Every tree is sacred for the Soligas

Their daily activities and rituals all revolve around the forces of nature. Their gods are the forests, the water bodies, the rocks, the tigers...Their songs are all about nature too.

Chopping a tree is a huge sin, according to the Soliga belief system. If it is inevitable for them to axe a tree, then they ensure that the tree is worshipped according to all traditional norms. Later, they place a small stone, or a pebble at the trunk of the axed tree as an indication that a tree stood at the spot.

Some trees have acquired a special status in their lives. Such trees are never axed. The sampige (champaka) tree is one such.

There is a huge sampige tree in the BRT sanctuary. For the Soligas, the sampige is a sacred tree. You can spot this tree on the way from the Biligiri Rangana Hill towards K.Gudi. The tree can be reached only if you trudge eight kilometres on a tiny pathway. There is a ban on private vehicles in the area near the tree. So, apart from the Forest Department’s vehicles, other vehicles are not allowed inside.

Permission from the Forest Department is a must to visit the spot.

The Soligas believe that the tree is a couple of thousand years old. Alongside flows a tiny stream. The stream which overflows during the rainy season, is known as the Sampige Halla by the tribals.

According to Puranic legends, the stream was the Bhargavi river. Water from here joins the Cauvery after first reaching the Gundyal reservoir. The Soliga belief is that one of their gods, Mahadeshwara Swamy placed a sapling at the spot, where the tree now is, and left. After he returned, he noticed that the sapling had struck roots at the very spot.

The belief is that the tribals were the descendants of Kadaiah, a son of Mahadeshwara Swamy. This explains their reverence for the sampige tree. There are 101 lingas underneath the tree. Their major gods include Mahadeshwara Swamy, Siddappa, Nanjappa and Jadeswamy. There is a smaller sampige tree next to the big one. This is known as the chikka sampige. The Soligas believe that the gods sleep when the tree bears flowers.

The tribals believe that the Terminalia Bellerica (known as Beleric Myrobalan) or taare (in Kannada) is also a sacred tree.

The Soligas don’t touch a single twig or branch when fruits are plucked from tree. The members of the tribes hold other trees in great esteem too. They also install idols of their gods underneath the trees.  

The tiger is also a revered animal among the Soligas, called by the name Huli Beerappa. There are 489 sacred spots inside the BRT reserve. 

The entire belief system of the Soligas is based on conservation.

After the harvest following the monsoon, the tribals sing and dance and celebrate nature. They also observe the Rotti Habba near the dodda sampige tree in summer.