Inviting ladies for Vettila-paaku and sundal!

In South India, the advent of Mahalyam or Pitrupaksham (remembrance of three generations of family members who have passed) heralds the preparation of the annual ritual that adorns most homes. The day after the Mahalya Amavasya, begins the nine-day Navarathri celebrations.

Over the past several centuries, cultural incursions have weaned away religious affiliations amongst large swathes of locals one after the other - the Portuguese, the Dutch and later by the British - the last marauder carrying the ignominious reputation as an incessant proponent of western culture. In spite of this, most south Indian communities of all faiths, in fact an overwhelming number at that, even to this day celebrate Navarathri by setting up dolls on planks in an arrangement called ‘padi’ or steps.

Kolu, as it is called in Palakkad Tamil, Bommai Golu in Tamil Nadu and Koluvai, in Andhra literally means “sitting in state”, a Sovereign or a Supreme Person sitting in a royal durbar, or court. As per belief, Goddess Durga in her Mahishasuramardini avatar sits in her Royal Durbar, prior to the slaying of the demon Mahishasura. Recent historical evidence reveals grand Kolu displays during the Vijayanagara kingdom, especially during the reign of Krishnadevaraya. The step-structure is a miniature replication of the tiers erected for the king and his subordinates, from where they observed the festivities. At some point, a domestic version of this practice manifested itself across homes in south India, establishing the Kolu ritual.

The dolls are set up on the day of the new moon, the day prior to the start of Navarathri, decked and adorned lovingly, and most families take the opportunity to relate mythological and cultural stories to children in the household, making it a warm celebratory ritual. Traditional Kolu dolls made of wood, clay or papier-mâché are arranged on the steps carefully, hiding many imperfections along the way. During this nine day period, families invite each other to visit their homes to proudly showcase their Kolu displays and then exchange gifts and sweets. As kids, my parents would get me and my siblings involved in the setting up of the dolls, usually kept away safe only to be taken out for display during Navarathri each year. I would gleefully call buddies to come visit our home museum!

A Purna Kalasha is kept prominently in the Kolu. It is considered a symbol of abundance and "overflowing full vase as a source of life" in the Vedas. It is believed to contain amrita, the elixir of life. The Kalasha is often seen in Hindu iconography as an attribute of the goddess of prosperity Lakshmi, the goddess of household bounty or a symbol of Ganesha’s mother Gauri. The metal pot Kalasha represents material things: a container of fertility - the earth or the womb, which nurtures and nourishes life. The mango leaves (5, 7 or 11 leaves) is associated with Kama, the god of love, symbolizes the pleasure aspect of fertility. The coconut represents prosperity and power. The water in the pot represents the life-giving ability of Nature. Sometimes, a silver or brass face of the Goddess is attached over the coconut of the Purna-Kalasha.

An important feature of the Kolu is the placement of dolls known as Marapachi Bommais, literal meaning wooden dolls. These are traditional dolls made specifically of red sandalwood, silk-cotton-wood or even red wood, made in pairs generally of male and female. As a tradition Marapachi dolls are gifted to newly married couples to play with, since during the medieval ages, child marriages were common.

Celebrated over a period of nine days in the Tamil month of Purattasi, both material and evocative elements come together seamlessly. Besides Kolu, it is unclear at what point ‘sundal’ entered this milieu. Sundal is a south Indian dish made with legumes, spices, coconut, and curry leaves. It is a low-fat, protein-heavy snack that can be put together in a jiffy, a minimal effort dish that demands little from its maker, but one that has stood the test of time. Soaked and cooked lentils are sautéed in oil along with mustard seeds, curry leaves, a dash of freshly grated coconut. The other variety is the vella-chundal, which is sweet and made with jaggery.

The womenfolk ritualistically invite married women and kanya girls for Vettila-paaku and manjal-kumkumam (haldi-kumkum). Vettila-paaku is betel-leaves and areca nut. (The term betel derived from the Malayalam word vettila). The use of the betel leaves with areca nuts during the Kolu display event is done as a mark of good wishes for prosperity and a commitment of maintaining relationships.

Navarathri is a celebration of triumph of good over evil, and is centered on the Goddess in all her incarnations — Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga. Unlike other festivals, where women are busy in the kitchens as the rest of the family enjoys the festivities, Navarathri puts women in the spotlight. Women dress in their finest sarees when they go ‘Kolu-hopping’ and exchange gifts. Songs are often sung and stories narrated in front of the Kolu.

The Ninth day of Navarathri is celebrated as Ayudha pooja and it has a special significance as on this day, all tools that are used for the progress and prosperity of mankind are worshipped. Even vehicles are honored and worshipped for their contribution to our lifestyle, profession and comfort. The 10th Day of Navarathri, Vijayadashami, is also celebrated as Saraswati pooja or ‘Vidya-arambham’, when children are anointed towards pursuit of formal education. In the evening of Vijayadashami, two Marapachi dolls from the Kolu are symbolically put to sleep and the Purna Kalasha is moved a bit towards the North to mark the end of that year’s Navarathri celebrations.

Fascinating indeed. Such gems are a part and parcel of our rich heritage of Sanatana Dharma. Please also do visit https://tinyurl.com/Akc-si-inv-wa for a passion project to keep heritage values and culture of Sanatana Dharma alive. To access the page, enter password as ‘temple’. Do not forget to please fill the form after you watch the video. Looking forward to you being a part of this community centric enterprise.