A hysteric mob of devotees led by oracles in red clothes thronged the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple at Kodungalloor for the ‘Kavutheendal’ ritual in connection with the annual Bharani festival on Sunday.
The temple premises turned into a sea of red as men and women, in red robes, from across the State thronged the temple. Brandishing traditional swords adorned with tiny bells, the flurry of oracles in a trance stormed the temple creating a delirious ambiance. They smote their heads with their swords, proclaiming their devotion to the Goddess. Blood could be seen dripping from their foreheads smeared with sandalwood and turmeric paste.
While the oracles ran around the temple in the depths of trance, devotees struck the temple rafters with sticks and threw offerings over the roof.
Breaks all rules
The largest congregation of oracles in the world, the Bharani festival of the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple, Kodungalloor, breaks all rules and taboos of temple rituals. It is a celebration of raw energy and rustic devotion. This mystic ritual is enacted at the temple every year between March and April.
Dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali, the slayer of demon king Daruka, the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple is one of the oldest temples in the State. The idol of Bhadrakali, made of jackfruit tree wood, has eight hands and one of them carries the severed head of Daruka. Another popular lore says, the temple was built by the then ruler Cheran Chenguttavan dedicated to Kannaki, the heroine of Tamil epic Silappadikaram.
Dalit assertion
Historians say that the festival could be an example of Dalit assertion. Long before Dalits were allowed entry into temples in the State through the enactment of the Temple Entry Proclamation, they were allowed to enter the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple during the Bharani festival. Though rooster sacrifice was part of the rituals here earlier, it has been banned now.
