The 2022 Kannada movie ‘Kantara’ had a dream run and for the first time opened Tulunad's mystical world of ‘spirit worship’ to the world audience. But despite its popularity, the people of coastal Karnataka have resented the fact that the ancient tradition is being treated as mere entertainment, overlooking its sanctity, especially on social media.
Lately, the Tuluvas are upset with the Karnataka government for including ‘Bhoothaaraadhane’ (Daivaaraadhane) – the ancient practice of worshipping ‘Daivas’ or guardian deities as one of the activities for “Rangotsava” – an annual cultural fest in government schools, along with other folk art forms.
A circular issued by the education department (annual planning board) has stirred a row as it has drawn flak from both the people and the politicians in Dakshina Kannada. BJP MLA from Mangaluru South Vedavyas Kamat has demanded the education minister Madhu Bangarappa to immediately withdraw the circular.
“Daivaraadhaane is not meant for entertainment. The Congress government has hurt the sentiment and faith of Tuluvas by including Daivaraadhane along with folk art forms meant for entertainment. The government has to apologise to the ‘Daivas’. We have witnessed the wrath of the ‘Daivas’ in the past. I urge the government to remove the Daivaaraadhane from the list of cultural activities in schools,” said Kamat.
While the stated purpose of the cultural fest is to help familiarise the students with the cultural diversity of India and teach folk art forms as part of the curriculum, to make “learning joyful”, the locals feel it is “trivialising” the faith of the Hindu community.
The department has approved Rs 10,000 each to 2,164 government schools to hold the cultural fest in 2024-2025. And as per the instructions given by the education department, besides, ‘Daivaaraadhane’, the teachers are to train students and organise cultural events like ‘Bombe Aata’ (puppetry), role play, music competition, folk dance, ‘Dollu Kunita’, ‘Veeragaase’, ‘Kolata’ (dandiya), Yakshagana, ‘Pata Kunita’, and ‘Somana Kunita’ To encouraging students to exhibit their talent and familiarise with diverse art forms, languages, food and traditions and to foster national integration and appreciation of different cultures.
The contentious circular is now being opposed by people who contend that spirit worship is not meant to be a stage performance for entertainment and cannot be performed by anyone as the traditional performer follows a strict routine before impersonating the spirit. ‘Bhootaaraadhane’ is an ancient Tulu tradition where the local guardian deities are worshipped, as they are not only believed to protect the land and the devotees but also play the role of the divine oracle to resolve conflicts. The act is performed by men who belong to a particular caste and lineage, and dress up as the deity during the ‘Bhoota Kola’ (annual ritual) every year.
“I am not aware of the circular. I will examine it and withdraw the circular if it is found to be detrimental to the students,” said Madhu Bangarappa.
