Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tula Sankramana

From the time of the departure of Chandra Varmma, his sons and their people waited for the fulfilment of his prophecy and the appearance of the holy river Kaveri. Two days before Tula sankramana (the time of the sun's entering the sign of Libra) Parvati appeared in a dream to king Devakanta, Chandra Varmma's eldest son, and ordered him to assemble his whole people in the place called Valamburi. There she would appear to them. Accordingly the whole tribe assembled at Valamburi. The river came rushing down the valley, and the assembled Coorgs bathed in the fresh flood. The violence of the stream twisted the knots of the women's cloths round to their backs, and the Coorg women wear them in that fashion until this day, in remembrance (says the Purana) of the first bathing of the Coorgs in the waters of the Kaveri at Valamburi.

In the middle of the stream, Parvati appeared in person. " Ask a boon of me," she said. The Coorgs asked for fecundity, for dominion, for riches, and for a priest. Parvati answered ; " It is well ; a priest you will find near the fountain of the Kaveri, a friend of my father Kavera Raja, who has worshipped me for three lives". The Coorgs went to the sources of the Kaveri and there found him. He taught them during a whole month which they spent there, how to prepare food for their ancestors, and perform other holy rites. Since that day all the Coorgs assemble each year, in the month of Tula (Oct.-Nov.) to celebrate the great festival of their tribe in honour of Kaveri.

Source: Mysore and Coorg, Vol. III by Lewis Rice

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