Strange ritual of kicking devotees held at Sidda Rameswara temple
Karnataka and Maharashtra visit the fairs, which are often bizarre and whose origin dates back to hundreds of years.
Kurnool: The faction-ridden Kurnool district is also famous for its strange rituals. Traditions that are unheard of elsewhere in the country take place in Kurnool close on the heels of Telugu New Year.
The wish-fulfilling rituals are a great source of fun and merriment for villagers, who enthusiastically take part in them and take forward the hundreds of years of legacy.
While Telangana celebrates Dasara on a grand scale, Sankranti is celebrated with pomp and gaiety in coastal Andhra Pradesh region. But in Kurnool district, which is gateway to the Rayalaseema region, village fairs galore on the heels of Telugu New Year Ugadi festival. Devotees from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra visit the fairs, which are often bizarre and whose origin dates back to hundreds of years.
Annually, a strange ritual, is practised at the Sidda Rameswara Swamy temple in Chinna Hotturu village. On the heels of the kalyanotsam of the temple deities Lord Parameshwara and Goddess Parvati a Vasanthotsavam is celebrated. Irrespective of caste, colour and creed, all villagers take part in the event with enthusiasm.
Participating in it, the villagers are divided into two groups with one group siding with Lord Parameshwara and the other group with Goddess Parvati. Watching the Kalyanotsavam will be a treat to the eye.
As part of Vasanthotsavam, the groups hurl turmeric and kumkum on each other and threw Kudumulu on rival groups. Meanwhile, the temple priest in the attire of Lord Veerabhadraswamy, overwhelmed by anger, barges into the crowd starts kicking one and all carrying a basket on his head and a trident in his hand. He goes about the area kicking whomever he comes across. The devotees vie with one another to receive the kick as they believe that getting kicked means getting their wishes fulfilled.
Village elder Kumar Reddy described the ritual as very ancient. The temple committee member Siva Kumar Reddy strongly believes that taking part in the event will fulfill the people’s wishes.
There was a legend behind the ritual. Goddess Parvati left her parents’ place complaining about not extending proper courtesies to her relatives at the time of celestial wedding–whether at the time of receiving the guests or at the time of serving food.
Lord Siva goes to her place and fetches her after settling the issue with the elders through a panchayat. Lord Veerabhadra blames the village elders for the row and kicks them till he was pacified.
Afterwards, the villagers pour pots of pink water on village elders marking the commencement of Vasanthotsavam. The villagers sprinkle colours on each other and offer various kinds of pitchers to deities to fulfill their vows. The participants believe that their woes will vanish by taking part in the event.
D Harikishan
