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For
18 days, chronicles the Mahabharat, the Pandavas and the
Kauravas fought heroically on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Every
spring an echo of that grim struggle is heard in Bangalore during
Karaga, the metro’s oldest and most important festival. Infused
with mythological theme and a rich seam of folklore, Karaga is in a
sense a celebration of India’s rich cultural and religious
heritage.
The
roots of Karaga go back over five centuries, and to the Tigala
community which ahs kept the festival alive over the centuries.
Mystery shrouds the origin of the Tigalas. By one account, the
Tigalas sprung form the loins of the sage Angirasa whose progeny were
the founders of most of the dynasties of South India. Yet another
account attributes the origin of the Tigalas to Agani, the Goddess of
fire in the Hindu pantheon. The Puranas (scriptures) say that
Draupadi emerged as the embodiment of an ideal woman. The Tigalas,
who hold Draupadi as their principal deity, believe that Draupadi
Shakti (power) brims over during the Karaga festival.
Truly
there is a power, indefinable but nevertheless pulsating furiously as
the Karaga festival, particularly the nightlong procession gets
underway to the throbbing of drums and cries of dik-dhi and
Govinda from the surging crowds of devotees. The Karaga,
after which the festival gets its name, is a symbolic pyramidical
floral structure, which is carried on the head of a person selected
to be the Karaga carrier. The Karaga carrier is taken from his home
by the members of the Dharmaraya Temple Ulsoorpet. Immediately after
that, his wife takes on the role of a widow. Her mangal-sutra
(necklace symbolizing marriage) and bangles are worn by her husband,
and she is not to see him or the Karaga until the conclusion of the
festival.
Traditionally,
the festivities begin with the recitation of mantras
(incantations) and the hoisting of a ceremonial flag on the banks of
Bangalore’s Sampangi tank. On her seventh day the Hasi-Karaga
(tender Karaga) is brought from a salt water pond near the Dharmaraya
Temple. Legend has it that the Karaga carrier while in deep
meditation in the waist deep water in the pond suddenly feels a
weight on his head. Holding the object like he would a baby, he goes
to the Sampangi tank. Then the object is brought back to the
Dharmarya Temple and placed next to the Dharmarya Temple and placed
next to the idol of Dharma. At this point it becomes the Karaga.
The
festival of the Karaga is awaited by hundreds of bare chested,
dhoti-clad and turbaned veerakumaras (brave youth) brandishing
named swords. Only a member of the Tigala community can be a
veerakumara. Fire-walking, these young men dance around while
striking their blades against their bare chests. If blood should
ooze out, it is considered an indication of the veerakumara’s
failure to adhere to the ritualistic formalities required for the
occasion. Amidst fire walking and frenzied dancing, the Karaga
carrier emerges from the temple, surrounded by the these men the
Karaga balanced on his head. For the Karaga carrier, the swords have
a menacing significance because by tradition they are supposed to
stab the Karanga carrier if he loses balance and falls. Fortunately,
this has never happened in the long history of this festival.
One
of the distinctive features of the Karaga is the participation in
this festival by people of all creeds and communities. An eloquent
testimony to the secular character of this festival is seen just
before sunrise when the Karaga procession halts before the
Dargah-e-Shariff of Hazrat Takwal Mastan, the 18th century
Muslim saint. According to legend, Mastan was once hurt when he
rushed to have a glimpse of the Karaga procession. The temple
priests applied kumkum (vermilion) to his wounds. An
overjoyed Mastan prayed to Draupadi that the procession should halt
at his dargah (grave) after his death. This tradition has
been maintained over the years, giving a distinct secular flavour to
the festival.
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