Preparations For The Bharani Elsewhere - Bepur

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After the Cherubharani

Throughout North Kerala, the Cherubharani indicates the start of the Bharani for devotees to plan their annual visit to the Amma at Kodungallur. In the pre-Independent times, the Bharani period was the only time devotees of the non-ruling castes were allowed in - the temple being restricted to the larger public during other months, as per the strict rules and customs that governed temple access during the times. This is no longer the case. However, though the temple is now open for all throughout the year, the Cherubharani Kodiyettam initiates preparations throughout North Kerala, to plan for the regular annual visit to the Kodungallur Sri Kurumba Kaavu.

Bepur, near Kozhikode

As is the case with this family in Bepur, a port town near Kozhikode (Calicut) some 125 km north of Kodungallur.

Preparations In Full Swing

March 19, 2015. Preparations are on in full swing at this family house in Bepur, as the family members and the larger community nearby, prepare for their annual Bharani visit to Kodungallur - a tradition the family has been carrying on every year, as far back as they remember.

Three Days Before Ashwati

It is three days before Ashwati. Crowds would have already started arriving at Kodungallur. Here, in Bepur, at the Arakkal house compound, people start trickling in from the morning, preparing for the journey to Kodungallur later at night.

The Family Temple in the Courtyard

The family temple in the courtyard of the house - the Arakkal Bhagavathi temple - is being decorated for the special day.

Overseeing the Preparations

Mr. Sreenivasan, the head of the family, oversees the preparations all around, lending a hand where needed.

Arriving Groups

It is a busy day for the family. Groups arriving for the ceremonies of the day have to be received and welcomed.
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The Arriving Groups (Video)

Journey Items Being Prepared

In the house, items to be carried by the group for the journey, are being prepared.

Bricks and Pots

The various utensils, vessels and bricks scattered all over, give ample testimony to the hectic preparations afoot.

The Panchabhoothappodi

The panchabhoothappodi - a mixture made from 5 items - dried and powdered rice, roasted uluva(fenugreek), pepper powder, jeera(cummin seeds) powder and sharkara(jaggery) - all ground and prepared at the house - is one of the chief items being prepared.

Chembu Kuttakam

All the ingredients of the panchabhoothappodi are to be mixed together later in the day in this chembu vessel (kuttakam), by all the members participating in the journey, and then tied in a 'bhaandam' (cloth baggage) along with all other items to be taken for the journey to Kodungallur.

The Bhaanda Mooppan

The bhaandam, once ready, will be under the responsibility of the Bhaandamoopan, an elderly gentleman who has been undertaking the annual journey for the last 40+ years.

The Family Temple

At the family temple in the courtyard, dedicated to the Bhagavathi (Goddess), various members of the locality participating in the journey come for the 'kuri thodeeykkal' ceremony.

The Kuri Thodeeykkal

The forehead is anointed in a simple ritual to indicate you are part of the journey.

Observances - 'Vratham'

All members undertaking the journey are expected to follow the rules observed by the family,prior to the journey. Food is to be had only after a bath, intercourse is to be abstained from. While the 'vratham' used to be observed for a full month - starting from the Cherubharani day (the Bharani asterism day of the previous month of Kumbham) - in earlier times, these days, the vratham is observed for smaller durations - 7 days prior, 5 days prior, 3 days prior etc.

The Komaram

The 'Komaram' (oracle or 'Velichappaadu') prepares himself and gets ready for the evening ritual. His role will come into prominence later in the day as part of the evening ritual that precedes the journey to Kodungallur.

Busy Day

It's a busy day, and water from the well is in constant use, as preparations get underway and more and more people gather in the courtyard.

Makeshift Shelter

A makeshift shelter has been put up, and seating arrangements provided for the guests arriving - they include people who will make the journey along with the family members to Kodungallur, as well as others who have come to be part of the preparations.

Getting the Porch Ready

It is now time to clear the porch for the Ganapathi puja and the 'kettu nirakkal' or the 'bhaandam nirakkal' ceremony - in which all the journey-makers participate.

The Ganapathy Puja

The various items for the pooja are kept ready - aval (flattened rice), pazham (banana), sharkara (jaggery), chethippoo (the chethi flower - ixora coccinea) et al. The deities (Ganapathy and the Bhagavathi) are represented by 'palaka' - wooden planks.

By the Elders

There is no priest. It is the elders who do the ceremonies.

Vaadyam in the Background

Vaadyam - with chenda (drum), ilathaalam - is played in the background as is customary in Kerala temple rituals.

The Puja Done..

The puja done, next comes the Kettu Nirakkal - getting the bhaandam ready for the journey.

Paaya

A paaya made from coconut palm leaves is laid out in the centre of the porch.

On the Paaya, the Kuttakam

The chembu kuttakam (copper vessel) is kept on the paaya.

The Ingredients

The Bhaandamooppan brings the prepared and readied ingredients for the panchabhoothappodi, one by one, and hands it over to Mr. Sreenivasan as the chief (mooppan).

Added One by One

The ingredients are poured into the kuttakam, one after another, with due ceremony.

Once All are Added

Once all the ingredients are added, all are mixed together in the kuttakam, again ceremoniously, and in quiet and dignified order, by each of the journey members.

Mixing the Podi

First, it is the turn of Mr.Sreenivasan as the head of the family and the chief of the group.

The Bhaandamooppan...

Next, the Bhaandamooppan...and so on, the ritual mixing is done in turn by each of the journey members

And Children..

and children, who will be undertaking the journey.

Into the Bhaandam

Once the podi has been mixed by all, it is transferred by each, respectfully and in the same dignified order, into the bhaandam (cloth bag) kept ready for the purpose,

Clothes to be Worn

Clothes to be worn by each of the members during the Kaavu Theendal ceremony when they occupy 'their aalthara' - their designated spot - at Kodungallur are also kept into the bhaandam.

Puja Offerings

Various offerings to be made at Kodungallur also go into the bhaandam.

Tying up the Bhaandam

The bhaandam is now tied up well and firmly with a long, thick rope - 'choodi'

All Set

The bhaandam is now all set and ready for the journey to Kodungallur.

Prasaadam

Pooja and ritual over, the 'prasaadam' is now distributed to all, as is customary.

Distributing the Panchabhoothappodi

The panchabhhoothappodi - what has not been packed in the bhaandam - is also distributed among all.

And Now the Sadya

And now, it is time for a traditional 'sadya' (lunch) on banana leaves, for all gathered.

Served by the Family Members and Elders

Served by the family members and the elders themselves, to one and all..

Well Past 4:00

By the time the family members sit down for their turn, after ensuring all the guests have been served, it is well past 4:00 in the evening.

The Evening Ritual

The evening ritual starts late in the evening, after the hectic preparations of the day, at the family temple in the courtyard, lit with vilakku (oil lamps) for the evening ceremony.

Only A Few

Most of the afternoon gathering has left back for their respective homes, and it is only the immediate family members and the elders who remain for the ritual now.

Sombre Mood

Unlike earlier, the mood is now sombre, and any talk is in hushed tones, as the small group waits in front of the closed entrance (nada) of the shrine.

The Doors Open

As the group waits in anticipation, the bells start ringing inside the shrine, followed by the clanging of 'chilambuu' or anklets/small bells, and soon there is a sharp cry. The doors open, and the 'komaram' is led outside down the stairs by the elders.

The Crowd Moves Aside

The crowd moves aside, making way, as the komaram wields his sabre and circumambulates the shrine and the deities. There are pronouncements being uttered, and the family members anxiously pay heed, as the komaram's utterances, in his trance, are considered to be those of the deity herself.

Into the Porch

The komaram now rushes to the porch where the afternoon ritual had been held. The family members follow anxiously. Any shortcoming in any of the observances, anything that has displeased the deity, will now be pointed out by him.

The Quietening

The komaram is finally led back to the shrine by the elders, where the mooppan does oblations to quieten and pacify him, and to lead him out of the trance.

Common Sight

This quietening will be a common sight in Kodungallur during the culminating days of the Bharani festival, as komarams, many with blood trickling down their foreheads as they strike their sabres with loud cries onto their own foreheads. are finally pacified and led away.

The Reputation

It is a sight that can be unnerving to an onlooker, and one that gives the Bharani its fearsome reputation today.

The Final Bow

At the Arakkal shrine, the komaram falls to the ground and bends low before the deity with a final cry, and one can sense the palpable feeling of relief among all the onlookers.

Time to Gather Everyone

It is now time to gather the rest of the journey members from their respective homes.The Komaram and the elders proceed from the temple to each of the houses, from where journey members will keep on adding to the group, until all together finally board the specially arranged bus to Kodungallur.

The Atmosphere

As the group proceeds in the dark with lit 'pantham' (flaming torches) and cries of 'Nada,Nada' (Walk on, Walk on..), the atmosphere created is tense and can be fearsome. The belief is that the groups are the 'bhoothaganas', warrior troops heading for the battle to help the Amma (the Mother Goddess) fight the Asura, Daaruka.

Different Narratives

Narratives differ. While most in North Kerala subscribe to the 'Daarukasura Vadham' - the Slaying of Daruka - several others - especially, the groups arriving from Tamil Nadu - see the Goddess of Kodungallur as Kannaki, the heroine of Silappathikaram. Yet others ascribe the origin of the festival to the driving away of Buddhists from the temple as part of a planned Brahminical take-over. Still others see the festival and the rituals as part of the Shaakteya tradition, where the Goddess is worshipped as Shakti. Theories abound, even as the origins lie obscure in the sands of time.

Red

A fallen red leaf, fallen from a tree in the Arakkal courtyard, strikes the eye with its vivid hue, even in the dusk. With its vivid redness, the leaf seems to reflect the colours and mood of the ritual itself.
For, red is the colour of the Bharani - the one colour that you see everywhere in Kodungallur - as the teeming crowds converge to the Goddess's shrine from various locations - near and far.
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The Days Leading Up To The Bharani - At Kodungallur