Veera Chokkappa Thevar and Maadasaamy Pillai – the Demi Gods of Southern lands!

It was an anecdote. I heard it from my father when I was a kid. I vividly remember his narration about one Paandya warrior, ‘Elu kanu thaandiya’ Veera Chokkappa Thevar. The title ‘Elu kanu Thaandiya’ literally means one who has withstood seven nodes.

The story is that in one battle the said warrior, Chokkappa Thevar in the midst of his fight was pierced by a hostile arrow shot which tore into his torso to the other side. The unrelenting southern warrior withstood the attack and continued his fight. He held out and was fiercely fighting while each successive node of that bamboo shaft was going into his torso one by one. The warrior fell down only when the seventh node pierced into him.

Amazed by his indomitable spirit and endurance, people referred him as, ‘Elu kanu thaandiya veeran’ meaning ‘the warrior who withstood seven nodes’. 

I really don’t know where this particular battle took place or from where that warrior hailed.

But I believe the authenticity of the story as it has been passed on down the time line in the region by word of mouth - at least to the extent that it narrates about the tenacity and spirit exhibited by an indomitable Paandya warrior in a particular battle.

Placing ‘Nadu-kal’ in the form of menhir or the standing memorial stone slabs in remembrance of a fallen warrior is the ancient Tamil custom. Remembering, worshiping and celebrating such warriors who martyred for their country, people or a noble cause is part of the tradition of Tamil communities. ‘Pulikkuthikkal’ is a form of ‘nadukal’ which is a memorial for the warrior who was killed while hunting tigers disturbing the residential localities.  

I have heard that God Karuppasaamy worshipped with much vigor throughout the Paandya territory of Southern Tamil Country is linked to such martyr worship. This land remembers it’s heroes who fell for a noble cause.

Karuppasaamy with various variants is a household name of the South.

Karuppasaamy is the deity who protects the Paandya territory.

This land is protected by the spirit of our fallen warriors!

Karuppasaamy is in the form of weapons drawn out - usually of aruvaal – the long sickle, sword, spears or mace and in a ready to attack position with sharply piercing eyes and twisted mush of an ancient Tamil warrior either in standing form or driving his horse.

Karuppasaamy temple priests usually hail from family lineages of the localities and the festivals decided by local customs. Liquor, cigar and mutton are offered to the warrior deity.

Artist expression of Karuppasaamy worshipping custom 

Wearing sangili i.e. iron chains symbolizes a fierce kind of warrior. Similarly Sangili Karuppasaamy is a fierce form of deity, worshipped by the Southern Tamil communities. 

Karuppasaamy in the form of  portrait on a rock side  worshiped in Arittappatti Hills near Madurai

It has been reported in the dailies that in the jungle outskirts of Kumarappatti village near Pudukkottai, the villagers worship 'Oomayan Karuppar' particularly on the full moon day of the Tamil month Chithirai. This Karuppasaamy is said to be the popular Southern warrior, Oomaithurai, the younger brother of the legendary Veerapaandya kattabomma Nayakkar. Oomaithurai is said to have been arrested by the British at this jungle due to the betrayal of the Pudukkottai King. However the people felt the guilt and the popular support remained – and still remains with the hero of Southern lands who chose to fight against the British colonialism!   

Similarly, there were chosen warriors who led the ancient Paandya army from the front lines of the columns. There is scarce chance for survival while at the front rows of clashing armies in ancient battles. 

Such men who volunteered to be at the front of the charge and bore the brunt of the enemy onslaught for the country were said to have been consecrated by the Southern communities as Muniayasaamy.

Muniyasaamy

The heroes who led us during the crises may fall, but their grace and power is exuded through our deities which would ever rekindle the ethos of our lands. 

Kottai Karuppasaamy is a protective deity of the ancient Paandya fortification. There is a Kottai Karuppasaamy temple still near the Northern Gate of the former Palayamkottai Fort. Similarly there is a Muniyasaamy temple at the site of the Southern Gate of the former Madurai Fort. 

Southern forts were protected by the exemplary actions of our fallen warriors. Karuppasaamy and Muniyasaamy at the gates of the ancient forts of Paandya country are the standing testimonies to this fact .   

I was shaken to see the way, people of Madurai throng to worship the Northern Temple Tower Muneeswara and place their infants before him on the road side floor seeking his blessings.       

There may be tens of scores of glowing portrayal of acts of bravery shown by Tamil warriors in the Sangam literature, ‘Puranaanooru’.

There are also abundant evidences of epigraphy which throw light on the course of Tamil history.

However there are also equally important similar pieces of history passed down through the generations as available in many regions of the Southern lands, among communities and within family trees in the forms of ballads, anecdotes and other folk expressions. Such information need to be picked up, compiled and collated with the literary, epigraphy and other evidence based ‘elitist’ academic history.

May the history of the southern Tamil lands also be folk sourced. 

I doubt the survival of such precious information surviving through another generation, in this age of fast paced style of anxious living.  

One childhood rhyme which still tinkling in my mind as I recall my childhood playmates rhyme in a loud chorus while playing on the dusty streets of Sankarankoil,   

             "ஐ ச்சக்கா ஐ............... 

              அரப்படி நெய் !

              வெள்ளக்காரன் கப்பல்ல 

              தீயக் கொழுத்தி வை !!"

a rough translation is,

               "Huraah......

                there is half a kilo of ghee!

                use it to burn the ships 

                of the whites!!"

It may be an embarrassingly funny, rhyming sequence of the childhood play.

But it points out the burning fire of under current flowing down the generations in the Southern Tamil Country. I found this very rhyme in a folklore compilation later.

The Western province of Tirunelveli region spearheaded the ever first uprisings against the British colonial mechanism in the Indian sub continent during the very first decade of the 19^th century immediately followed by the Eastern province which fell one by one. However the free spirit and the fight put forth by the southern Tamil country flowed down through the generations. Nellai Cheemai gave out so many fighters who struggled for the freedom of the land from the colonial occupation.

One fire brand Nationalist, Maadasaamy Pillai of Ottapidaaram and his comrades attempted to sink the British ships in the Tuticorin harbour by fire bombs. This extraordinarily talented warrior - forgotten in the modern Tamil history went underground and his biography is one which remains still untold by academic historians from their Macaulayan ivory tower tops.

I want to link the above said that age children's rhyme with the attempt of the brave men of the south who attempted to attack Tuticorin harbour used by the British to export black cotton to Lancashire, firing the industrial revolution there.

There are similar anecdotes which need academic recognition such as the folk narration on Panjalamkurichy warriors, Kattai Karupanan Sundaralingam - who martyred as a suicide bomber and destroyed an ammunition dump of the British, Potti Pagadai - who was instrumental in protecting his leader Oomathurai on the last battle of Panjalamkurichy war - II, and Vellaya Thevan - who led the Panjalamkurichy troops in the Panjalamkurichy war - I and the women warrior Kuyili of Sivaganga - who blasted a British ammunition store as a suicide bomber who all martyred in their land’s resistance against the alien occupation.   

Similarly this country worships the galaxy of Sithars – the revered Zen Gurus who rose from the ordinary households to the spiritual heights and guided the people of ordinary walks of life. People still throng their samaadhus - where their mortal remains are confined. The belief is that their immortal spirits remain there. There are hundreds of such jeeva samaadhus across the Southern Tamil Country worshiped.

When I visited one such Jeevasamaadhu of Sri Kannappa Sithar adjacent to Thirumalai hillock an ancient historic place of importance near Melur, I was stunned by the simple way of reverence shown by a companion who just chose to take a handful of sand nearby and distributed it in pinches among us as the holy ‘prasaadam’ as the blessing of our Sithar. Such is the sheer simplicity of ways our people express…..

 That is the way shown by our Sithars!   

May the southern lands be uplifted by the blessings of hundreds and hundreds of our Gods and Gurus!

                                       

Raging bulls and the daring men! - grounds of Paalamedu – the touchstone of Tamil heritage, valour and pride...!

On the next day to the previous Pongal, I visited the bull taming sport event at Paalamedu village on the outskirts of Madurai with my friend Kannan. Paalamedu is one of the typical remote villages of the country, lying at the foothills of the Sirumalai Range amidst picturesque surroundings. 

It is one of the 3 villages on the outskirts of Madurai popular for bull taming sports practiced / celebrated with much fan fare since perhaps the days of yore. 

On approaching the Palamedu village, a charged atmosphere of enthusiasm and spirit of the event was becoming tangible and gradually started permeating into everyone around. The fervor was so discernible!   

 

‘Jallikkattu’ – is this a Telugu combo phrase?- ‘thisai chol’? – or the more literary Tamil expression ‘eru- thaluval’, or the colloquial one, ‘ Manju virattu’  is an ancient  bull taming game of valour – a sizzling benchmark sport of Tamil bravery popular and practiced with pomp and zeal particularly in the spartan agrarian villages surrounding Madurai - the ancient Pandya capital town during Pongal – the traditional and prime Tamil festivity of post harvest occasion.  

The enthusiasm in this village was so much pulsating that it clearly caught us up and we just descended automatically and unconsciously felt absorbed into the surrounding phenomena.

Raging bulls and daring youth of Madurai region – the testimony of the raw bravery and absolute confidence on virtual display;

We could see that the people of this locality take immense pride and are emotionally involved in this game with absolute zest. Next day, news papers estimated the crowd to be of 50 thousand plus.

 Another adjacent village Alanganallur is also World famous for this bull taming game of gallantry, celebrated on the next day to Paalamedu jallikkattu from time immemorial. Avaniyapuram is the other village among the 3 villages.

Alangaanallur jallikkattu grounds are in fact a street in the midst of that village;

Taming a bull or taking away the gifts tied between the horns or cloth tied to the bull’s neck was once considered as the winning point in the game. A recent press report tells about an ancient rock relief sculpture, found recently, depicting a bull tamer holding the horns from front.    

The rules of the game recently have been highly standardized due to interventions by a variety of agencies and vested groups who are bent on streamlining (?) this event to the extent of thwarting its sheen.

As per the present rules of the game, a bull’s ferocity is to be contained after it is released into the arena by any of the participants. 

If any participant is able to hold on the horns and / or hump for a particular duration, the bull is considered as tamed.

If the bull escapes the hold, it is declared as an untamed one, to the pride of its owner. The owners of untamed bulls are also rewarded.    

Bulls are released into the grounds one by one through ‘vaadi-vaasal’ – a narrow entrance.

If the bull is tamed by more than one person it is a fowl!

The bull should not be touched by its tail, or neck.

And the watchful jury of the village committee perched on the top of the vaadi- vaasal announces the proceedings and declares their verdicts instantly!  

The youth from the nearby villages participate with great confidence and with immense spirit in this game.

Bulls are reared especially for this purpose. A sort of social standing and pride is drawn from owning an indomitable bull! 

The bull tamer is rewarded with gifts ranging from dress, utensils, to cycle, steel bureaus and even gold coins.

There went many a bulls displaying raw strength and ferocity easily wriggling out of the approaching tamers to the pride of their owners. The owners are acclaimed their villages are mentioned and rewards distributed immediately to them by the jury of the village committee. Some 600 tamers participated. Injury or even death at times is common - which it seems never dampened the enthusiasm. 42 participants injured on that day.

Paalamedu Jalikkattu is traditionally organized and conducted by Sri Mahalingaswamy Temple Administrative Committee of the village. So the first bull which is allowed to enter into the arena is the Paalamedu temple bull which is revered and is allowed to go without taming.

Gifts of steel bureaus to the valiant tamers stored in the temple premises;

Every historical villages of Madurai country side rear a temple bull and such bull is reverentially treated. ‘Koil-kaalai’ is a common Tamil word with many colloquial connotations. The villages mourn the death of their village temple bulls and observe their funeral as if a member of the village community. There are memorials for them in several villages. Koil kaalais are first released through vaadi vaasal in many jallikkattus. They are revered and allowed to go and no one is permitted to tame them. Koil kaalai is a chosen one. It is 'eugenic' system of sustaining the best of the indigenous breeds. 
   
That is the depth of this single celebration wafted into the socio, economic and cultural streaks of Tamil country. 

Vaadi vassal i.e. the gate through which the bulls are sent into the bull taming ground one by one with proper introduction of the owner and his village.

The huge line of waiting bulls for their time behind the vaadi vaasal entrance to the grounds;

About 541 bulls reported to have participated;

Bravery is writ on the walls of Paalamedu…..Graffiti of the celebrated hero of Kongu Country - the invincible Tamil warrior, Chinnamalai, who fought against the British colonial army during the Tamil Country’s Revolt against the British in 1802.

Paalamedu is a tiny village near Madurai nestled on the foothills of Sirumalai range at the bosom of  mother nature.

 

The popular film ‘Murattukkaalai’, of ‘circa’ 1980 has aptly glorified the spirit of this game of gallantry and etched it's cultural background in the Tamil memory for ever. 

The recent film, ‘Virumandi’ has also vividly captured the electric atmosphere of jallikkattu and its deep rooted sylvan consciousness in the contemporary social milieu of Madurai.

An old fashioned house at Paalamedu; 

The Spanish Bull fighting - more aptly a horrible killing event (?) – I believe is an inferior one and not at all comparable with the gallant jallikkattu of the Tamil country as it involves just tactically spearing the bull to its unethical and eventual killing. 

Whereas jallikkattu involves testing the mettle of hearts, caliber of minds, assessment of timing, agility and strength of brawn all put together apart from the reverential treatment to the bull. More importantly the jallikkattu is warped and interwoven into the agro - social heritage, culture and civilizational consciousness of Tamil country. 

Jallikkattu, Rekla race and other such sports events are common to the post harvest mirth and celebrations throughout the Eastern rice belt of India. such celebrations are deep routed in the social consciousness and thanks giving peasantry believes to the nature that they form part of the heritage capital as the farming communities believe that such celebrations are important for the subsequent successful cropping.   

Pray legal vistas be reopened for the sustenance and continuity of this unique gallant sport of our ancestry, a symbol of Tamil cultural heritage.

It was reported that on the next day’s jallikkattu at Alanganallur, a man of match was selected – based on the number of bulls an individual had tamed. A young cop from the locality emerged as the man of the match and was rewarded with a two wheeler!

The Indian Army can conduct a recruitment camps on these events. I am sure, several of these brave young bull tamers could make out valiant commandos of our Army.   

Bull motifs are one of the iconic symbols found in ancient civilizations and in history – such as Egyptian and Indus civilizations.

It is interesting and pertinent to note the Semitic denigration of the ‘Apic’ bull symbol of the Egypt and other similar ancient cultures and promotion of goat iconography instead. Examples are the 'golden calf' of the book of Exodus and the biblical, 'adoration of the holy goat'.   

The revered Apis bull of the Egypt;

Awal [bull], the traditional symbol of Bahrain;

That perhaps explains the compulsion of a neo - religion growing over an ancient heritage against the connected insignia of the region.

Cattle stock varieties were once carefully nurtured in the Tamil country which was epitomized as wealth as they ensured mobility, transportation, agricultural force apart from dairy to the common households. The Tamil word, ‘Maadu’ [a common word for bull and cow] simply and directly connotes wealth. Old time, Tamil word, ‘Maattuppen’ denotes the daughter –in-law who is welcomed as a lakshmi i.e. harbinger of luck to the family. The grand guru of Tamil lands, Tiruvalluvar uses the word ‘maadu’ to denote wealth.

Bull was the ancient symbol of Pandya country before its replacement by fish emblem. Tamil word, 'Pandu' meaning the 'ancient' is the root word of 'Paandi'. However, the word, 'Paandi' also denotes the bull. The Pallava country also was symbolized by bull before the insignia was changed to the lion logo during the reign of Emperor Narasimma varma. 

Bull symbolizes toughness and raw strength. However it also represents ‘Saadhvik’ i.e. matured composure among the three gunaas [nature] of ‘Sath, Rajo and Thamas’. The bull symbol denotes amicability while at the same time ferocity if disturbed. Thus bull symbolizes the potent power of ancient civilizational heritage systems which are constructive, self -sustaining and cohesive. 

 The personality traits comparison of the zodiacal ‘Taurus’ would be an interesting match! Taurus represents the element of Earth 'Prithvi' or lands and thus indicates ownership over lands and stability.

Perhaps bulls preceded lions to denote the nobility. 

Bull represents the ancient civilizational traits whereas the lion the later institutionalized imperialism. 

A self sacrificing Leadership over a domineering one...!

From real character to outwardly charm...! 

From the beauty of civilization to brute cunning colonialism...!

It is interesting to note that the lions stand over the pedestal with an image of bull on the Saranath pillar.  

Bull is the prime force behind the ancient organic mode of agriculture in the Tamil country.  Bull is also a principal symbol of Tamil Saivite tradition. 

Bull or Nandhi denotes an evolved soul which becomes the seat of Lord Shiva. The Word ‘shivam’ is interpreted as ‘mangalam’ i.e. all the positivity - Good - noble. Interestingly all the above coherent ideas are built in the symbol of Bull. 

                              
Traditional agrarian Tamil communities revere and celebrate bulls by dedicating a special day of Maattu Pongal. Though almost all the traditional Tamil communities are non vegetarian and partake red meat, beef still remains a taboo in the Tamil psyche. That is one reason, why the neighboring Kerala state offers an attractive market for the distress sale of cattle by Tamil farmers. 

A Tamil family photo of  past era.....! 

  

The symbol of bull now has been reduced just to denote the way it charges – an upward stock price movement! 

It is a pity that the rich genetic wealth of our cattle stock bequeathed to us by our ancestors is at threat due to myriad reasons – perhaps the prevailing ban on the  jallikkattu is one among them. The offer of shelter by a Coimbatore institution to Madurai - Dindigul based abandoned bulls and the way the people welcomed them en-route has recently been reported in the press and was indeed heartening. 

Above all, the bull symbolizes ‘selflessness’ which is the root trait of every ancient civilization. For example the Paandya territory has thousands of meticulously planned and ingeniously built ancient irrigation systems/ water bodies now almost in the verge of ruin. Our ancestors built systems for the forthcoming generations to sustain. What we have made out of them is obvious..... Ah!... perhaps we live in the 'present' and follow the wisdom of the great American economist JM Keynes, who's one famous canon is that ‘in the long run we are all dead’!

India is the only country in the entire globe with such a rich diverse varieties of indigenous cattle breed; the rearing of which is interwoven into the social, cultural, economic and religious fabrics of our life. It seems exactly this is what targeted by the alien forces backed by MNC-economic and missionary interests.   

May Lord Shiva restore the wisdom of this land which is the real wealth of this Country.