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                  CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF COORG

COORG-The scotland of India 

Kodavas originally hail from the Kurdish area of Turkey,Iran and Iraq,which is hilly region like kodagu ,They entered India during 320BC in the pre-islamic era ,as a part of the iranian contigent which had joined Emperor Alexanders invading army.

The people live in kodagu worship nature and river Cauvery in the highest regard.To them ,the holy river cauvery is their mother and worships the godesses cauvery.Main Ethnic group and majority are Arebhase Gowdas and Kodavas as they are all settled in kodagu .The coorg customes are quite different from those of the other people in India ,The delicacy that is served at community feast is Pork,pork is a traditional meat in any coorg funcions(Pandhi kari),Weapons are the Coorg traditions and Religious beliefs swords and guns are worshipped by coorg people.they have their own language called kodava language,the total population approximately 160,000.

TRADITIONAL KODAVA MANGALA(WEDDING)

Like most Inian weddings,the coorg wedding,or mangala as it is called in the kodava language,it is a joyous celebration much feasting and dancing,eagrly awaited by friends and relatives.it is also occasion to meet,exchangw news gossips and look for matches for brides and grooms;an occasion that allows women an opportunity to show their sarees and jewellery.
What surprises visitors from outside to coorg is the absence of Bhramin priestd and rituals that solemnize a typical hindu weddding.Instead prayers are offered  to ancestors at the sacred lamp and the wedding ceremony are guided by elders whose blessings are sought.some unusual ritiuals make the coorg wedding Unique.

The traditional coorg wedding these days is a two day affair that sometimes spiils over to the early hours of the third morning(if if the dancers at the ganga puje dance through the night!).the day preceding the wedding is called the uur kuuduva or karik muripa day .The important ceemonies on  the wedding day are muurtha-when the bride is given rights in her husnands house and the ganga puje-when the bride is welcomed and accepted as a member of the grooms family.
In the past,the karik muripa and muurtha ceremonies were ceebrated separately and concurrently foor the bride and the groms in their resceptive ainmanes(ancestral houses of okkas or patrilineal clans)where they were blessed by their relatives and friends.such muurtha that is held separately for the bride or the groom is colloquially called a 'single'  muurtha.the groom would then go to his brides house in a procession with small group of his relative and friends for the dampathi muurtha(common or double muurtha fot the bride and groom together)after which the bride was given the sammanda rights.after that the groom would bring his bride to his home in the procession,and the ganga puje would be held there.this is folllowed occasionally even today,although  hall that is hired for the occasion by each party.In such cases invitations are issued seperately by the brides or the grooms muurtha(depending on the invitation came from),and do not to see the bridal couple together at all!!
Nowadays,for the sake of convenience,the karika muripa,muurtha and the dampathi muurtha ceremonies are held at a common venue,together for both the bride and the groom.What follows is a bries description of the important coorg wedding as it is conducted these days.some of the ritiuals vary between okkas.

WEDDING EVE-URU KUUDUVA/KARIK MURIPA:

On the day before wedding the groom is dressed in a white long sleeved kupya(a wrap around knee-length coat,a traditional coorg man attire)secured at the waist with a red amd gold silk chele(sash).A red silk scarf with white checks is tied on his head.the bride is customarily dressed in an off-white sari with gold border(or a coloured sari these days)worn in coorg style(with the pleats tucked in at the back of her waist,and the end of the sari fastened over her right shoulder) with a long-sleeved blouse and a vastra(long embroider veil)tied back at the nape of the neck.

Members of the grooms and brides okkas and uur(village)assamble(uur kuuduva)in the wedding house.after the preparation for the wedding is,the done ,the groom is led by his bojakaara(best man)to sacred hanging lamp kept at the muurtha site.he offers prayers to his ancestors and to the deities of the okka,and his mother place a pavala maale (chain of gold and coral beads)around his neck,marking his status as groom.The groom then seeks the blessings of his parents and all the assembled elders,touching each persons feet thrice and raising his hands to his forehead.Identical rituals are followed by the bride who is guided by her bojakarthi(matron of honour).The brides mother ties a pathaak around her neck,marking her status as a bride.The pathaak is a short chain of coral,gold and black beads with a gold coin pendant that is framed by rubies and has the figuree of a cobras hood at its top.

WEDDING DAY:

Early on the wedding day the dais at the muurtha site is got ready.A white cloth canopy is tied over it and decorated in the traditional way.The sacred hanging lamp is lit and mats are spread on the dias.Two mukkaalis(low three-legged stools)covered with red cloth are kept on either side of the dias

for the bride and groom to sit on .On each sof two other mukkaalis kept on either side of the dias ,is placed a thaliyathakki bolcha(a silver or bell-metal plate with a small lamp kept on a layer of rice).A kindi(small metal pot with a spout)full of milk is placed on each of these plates.Two kuth bolchas(tall brass pedestal lamps)lit with wicks flank the muurtha site.That morning,the groom is led by his bojakaara for his ritual shave.A barber applies milk on the grooms face and shaves his facial hair and a part if his forehead.the groom is then led by his bojakaara for his ritual bath where his mother and two married ladies pour one pot of water each of him,after his bath,the groom is heald by his bojakaara to dress for the wedding cermony.the groom wears a white  long sleeved kuppya,a red chele around his waist and a white and gold turban that is partly covered with a red veil.A peeche kathi(Coorg dagger)is tucked into the front of the chele and anold kathi(war knief with broad blade)is attached at the back.He wears the pavala maale that his mother placed around his neck on the wedding eve,katti bale(thick gold bangles)and a jasmine garland.

While the groom is going through these rituals,the bride,dressed in a silk sari and long sleeved bloused,is led by her bojakarthi for the blae iduva(bangle wearing)ceremony.she sits on the mat spread on the floor and the bangle seller adorns her wrists with glass bangles of various colour that is belived to ward off evil.Her bojakarthi then leads the bride for her ritual bath where her mother and two married ladies pour one pot of water each on her.

After her bath,the bride is helped by her bojakarthi to dress for the wedding ceremony.The bride wears a red silk sari with gold dots and gold border,a red long sleeved blouse and a red musuk(veil)
that covers head and face.She is adorned with traditional coorg gold jewellery for her hair and ears,wrists,fingers and neck,silver jewellery for her feet and a jasmine garland.

Mean while,as the guests arrive they are greeted by volaga music and welcomed by the parents or close relatives of the bride and goom and offered refreshments.

BAALE BIRUD:HONOUR OF CUTTING THE BANANA PLANT

On the plant leading to the wedding hall,a row of nine or more(multiples of three)banana plant stems are fixed  vertically to small wooden stake driven into the ground,and the tops of the stems are decorated with fkowers .A maternal uncle of the bride and the groom,each in turn,are given the honour of cutting these is greeted by the host(the father of the bride/groom)in the traditional manner.He is given an old  kathi and show  the banana plant stems to be cut down.He offers prayers to his ancestors and village gods along with his villagers and walks thrice around the stems,gently tapping the flowers on top with the old kathi.Then he cuts the stems one by one,each with a single stroke,exhibiting his beat of the valaga music along with the assembled people.
When the groom is ready the wedding band starts playing to herald his arrival at the wedding hall.he walks holding a gejje thand,an ebony staff adorned with silver bands and bells,that serves as his proxy at his wedding,if for any teason he is unable to be present there!The groom is led byhis bojakaara who holds an umbrella covered with white cloth over the grooms head.They are preceded by a girl holding a thaliyathakki bolcha and four men beating dudis and singing the batte paat(song for the way).The grooms sister or cousin accompanies them,carrying the wedding poliya(a reed basket filled with puffed rice,coconuts,bananas,jaggert cubes,and a kind of milk on her head).This is belived to be vestigial trace of the old custom where the grooms party took provisions to the brides house for the wedding feast.

When the grooms party  arrives,they were welcomed by the brides father and relatives,A representative of the groom is then given the baale birud honour and he cuts down six banana stems in the traditional manner.This is symbolic of the grooms triumph over other suitors for his bride and his indicative of his warrior roots.
As the enter the wedding hall,a young girl of the brides family washes the feet pf both the groom and his bojakaara with water,and the brides family members shower rice on the groom.A washerman spreads sheets of white cloth for the groom to walk on.The poliya brought by the grooms party is handed over to a lady of the brides family who places it under the sacred lamp.The brides mother welcomes the groom and feeds him a mixture of rice,milk and sugar.

THE DAMPATHI MUURTHA CERMONY:

At the muurtha site,the groom led by his bojaakara walks thrice around the mukkaali that he will sit on (to the right of the bride),sprinkles rice on it and salutes it by touching it with both palms and raising them to his forehead.He then steps over the mukkalli with his foot first and sites on it,facing the east with the assembled guests facing him.After he is seated,the bride is led to the muurtha site by her bojakarthi and she too follows the same rituals as the groom did before sitting the bride,and the bojakaara sits slightly behind the groom to his right.The bride and groom are now blessed and given gifts in the traditional manner with rice showered on them.the mother is the first onr to bless her child(even if she is a widow),and is followed by the father and then by other elders who are close relatives.After that,the women in the gathering come forward and bless the bride and groom and they ae followd by the men.during  the muurtha ceremony four men beating dudis sing the wedding song and the voga outside plays the wedding music.

At the end of the dampathi muurtha,the last one to bless the groom is the bojakaara and the last one to bless the bride is the bojakarthi.The groom now stands in front of his bride,showers rice on her head,offers her a sip of the milk in the kindi and gives her a cheela pana(a small red silk bag containing at least one gold,one silver and one copper coin).This signifies his all sharing with bride.then the groom offers his hand to his bride and holding her right hand,he helps her stand up.The couple then exchanges their jasmine garlands.

SAMMANDA KODUPA:BESTOWAL OF RIGHTS TO THE BRIDE

The bride now recives the sa,,anda(rights of relationship)in her grooms okka.this is the essential ceremony that solemnizes the marriage.The elders of the brides and grooms okkas stand infront of the sacred lamps facing each other in two row and recite the traditional dialogue is characterized by a few exaggerated and humorous comments,and the elders improvise on it with some friendly banter.when the rights are bestowed,a respected elder in the brides party gives his counterpart in the grooms party twelve pebbles,symbolic of twelve pieces of gold,which represent her birthright in her parents home thar she has now given up.the grooms elders accepts only eleven of them,allowing the bride to retain her ties with her family and the right to return to her parents house,should the necessity arise.

BATTE THADPA:BLOCKING THE BRIDES PATH

When the bride has recived the sammanda rights,the groom is ready to lead his new wife to his house.however,the brides bava(cross-cousin)who could have married by tradition,blocks her path at the threshold,claiming that she is his by right.After much hilarious arguing and bargaining,the bava accepts a gold coin from the groom and lets her go.

THE WEDDING FEAST AND DANCING

When these ceremonies are over,those assembled are invited to the wedding feast by the mother of the bride.it is customay for the head of the family to eat with his guests,while the other members 0f the assembled men,women,boys and girls dance to the music played by the wedding band.

NEER EDPA/GANGA PUJE:THE BRIDE FETCHES WATER FROM A WELL

This is followed in the evening ,it symbolizes that bride becoming the part of the grooms family and helping in the household chores

The bride removes all the ornamnents on her feet and puts on silver toe-rings and ties a vasthra symbol of  a married lady,after praying at the sacred lamp,she goes to the well for ganga puje accompimes by her bojakarthi,women of the grooms family and the wedding band.The bride sprinkles drops three betel leaves alomg with areca nuts into yhe wel.she breaks a coconut with her husbands peeche kathi and drops the coconut halves also into yhe well.if she cannot break the coconut easily she is teased,and women around her claim to be able to predict the gender of her first child,depending on how the coconut breaks or whether the betel leaves dropped into the well fall face first .The bride then draws water from the well and pours in into each of four small pots.she balances two of the pots on her head,one on top of the other.Two pot each and walk with the bride,one in front and one behind her.

This procession now return to the wedding hall,accomplised by the wedding band playing a slow beat.The bride takes very small steps to the beat of the music.members of the grooms family dance in front of her ,welcoming her to the house.These days they often dance for hours,slowing the brides walk and testing her stamina!ehrn they reach the wedding hall,the post of water are kept under the sacred lamp.

KOMBAREK KOOTUVA:THE GROOM IS LED TO THE BRIDAL CHAMBER

The bojakarthi leads the bride to the bridal chamber when she sits with her veil covering her face.the bojakaara leads the groom to the sacred lamp to offer prayers,and then leaves him at the chamber the groom lifs the veil from his brides face and presents her with an ornament usually a fold wedding band.