Keeping alive a 'striped' tradition

Marnami vesha, where devotees dance in colourful attires, is a unique folk form of worshipping Goddess Adhishakthi in Dakshina Kannada district. Thus, the Navarathri festival is associated with varieties of veshas (meaning make-up) that mesmerise people. Getting themselves painted with tiger motifs (considered the vehicle of the goddess) or wearing similar attires is an important part of the marnami vesha. The origin of this practice dates back to the Indus Valley civilisation, says Palthadi Ramakrishna Achar, former president, Tulu Sahitya Academy.

Devotion & emotion
According to researchers, these veshas indicate complete surrendering to god. People of the district share a special bond with forests and wildlife, which they express through their performances. The vesha and the dance are used to express their devotion and emotion. Every dance type carries with it a meaning and not all are celebratory. A few express emotional pain, cruelty and other such feelings.

During Navarathri, members of the mogera community in Belthangady taluk perform pili-panji nalike. During the act, people dance as pili (tiger), panji (wild boar) and deer. Lord Shiva appears before devotees in the course of the show. The entire act carries the meaning that god is there to protect people from cruel animals.

Researcher Chinnappa Gowda says, “Navarathri vesha indicates taking control over evil forces and worshipping the goddess.” Normally, people do this to fulfill their vows. Initially they visit temples, paint the whole body in designs that resemble a tiger or a lion and perform folk dances. Detailed painting of the body involves hours of work. Huli vesha or tiger dance is the most prominent and popular of all the veshas.

The dancers, dressed as tigers, not only  worship the almighty, but also entertain people. Take Bhoja Bangera, a resident of Surathkal, for instance. Tiger dance becomes an integral part of his life during Navarathri. He has formed a troupe and has been worshipping Goddess Durgaparameshwari of Sri Kshetra Kateel with the tiger dance during Navarathri for the past 32 years.

“My brother started it and I continued it later. I was just eight years old when I started performing. We begin the service on the day of amavasya (new-moon day) and end it at Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple, on Vijayadashami day, after receiving prasadam. The next generation is also willing to continue the tradition,” he says. Though this folk form is majorly linked to worshipping the goddess and fulfilling vows during Navarathri, it has seen a structural growth over the years.

It has a history of several centuries in coastal Karnataka and has evolved into a folk form over a period of time. Now tableaus have also become a part of these celebrations. In some places, cultural processions are held depicting incidents from mythology. Sometimes this practice has hurt the feelings of certain communities.

Bhoja and his team of 15 members perform at other cultural and religious events as well. Then it becomes an income-generating activity for them. This senior tiger dancer represents thousands of dancers in the region who add colour and vigour to the festival.