Hownderayana Valgu: A vanishing tradition

Hownderayana Valgu, also known as Kodangi Kunitha or Tulasikatte Kunitha, is a rare ritualistic art form from the Kundapur region of coastal Karnataka. Blending music, dance, storytelling, trance and worship, the art survives today in a handful of villages, preserved mainly through oral tradition.

According to local beliefs, the tradition traces its origins to Barkur, one of the important administrative centres of Tulunadu between the 11th and the 14th centuries, and is associated in oral narratives with a ruler named Howndarasa, who is said to have enjoyed songs sung in his praise. Villagers would thus compose songs in his honour and dance in groups, receiving gifts in return. Over time, these songs evolved into the ritualistic art of Hownderayana Valgu. In Kannada, the term valagu or valaga refers either to a royal reception hall or to a musical instrument, though its exact association with the art form remains unclear. 

As part of the tradition today, people invite a troupe to perform in front of their house during Tulsi Pooje falling in the Hindu calendar month of Karthika or during the conclusion of Vasantha, a ritual associated with goddess Tulsi performed during a non-Karthika month.

Vijayendra Kumar Gundmi, a performer who leads a troupe from Parampalli in Saligrama, notes those who arrange Vasantha at their houses organise Hownderayana Valgu. A Vasantha can be celebrated with offerings ranging from a single bunch of bananas to 200, 300 or 1,000 bananas, depending on the devotee’s vows. A grand Vasantha programme attracts a gathering of around 2,000 audience.

Traditional attire

Performers traditionally wear a white dhoti, a cloth tied around the waist and head, a headgear, ankle bells, and a pingara (areca inflorescence) held in the hand and tied to the waist. A troupe consists of at least 10 male members. A lead singer narrates the story, while the others respond in chorus with the refrain: “Hownderayana Valguva, Hownderaya Govinda...”

The performance has six narrative segments known as sandhis, each marked by distinct dance movements. Overall, the programme lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. 

Artists perform Hownderayana Valgu in a village in Kundapur near Udupi. Photo: Special arrangement

As per the artists, most sandhis are performed in Kundapur Kannada while some use a more Sanskritised language, suggesting that parts of the performance may have been added over time. Unlike the earlier sandhis, these later portions do not end with the familiar
refrain.

Regional variations

The performance has regional variations too. In the Kundapur–Brahmavara belt, it remains relatively structured. In the Byndoor–Bhatkal region, villagers join in the singing. 

Despite its presence across the coast, references to Hownderayana Valgu can hardly be seen in any books. According to Kailiya Kareda Norehalu, a book on folk songs of Dakshin Kannada, written by Gundmi Chandrashekhar Aithal, Hownderayana Valgu is associated with the worship of Varuna, the God of rain.

K Shivaram Karanth briefly refers to the tradition in his Jnanpith-winning novel Mookajjiya Kanasugalu. In the book, he notes that in the Byndoor region, the sea was locally known as Soundra, a term believed to have gradually evolved into Houndra. He explains the overall meaning of the word  Hownderayana Valgu as ‘Play of the Sea God’. However, even in this account, the association of the term Valagu with the art form is not explained in detail. 

Kundapur Kannada dictionary states that this term, is sometimes, used sarcastically to refer to “a group of idle people with nothing better to do than waste time.”

Today, only a handful of groups continue to perform Hownderayana Valgu in coastal Karnataka. Despite its artistic and ritual significance, the tradition has received little institutional recognition or systematic documentation.

“Our repeated appeals to cultural authorities and elected representatives for preservation efforts have produced little response,” says Vijayendra.

Without systematic documentation, archival work and state support, Hownderayana Valgu risks disappearing along with the memories of the few artists who still carry it forward.