Legend has it that Lord Aiyappa betrayed the tribals of Coorg on a hunting expedition aeons ago. So, on the fourth Thursday of May every year, they take “revenge”. They dress themselves up in strange costumes, shout expletives at the gods, and create a cacophony as part of Kunde Habba.
Or, if you find that difficult to believe, on the eve of monsoon each year, the tribals drink, dance, tie their banians down, make merry and let go of their frustration because of the tension of having to stay indoors for next few months due to the pouring rains. This scene is from the exotically named Devarapura in Virajpet.
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
churumuri 
awesome. churumuri, even sanskritized rishis of yores used to constantly rail in on the devas.
anyway bottomline, at the end of it all they went to aiyappa temple. what even the tribals understand, the seculars dont.
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just submitted this page to reddit…
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ts, as always i am amazed at your knowledge ( the rishis yelling at devas bit, i thought only i must have thought of that when i saw this picture, but you also had same thought, amsazing ).
but nodi, anyways bottomline is not kosher. you say anyways or you say bottomline not both. also kannada replacement for anyway and bottomline is always welcome. after all we are kannadigas nodi.
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Really awesome. This is why, if I HAVE TO choose a religion, my pick is Hinduism. Most democratic of all. Rarely do you get a chance to abuse gods, without being head cut off.
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What makes you think that Gods must be crazy? ;-)
All these are for their amusement. :D
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Our gods are used to “nindasthuthi? We should be glad we are not monotheistic. Raucuous behaviour such as this would be impossible in the world’s other major religions.
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Kunde habba :)
Remember this from my ooru temple, from many years ago.
Is a small temple set in the thick forest away from the ooru manes. The goddess’s jewelry is entrusted to the first family of the village – now in a bank locker I think – and was brought out only on very special days. First the pujari did the traditional pooje. After he did his thing, he closed the door of the garba gudi and it was open season. Cocks and pigs were sacrificied. It was fascinating to see headless chicken running around bumping into each other.
The temple itself was set in a thick forest, away from ooru manes.
They are improving the temple today and IT and/or NRI boys and girls in US are contributing whatever they can.
All is good, only hope they dont ditch the cool traditions (e.g. I doubt if anyone plays the dollu anymore).
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I remember the days of Chandra Gutthi BetthaLe Seve….
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Wonderfully creative costumes. This looks like a brazilian carnival.
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Great post churumuri. Thanks.
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abusing the big bosses in drunken revelry.
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Doode!
Yes brings back memories.
If I remember right didnt Lankesh patrike splash the photo of two women constables who were chased, stripped and paraded, on their front page?
And the beththale seve got banned forever after that…
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Where is the god?
This is a folk festivals of the native tribes of Hunsur, Periyapatna and Virajpet.
We must acknowledge their effort to continue this form of folklore since time immemorial.
We often claim that traditional knowledge is at stake.
Why we don’t see this as a other form of folklore of the people who have always sidelined.
I really missed the event.
Great cultural spectrum
Vasanth
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Special!
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In this world of modernisation it is good to see the committment shown by these people to keep the culture, tradition and also some of the old practices still going…this great zeal needs to be saluted…..
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You can’t be expressing your feelings,unless you believe in their existence. You need to love God more than you fear Him.
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Pingback: Sounds like a *f@*%?! good way to let off steam! « Somewhere in the world today…
very nice write up..kunde habba is indeed a unique festival..
you can find more about kunde habba here
http://www.gocoorg.com/coorg-festivals/kunde-habba
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