TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF A VILLAGE BAGIVALU KARAGA

Hi this is Kumar B Bagival from Bagivalu village , Holenarasipur talluk , Hassan District, Karnataka,India.
TITLE : BAGIVALU KARAGA

Karaga image

I will bring you very interesting story about a village, that is My own village story and also a very beautiful traditional culture we continued there.Now I will tell you something about culture

A video on Karaga is in the end of this article.http://www.walkthroughindia.com/festivals/top-30-celebrated-hindu-festivals-india/http://www.walkthroughindia.com/festivals/top-30-celebrated-hindu-festivals-india/

This is the festive traditional culture cultivated from hundred of years ago. On the occasion of Ugadi festival, I mean new year to Indians. On padya of Chaitra masa, it is held up to 9 days.

Before 5 days one who look after the festival arrange food treat to villagers, person who wear Karaga ( this was decided by Shivaratri day in front of some village chiefs )also have food like holige(Obbattu= sweet bread), after that he went to fasting till Ugadi festival had finished, he only take some dry fruits and milk,not any solid food.on the day which is a day before Ugadi, I mean Ugadi amavasya day night the person who wear Karaga went to the Bank of river Hemavathi, there is a temple Sri Rameshwara along with people who ever participate in that ritual activities. There participate in some Pooja activities, and a Barbour made clean shave of head of the person who wear Karaga seven times. After that he take bath in the river, and come back to village with some music he dance along with music that is called Kai Bindige. Went to Sri Veerabhadreshwara temple participate in Pooja activities, then take rest for awhile in a home which is allotted to him. In the early morning of the Padya of Chaitra mass again wake up and went to the bank of river Hemavathi ,take bath, again Barbour shave his head seven times till to became sticky , some on design him with panche, shalya , wear gold ornaments, and his body is fully designed with Srigand that is pure sandal. He wear knife to both hands wear Vibhoothi to his head garlanded him with jasmine garland,and finally some experts place golden Karaga ( approximatly it is about 17 kg weight) on his empty head it hold tight his skin along with flowers simbi. Now procession starts from there, along with the traditional music it is very different to hear I never heard that music any where of the world. Now he dance according to beats of Samala one type of drum we used in our area, come to Rameshwara temple pray for some time, and he giving salute to god in a special manner, that is   Deevatige salaam, he sleep along with Karaga who is placed on his head and hold his hands ,lift his head and pray. Then come to village temple Sri Veerabhadreshwara  temple there also one more time he do Deevatige salaam. Then Karaga mahotsava starts with dancing withrespect to music steps into defferent way without holding the bindige in front of devoties.There afterword

Procession goes around the village street, the peoples of village I mean devoties do Mangalarathi ( lamping presentation in front of god) to Karaga from morning 4 to 12 noon it goes on finally it finished at home allotted to him. There once again do Pooja and carefully plucked the Karaga Bindige by experts, and capped his head with cotton smooth cloths,when plucked suddenly he losses his conscious. After some time he wakeup . At noon he again went to river bank do some meditation.Then come to village temple again ,after 4pm second phase of Karaga started, he prepared again as above said. But one difference it starts from our Neighbor village again he meditate on the bank of river and ask flower to proceed to wear Karaga.after blessing of goddess Sri Maramma sister of Sri Veerabhadreshwara  once again he wear Karaga and starts dancing in front of villagers there nearly more than 10000 peoples gathered . after successful procession he come to our village which is 4 km apart, here also plenty of peoples gathered nearly 10000 across the Karnataka, and neighbor states. Procession continued around the village streets again people giving coins in the form of Kanike. It ends at 1 to 2o clock midnight near river bank again   , there also plucked Bindige from his head and he gone to unconscious. After some time wakeup eat some prasada , peoples are also served prasada, then came to village along with gods' procession. Until Karaga mahotsava ends wife of the person who wear Karaga should not came out from black room whole day. Next day only she treat his husband. Day after day of Karaga second day villagers pulling a wooden Ratha sitted  by god Sri veerabhadreshwara and drink panaka. After a day is Gandada snana day until this day from Ugadi he do not have bath this day he went to river bank and take bath there and do Pooja in Rameshwara temple there. Many people take away their hair in the name of Mudi. This is the end of our festival Ugadi on that year .

HISTORY BIHIND THIS CELEBRATION

There is a very interesting story behind this. Hundred years ago this village was ruled by chola dynasty. There was conducted a Bull's fair there many pairs of bulls came to there with their owners. This was conducted on the bank of river Hemavathi. One day a veerashaiva community family also brought a pair if well built bulls to there from our village. They prepare their food there by hand made oven by stones. One day that man from our village went to cut some wood from nearest bushes with axe , when he cuts with the axe he heard a sound" ha.... " from the bush . he shocked and exam in the bush, there he find a sculpture with with running blood , all of the sudden all bulls peoples going to unconscious. He knows his mistake and cleaned the head of the sculpture this was god Rameshwara who stayed there. And pray to god with every year on Yugadi padya I and my successor wear Karaga by without hair. Then by the gods grace all peoples and animals wakeup again finished fair well. From that day to till now every year that family continued the ritual Karaga.

Famous Karaga workers
KARIBASAVAIAH
BINDIGE CHANDRANNA
RAMESH AIHA
KARIBASAVAIAH
BASAVARAJU
RAMESHAIAH
RAVI KUMAR
LOKESHAIH.

A VIDEO ON KARAGA




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