Cults and Cult-acts in Kerala
Summary
This article explores the religious practices associated with the Bhagavati cult and related rituals in Kerala. The author observes that priests in Bhagavati shrines are usually drawn from the Sudra community, reflecting the cult’s primitive roots and its connection with fertility rites. He emphasises that the goddess is often portrayed with aggressive attributes symbolising masculine energy, suggesting that the cult embodies both nurturing and destructive aspects. The article provides detailed descriptions of festivals such as Talapoli, during which the village deity goes from house to house collecting offerings. Failure to observe these rites is believed to result in epidemics, indicating the community’s dependence on ritual for well‑being. Another ritual, Paravakkal, involves the goddess’s representative collecting dues from villagers. The author discusses the Bhairani celebrations at Cranganore and Shertala, where the shrine becomes a pool of blood as cocks are sacrificed. He then describes Tekkham or Hook‑swing, a gruesome ceremony in which a devotee is hung from a crane by hooks through his skin and swung around the temple while others enact a mock fight. These rituals, though shocking, are seen as vestiges of pre‑Aryan Dravidian religion. The article concludes with a discussion of Bhagavati Pattu, a ritual performance involving song and dance around a coloured drawing of the goddess. The author interprets these cult‑acts as reflections of Kerala’s syncretic religious history, where ancient Dravidian practices coexist with later Hindu influences.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that Kerala’s cults and cult‑acts represent a synthesis of indigenous Dravidian rituals and later Aryan influences. Their emphasis on fertility, blood sacrifice and community participation reveals a religious worldview rooted in the natural cycle of life and death. Although some practices seem savage, they form an integral part of local identity and illustrate the diversity of Hindu worship traditions.