when he is obeying, he gets a lot of love. By then, Vedas and Upnishads had begun taking shapes and the extreme influence of the spirit or the Gods can be referred from there.

  History of bhootha kola:

This tradition dates back to 700-800 BC coinciding with the immigration of the Early Tulu tribes who introduced the initial cults of Bermer (also pronounced as ‘Birmer’ or ‘Bermeru’) and Panjurli. Bhuta Kola in Mangalore is a form of spirit dance that is performed by the people of Mangalore from December to January. Although, the origin of the Bhuta Kola of Mangalore is unknown; yet, Bhuta Kola seems to be an inevitable part of the socio-cultural life of Mangalore. Moreover, the ‘bhutas’ or the spirits worshiped during the festival are believed to be the guardians of the village, who protect the villagers as well as their livestock from the evil forces. In fact, the spirits that are worshiped by the villagers are considered to be the attendants of Lord Shiva. It is noteworthy in this context that the ‘Kola’ is a kind of Bhuta worship that includes devotion, inspiration and entertainment.

Relevance of bhootha kola with History:

The caste system had by then been formed in India. Today, scheduled caste/ scheduled tribe are seen performing the auspicious occasion provides a gauzy bearing of that. The Bhuta Kola at Mangalore is an annual festival that takes place in different stages. The festival begins with the cutting of plantain and is followed by a cock fight, the coming of ‘Bhandara’, flag hoisting, an informal invitation, putting on the makeup, wearing the Gaggara, etc. During the ceremony, the people of Mangalore sing a typical song, known as ‘Pad-danas’. These songs are narrative epics that narrate the genesis and proliferation of the Bhuta cult. Thus, as it is evident, the Bhuta Kola at Mangalore lies at the core of the village life. 

The Bhuta Kola largely adheres to the religious sentiments of the rural community of Mangalore. In a way, the Bhuta Kola serves as a forum that celebrates the community life.

Daivas (or) Boothas :

Daiva or Bootha refer to a class of supernatural spirits and kola refers to a ceremony for the Bootha, the further understanding is that “a Bootha Kola is performed to appease and solicit assistance from the spirit(s) remaining an ancient ritual of spirit worship. Such ritual forms of worship remain as ancient practices intended for the blessings of the supernatural. These Daivas are generally kept in the form of idols in the Daivasana. Some of the prominent Daivas are Jumadi, Jumadi Bhanta,  Kallurti, Kalkuda, Guliga and Panjurli.

Daivas are utmost sincere in fulfilling the prayers but at the same time they should be worshipped and treated with utmost care and respect. Their wrath is meant to be very dangerous if they get hurt in anyway. On the other hand they will protect and bless the place and people where they are worshipped and honoured.

Preparations and during kola:

These Daivas are generally  performed by professionals who basically belong to the lower castes of the society. They have experience in performing kola and are dedicated to it and are paid for it too. It is believed that during Kola, for a fraction of seconds the real Daiva’s Spirit comes into the person performing it and they predict or can foresee the future. They are worshiped with utmost respect and dignity.

Daivas are generally kept in the form of idols in the Daivasana in local terms called “Saana” where only men and little girls are allowed. Women are not allowed inside the Saana.