Hurumbidottu Siri Aayana/festival: Notes to International Workshop Students, Fieldwork at Hurumbidottu Beltangady Taluk-Karnataka Date 21-Feb-2008

HURUMBIDOTTU ALADE (Notes to International Workshop Students)

S.A.Krishnaiah Chief Researcher RRC Udupi: 576 102

e-mail: mmusica@sancharnet.in

Place: Hurumbidottu, Shirlal Village Belthangady Taluk, D.K.

'''Trustee-in charge: Mr.Harsha R.Jain Mobile: 91-9449488708'''

The place Hurumbidottu is situated at the very bottom of Kudremukha hill where a small temple called Mahalingeshvara  temple is located. This place has many icons made of stone which are identified as belonging to the 'siri' family. People identify the. icons as ‘Siri’ Sonne Ginde twins Abbaga  and Daaraga etc.   (see the list given below) On the full moon day in the month of February the epic ritual takes place in Hurumbidottu Dated on 20th February 2008  following Bhuta  worship and other related ritual takes place, main rituals are Kodamanthya Koola, Kalkud-Kallurti Koola, Lekkesiri Koola

21st February 2008  (full night) the epic ritual Siri trance, chenne game, Mysandaya Bhuta  rites, Panjurlrli Koola and Kumara, Panjurli  meets in front of the temple (early morning and  exchange the oracle)

The whole night gathering is called Hurumbidiottu aayana or festival. On the day of the festival Siri possession or mass trance  runs throughout  the night. In this night festival, One can see a special feature; the ritual game of cenne (wooden board) is played by two sisters. During the play two enactors (religious) or performers sit on a raised platform. In the midst sits Kumaara (according to Siri epic Kumara is the son of Siri) who asks few question’s about their birth, growth, their place of origin etc. As answer to each question the performers (twins) sing a part of the episode in folk meter. While singing the epic portion the twins get into possession. As they fall into a trance gradually the possession intensifies. One of the players takes out the playing board to hit on the other sisters head. According to the epic the elder sister Abbaga takes the wooden cenne board and hits the head of the younger sister Dhaaraga head, the blood gushing out, falls died. When this portion is sung an aggressive quarrel rises between the two. Kumara looks on and attempts to control the situation When the possession reaches its climax corresponding to the incident in the epic  of hitting the cenne wooden board, Kumara holds back the twins hand and makes them  return to the normal situation. Kumara brings about a compromise them through hypnotic word. With this the ritual concludes. Afterwards the twins go along with Kumara to the temple yare and again they join  the core of mass trance with  the help of Kumara initiation.

Icons of the temple –list as follows

Shree Mahalingeshwara Temple Shirlal: Stone Statues

Kalkuda Statue, Siri Statue, Saamu Alvedi, Sonne Statue, Ginde Statue, Statues of Abbaya-Daraya & Sonne, Kumara Paada, Kumara Gunda, Daivada Katte, Kshemakalla Panjurli, Rakteshwari, Kodamanittaya, Well infront of Siri Alade, Nagana Katte, Nagabrahma and Naga stones,

Badyaru temple is another shrine situated near Hurumbidottu This place is identified earlier the siri who stayed  and    being worshipped, this place is worth to see  its  placement and  changes over the years. See notes-1

BADIYAAR TEMPLE (near Hurmbidottu)

Place: Hurumbidottu, Shirlal Village, Belthangady Taluk, D.K.

Field Notes-1   Next to Hurumbidottu  shrine another temple fossils are found  named as ‘Badkaayi Lanke Looka Naadu’ (Northern Lanke Lookanadu), suggested that Siri lived sometime with Kumaara (child) at Badyaaru (this village is next to Hurmbidottu)-a village. Even today the ‘naagabermeru’ (snake deity) icon is propitiated under a tree which was brought from the Badyaru village. Today Badyaru village temple is completely ruined in the forest but one can find the remains. The Hurumbidottu temple came into as the place of Siri possession in the year 1940 or 1942.Before that there was  no tradition of possession but yearly once  on the New Moon Day the Jain Guttu of Sirlal village chief (trustees of the temple; Kumara Puvani family) used to visit the place and burn the lamp. Afterwards gradually the centre became the place of Siri cult.

Icons of the temple, list as follows

Lokanatheshwara Temple Ganapathi''', Vishnu, Durge, Nagabrahma, Kodamanittaya, Pilichamundi, Rakteshwari, Panjurli''', Kallurti.