Of rice, oxen and pilgrimages

Puggera elder holding a sword and shield. Photo by Mookonda Kushalappa

In the past, when political and administrative boundaries were fluid, the people of Kodagu used to frequently visit temples in present day Kerala.

Although the frequency of pilgrims to Kerala has decreased, Baithurappa temple located in Ulikkal village near Iritty town is regularly visited by the people of Kodagu during its annual festival.

Baithurappa is the deity of Baithur, which corresponds to present-day Vayathur, adjoining Ulikkal in Kerala’s Kannur district.

In Kerala, Baithurappa is known as Vayathur Kaliyar Mahadeva (Shiva).

The two-week long festival in Kerala sees a lot of people from Kodagu travelling to Iritty and Mattanur.

Baithurappa has many temples dedicated to him but the main ones are in Baithur, Bendrukolur near Taliparamba (in Kerala) and in the Kariabana forest in Beppunad in Kodagu. Another important, though relatively modern temple is the Baithurappa Poovavadi Basaveshwara in Kodagarahalli near Suntikoppa in Kodagu.

Ancient tradition

According to oral traditions, long ago, there were seven siblings living in Malabar. The eldest brother remained in his place and sent his younger siblings east towards Kodagu. They crossed into Kodagu at the Padi ghat and were guests of the Pardanda family for a while.

Igguthappa became a chief god of the Kodavas while his younger sister, Ponnangalatamme, became a chief goddess of the Keimbattis.

Baithurappa, a local manifestation of Shiva (also known as Bendrukolappa) is an elder brother of Igguthappa and Ponnangalatame.

One brother moved to Kerala where he married a Nambiar woman. His descendants became the Kalliat Nambiar family. They were Jemindars (landlords) and the Baithur temple was within their dominion.

Around five hundred years ago, legend goes that Monnayya, a chieftain in Ede-nalnad in Kodagu was attacked and his cattle raided and lands occupied.

On praying to the family deity Baithurappa, the Lord sent a tiger which attacked the army, freeing Monnayya’s farmland.

In gratitude to the family deity, Monnayya went to various villages in Ede-nalnad, Beppunad and other regions of Kodagu and convinced the people to donate rice for the annual feast of the Baithurappa temple.

Since then, Monnayya and his descendants, the Puggera family, sent 12 oxen with bags of rice to Baithur.

Even today, at least three oxen with rice loads are sent to the temple, in a ritual called eth-porata that takes place before the annual temple festival.

The rice is cooked in the temple and given as Prasada oota (meals for devotees) during the oottu festival.

The oxen and their handlers walk 47 kilometres from Devanageri village (where the Puggera ancestral house is located) to the Baithurappa temple.

This temple festival points to the centuries-old friendship between the Kodava and Malayalam speaking people.

During two weeks, the main festive days of Baithurappa temple festival occur during five days.

On the main day is the arrival of eth-porata.

The main oottu festival happens on the third day. The nai abishekam (anointing the deity’s statue with ghee) takes place on the fourth day.

The arattu abhishekam (ritualistic bathing of idol) takes place on the fifth day.

This time, the festival is between January 14 and 25. The main festival days are on January 21 and 24. Due to Covid-19, strict restrictions are in place.

Only four bulls are allowed inside the temple and not more than 100 devotees can enter in a day.