Bhoota Kola: The Tulu tradition of invoking spirits
If you got a chance to watch the blockbuster Kannada movie Kantara which recently made quite some waves at the box office for its mesmerising performances, you would know a bit about ‘Bhoota Kola’ by now. For those who are still clueless, ‘Bhoota Kola’ is an annual cultural practice followed in Tulunadu, the Tulu-speaking region in coastal Karnataka. Let dive deep into this cultural tradition.
‘Bhootas’ or Gods?
The word 'Bhoota' generally has a negative connotation and would immediately drive your mind towards ghosts and evil spirits that will bring trouble. But not in the Tulu culture. Among the Tulus, 'Bhoota' is the equivalent of 'Daiva' or 'God'. Really? Yes, that is because historically, Tuluvas did not believe in God; they only believed in bhootas and took them as their Gods.
'Kola' means ' a performance or play'. And therefore, in essence, Bhuta Kola is a performance-based ritual that involves the invocation of spirits. Wow!
‘Bhootas guard’ the villages
Though the exact origin of the tradition remains unknown, it is understood to be followed since 700-800 BC coinciding with the immigration of the early Tulu tribes. Currently, the ritual is practised every year between December and January based on a simple belief that several bhootas act as guardian spirits and protect Tulu villages.
An elaborate preparation
The ritual is one big affair in these villages. Most of them have a certain set of people or families that have been organising these acts for generations. The responsibilities automatically pass on to the male heir in every successive of these families. These families send a formal invite (like a wedding invite) to the whole village. The village members also contribute by way of offerings.
So where is the Kola performed? Well, there is no fixed place earmarked for this ritual but it generally happens in an area near the temple of the village deity usually close to large open fields.
The celebration
The main day involves lot of loud music and dance, recitals, and elaborate costumes. Evening onwards, idols that represent ‘bhoothas’ are taken out in a 'wedding-like' procession while villagers blast firecrackers.
Panjurli, Guliga, Jumadi, Varthe, Kalkuda, etc. are some of the popular bhootas worshipped as part of Bhoota Kola. Interestingly, bhootas can also be animals. Remember how the idol of a wild boar is worshipped and paraded around town in the movie ‘Kantara’? This wild boar is actually Panjurli, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, according to folklore.
The divine medium, who acts as a channel between the deity and the villagers, starts his traditional performance as the local folklore called 'paddanas' are recited. The face and the body of the divine medium are painted in the colours and décor to represent the deity he wants to channel. For example, the divine medium's yellow-painted face would invoke 'Panjurli' while a milder-painted face invokes 'Varthe'. Similarly, for invoking 'Guliga' an extremely aggressive painted face like black and red is required. The same goes for the kind of music at the time of the performance for different deities. It is believed that this person performing the ritual has temporarily become a god himself and he is both feared and respected and is believed to give answers to people's problems, on behalf of the god.
He continues channeling the energy of the local deity till the wee hours of the morning. In the end, he blesses the villagers, resolves family issues and disputes and gives remedies. Since villagers believe that the deity speaks through the divine medium, his words are considered to be the 'holy law'.