According to Coorg tradition, the spirits of their ancestors continue to abide with or occasionally visit the living. The spirit of a male ancestor is called Karana, that of a female Karanachi or Sodalichi. Karana is also a term commonly used to denote the living head of a family.
Ancestor worship occupies a very prominent place with the Coorgs. For the use of the spirits of their ancestors, which continue to hover about the dwelling, a small building called Kaymada or Kaimatta is erected near the house. It is square and consists of but one room or sometimes has only a niche, the basement being raised 5 or 6 feet above the ground. Within these Kaymadas, to represent the ancestors, are placed silver plates embossed with figures, copper or bronze images male and female, or even a slab of stone with figures sculptured on it. Along with them are put sticks with silver heads, silver or common knives and other articles, by way of memorial. Those who cannot afford to build a Kaymada, make a sort of mud bank for the purpose, called Kota, under a tree in the fields where the family's first house (ain mane) stood.
On occasions when the well-being of the Coorg house seems to be disturbed by troublesome spirits, they are appeased by offerings of milk, rice or arrack, which are placed in the niches in the wall of the house. If the visitant is supposed to be the spirit of Ajjappa (father or grandfather) a fowl, or two are decapitated at the Kaymada. But should these not be deemed sufficiently effective, a member of the house may profess to become possessed by one of the spirits, as whose representative he now acts, and he is liberally treated with food and drink, and answers questions regarding the demands of the vexed spirit. The gifts offered him are called Karana Barani.
A ceremony of still greater importance is the Karana Kola or Spirit mask, performed in order to ascertain the particular wishes of the departed. It takes place annually or biennially, and is conducted by one of the fraternity of wizards - Panika, Banna or Maleya. The ceremony begins after sunset, and is performed in the house, in the presence of the housepeople and their neighbours. The personator of the spirit wears in succession a variety of masks, and buckles on a sword. Thus arrayed, he dances to the accompaniment of a drum, and as he sings of the deceased father, grandfather or other ancestor, the spirit seizes him and he speaks as its mouthpiece. To each spirit a sacrifice, also called Karana Barani, is offered in the courtyard, consisting of a coconut, fried rice, a cock and a bottle of liquor, which latter the representative drinks to fortify himself for further exertions during the night. The ceremony terminates with the sacrifice of a pig fattened for the purpose. Either the wizard, or a Coorg whom he points out, decapitates the pig in front of the Kaimatta, where the head is placed for a few minutes, when it is removed and given to the wizard, but the body of the pig is cut up and eaten by the house people. Where there happens to be no Kaimatta, the sacrifice is made at the Karana Kota.
Source: Mysore and Coorg, Vol. III by Lewis Rice
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