FEATURE
“ I cannot explain how I feel whenever
I perform as a velichappadu in temples because the words are not enough to describe it .”
Caption Poratae voluptam , sequam vercipi endest qu
Ancient Story
There is an exciting ancient story written in religious books of Hinduism regarding the origin of this unique art form . Once upon a time , a seer called Maharshi , an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva , was gifted a precious stone object called the Shiva Lingam . It had been worshipped by the goddess Parvathi . Maharshi started his penance by placing the lingam at the top of a hill . Learning about this , Parvathi became furious and sent Bhadrakali to retrieve the lingam from Maharshi . However , to everyone ’ s surprise , she was not able to lift the lingam off the ground . Seeing this , the goddess understood the devotion of the Maharshi and was pleased by it . Along with Lord Shiva and Ganesh , she appeared in front of the Maharshi and pledged to reside on the hilltop . Later , the Maharshi requested two Brahmin people to place Shiva , Parvathy , Ganesh , and Bhadrakali , in the temple . Maharshi also taught the Vedic mantra ( chants ) to do so .
While the Brahmins invoked Lord Shiva , Ganesh , and Parvathy using chants , they could not invoke Bhadrakali , since they could not conjure her image in their minds . Meanwhile , a servant of the brahmin was present while the Maharshi was teaching the Brahmins about the chants , and he had a clear image of Bhadrakali form as precisely explained by the Maharshi in his mind . However , he was in a dilemma as to how to explain this to the Brahmins . So , he drew the picture of Bhadrakali on a nearby rock using the sharp edge of a stone . The Brahmins were astonished to see this and blessed the servant that his followers will have the privilege and rights to invoke Bhadrakali , and they will be called Kallatu Kuruppanmar from here forth . Hence , it
is reckoned that this unique art form has originated from the Thirumandhamkunnu temple . The temple is situated in Malappuram , a district that is located on the north side of Kerala . The deity of that temple is Bhadrakali . Therefore , Kallatu Kuruppanmar is thought to be the founder of this art .
Rules and Regulations
Throughout the years , there have been specific rules that designers have been required to follow before working on a design . For example , designers should not indulge in alcohol or drug consumption at least seven days before the event where they will be making their drawings . Also , the person should not be involved in any sexual contact before designing . “ It is something that we have been following throughout the years . It is a vital ritual , and it should be performed by respecting all the rules ,” Prabhakaran added .
The drawings are designed in a square shape in the temples of the male deity ; whereas in a female deity temple , they are sketched in a regular heptagon . The only occasion when a different picture gets drawn is during Pooram , which is a special day in every temple once a year . On that day , the image of a specific god and goddess are sketched .
The art is drawn only in five colours : White , yellow , black , green , and red . “ The colour powders are made from food items since artificial colour powder are not allowed to be used ,” said the Kalamezuthu artist . The white powder is made from rice , whereas yellow is turmeric powder made from a turmeric plant . Black powder is generated from coated rice hulls , and red is made by mixing the slaked lime powder with turmeric powder , as it turns into a red colour . The green powder takes the longest time to prepare , as it is made by crushing multiple green leaves from the forest .
“ It should be only drawn with bare hands ,” he added . The artist also mentioned that in the ancient Hindu book Agni Purana , it had said that people should not use any tools while drawing .
Pooja / worshipping
Once the design is completed , the priest of the temple worships God by chanting the mantras . During this time , the priest cracks 12008 coconuts on the rock stone . “ Once you start the pooja , you feel that you have the supernatural energy ,” said Kallatu Manikandan , a priest .
Priest Manikandan has performed various poojas in several temples across Kerala over the past twenty years . He said that he never felt tired after cracking the twelve thousand and eight coconuts , as the priest firmly believes that he had the blessing of lord Bhadrakali Devi during that time . By breaking the coconut , it is thought that all the egos and problems caused to human beings by the evil spirit will get vanished . “ Once the entire coconuts are cracked , we pray to the god to bless the entire earth ,” said the priest .
Kalampattu
Kalampattu means a song that is sung in front of God . The music may differ in different temples , as it depends upon the power situated at that place . The theme will be related to the ancient stories written about the deities in the Hindu religious books . “ Once the Kalampattu gets finished , there is a process called Thiri Uzhichil ,
22 SLEUTH ISSUE 4