Panjurli - The Divine Deities Of Kantara
On August 27, 2024Tulunadu in Karnataka worships Panjurli as a local and a Daiva (tutelary) deity. Every year, Kola and Tambila rituals bring the entire family together. Some local towns in Tulunadu perform annual kolas honoring the Panjurli as a town protector. On these occasions, all town residents gather to worship Daiva Panjurli. The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kerala also come under Tulunadu.
Who Are Guliga and Panjurli?
According to mythology, Parvati offered a plate of ashes to his consort, Shiva, in Kailash one day. Shiva received a piece of black stone from that plate. He threw the stone away. A huge black figure was born from the thrown stone. Shiva named him Guliga and sent him to Vaikunta to meet Vishnu.
Vishnu explained to Guliga that his birth was to maintain justice in the universe. One day, Daiva Guliga reached Tulunadu with Lakshmi, and he met Daiva Panjurli. While talking with Panjurli, they argued and started to fight each other. Lakshmi observed it and interfered, ordering them to consider each other as brothers from that moment. She instructed that wherever Panjurli would go, Guliga should accompany him. Some temples would have been dedicated to Panjurli, where Guliga is worshipped.
People worship Daivas in the open as per their tradition. During the festival of Bhoota Kola, people worship Panjurli and Guliga, in which a dance performer impersonates the spirit and is believed to possess the deity.
Some popular Daivas or Bhutas are Panjurli, Bobbarya, Pilipoota, Kalkuda, Kalburti, Pilichamundi, Guliga and Koti Chennaya. People worshipped Daivas as stones kept them under a tree in an open space. But over centuries, they started worshipping idols as Daivas.
Tulunadu people worship Guliga as a guardian deity of their land, cattle, and crops. This is why people call Guliga the Kshetra Palaka, which means Protector.
Panjurli
Panjurli is a male wild boar, the divine spirit worshipped as part of Bhuta Kola. In Tulu, Panjurli means an offspring of a wild boar. Many wild boars used to destroy cultivated crops, so farmers started worshipping the spirits of wild boars, Panjurli.
According to ancient Tulu oral literature, Parvati grew a young wild boar as her pet and loved it more. Since the boarlet was very naughty, it destroyed the gardens in Kailash. Enraged by this, Shiva killed the boarlet, which worried Parvati. To appease Parvati, Shiva brought the life of boarlet back as a spirit and sent it to earth to protect the people and guide them from evil to good.
Bhoota Kola Festival
People worship the Daivas or Bhuta during the annual Bhoota Kola festival, which falls between December and May, as per the Tulu calendar. In the festival, a performer wears a costume and makeup, impersonating the spirit, and dances in a hypnotic state. The performer is believed to be occupied by the spirit. He acts like a seer, offers solutions to people's problems, and resolves their disputes.
Locals from various castes and communities take part in the festival. The Bhoota Kola festival occurs in the holy land where the Daivas are believed to reside. As per Tulu tribe tradition, Bhoota Kola or Daiva Kola is a non-Vedic ritual where Bhutas or Daivas are worshipped.
The movie Kantara regenerated interest in the worship of Daivas and folk traditions. It is believed that such worship will also stimulate greater interest in local deities like Panjurli and Guliga and their traditions across India.
Who Are Guliga and Panjurli?
According to mythology, Parvati offered a plate of ashes to his consort, Shiva, in Kailash one day. Shiva received a piece of black stone from that plate. He threw the stone away. A huge black figure was born from the thrown stone. Shiva named him Guliga and sent him to Vaikunta to meet Vishnu.
Vishnu explained to Guliga that his birth was to maintain justice in the universe. One day, Daiva Guliga reached Tulunadu with Lakshmi, and he met Daiva Panjurli. While talking with Panjurli, they argued and started to fight each other. Lakshmi observed it and interfered, ordering them to consider each other as brothers from that moment. She instructed that wherever Panjurli would go, Guliga should accompany him. Some temples would have been dedicated to Panjurli, where Guliga is worshipped.
People worship Daivas in the open as per their tradition. During the festival of Bhoota Kola, people worship Panjurli and Guliga, in which a dance performer impersonates the spirit and is believed to possess the deity.
Some popular Daivas or Bhutas are Panjurli, Bobbarya, Pilipoota, Kalkuda, Kalburti, Pilichamundi, Guliga and Koti Chennaya. People worshipped Daivas as stones kept them under a tree in an open space. But over centuries, they started worshipping idols as Daivas.
Tulunadu people worship Guliga as a guardian deity of their land, cattle, and crops. This is why people call Guliga the Kshetra Palaka, which means Protector.
Panjurli
Panjurli is a male wild boar, the divine spirit worshipped as part of Bhuta Kola. In Tulu, Panjurli means an offspring of a wild boar. Many wild boars used to destroy cultivated crops, so farmers started worshipping the spirits of wild boars, Panjurli.
According to ancient Tulu oral literature, Parvati grew a young wild boar as her pet and loved it more. Since the boarlet was very naughty, it destroyed the gardens in Kailash. Enraged by this, Shiva killed the boarlet, which worried Parvati. To appease Parvati, Shiva brought the life of boarlet back as a spirit and sent it to earth to protect the people and guide them from evil to good.
Bhoota Kola Festival
People worship the Daivas or Bhuta during the annual Bhoota Kola festival, which falls between December and May, as per the Tulu calendar. In the festival, a performer wears a costume and makeup, impersonating the spirit, and dances in a hypnotic state. The performer is believed to be occupied by the spirit. He acts like a seer, offers solutions to people's problems, and resolves their disputes.
Locals from various castes and communities take part in the festival. The Bhoota Kola festival occurs in the holy land where the Daivas are believed to reside. As per Tulu tribe tradition, Bhoota Kola or Daiva Kola is a non-Vedic ritual where Bhutas or Daivas are worshipped.
The movie Kantara regenerated interest in the worship of Daivas and folk traditions. It is believed that such worship will also stimulate greater interest in local deities like Panjurli and Guliga and their traditions across India.