Bratukamma-The
Mother Life
Most of the deities that the Indians have been
worshiping were described as minor deities by the foreign Indologists. Their
culture enabled them even to classify the deities in the same fashion they had been
classifying officials. Most of the Historians in India, even after the advent
of independence, have been using the same terms without ever realizing how
improper and inadequate those terms are. There are no minor deities. They are
protective deities and the people consider them as such. One such deity of the
Telangana people is Bratukamma or Batukamma by popular usage. Bratukamma
literally means Mother Life.
Batukamma grants and protects life. She is being
worshipped particularly in the Telangana Region of Andhra Pradesh during
Navaratris of Dasara Festival. The State Government this year declared it to be
celebrated officially.
Why only in Telangana Region? Why not in the whole of
the Telugu speaking area? People who are acquainted with history know that
India in the past was a number of kingdoms whose formation was the result of
violent annexations by various kings at various periods. One should not try to
apply the present norms for the formation of states to the conditions of a
remote past. With the present knowledge of history, it will have to be agreed
that the entire Andhra area was ruled only by the Satavahanas, Vishnukundins,
kakatiyas, Qutub Shahis and the Asaf Jahis. If there are any common practices,
customs and beliefs, they must have been patterned during the periods of these
dynasties. In between, the in-roads made in to the society by the Buddhists and
Jains must have contributed to some new adaptations. There must have been a
number of deities and beliefs drawn from Buddhism and Jainism of the later
times. But that is for the researcher to determine and probably not much is
done in that direction so far.
About three centuries ago Bhatta Narasimha, a folk
poet belonging to the village Mogilicherla of Warangal District composed a song
which describes the genesis of the Batukamma festival. That should partly explain
the cause for the zeal and gusto with which the people of Warangal celebrate
the festival. Evidently they had acquired a sort of local exclusiveness for the
worship. People gather before the temple of Bhadrakali or Padmakshi in the
Historical Warangal Fort to celebrate this festival. Maybe the kakatiyas
started this festival and their tribal background should lead one to this
conclusion. The Kakatiyas were known to have introduced new names to the
pantheon of deities and they also popularized festive activities.
But….now to the story as narrated in the song composed
by the poet Bhatta Narasimha of Mogilicherla:
Dharmanga was a king of Chola Country. His queen was
Satyavati. The couple was great devotees and they performed one hundred
“Vratas”- prayers and with the result they had hundred sons. Though all the
hundred sons were considered invincible and very valorous, all of them died in
a war with enemies. So the king and queen, in utter grief, retired to a forest
to worship Goddess Lakshmi. The Goddess herself was born to Satyavati. All the
Saints-Rishis came to the forest and blessed the couple and the child and they
gave the name “Bratukamma” to the child. The chief grew into a beauty and one
day God Vishnu with an assumed name Prince Chakranka married the girl. They
gave birth to six thousand most beautiful and most valorous children. All
concerned were very happy afterwards.
Historians cannot now identify this Dharmanga the
Chola King or his connection with Telangana Region. All that the Historians of
the present day know is that Cholas were kings of Tamil area and their
offspring migrated to the Andhra area to found their own kingdoms like the
Renadu, Pothapi, Konidena, Kanduru, Velanadu and Pakanadu Cholas.
Known history notwithstanding, even now it is the
practice among the Telangana families to name a child as Batukamma if her birth
is preceded by series of child deaths.
The songs sung by way of worship of Batukamma describe
the glory of not only Lakshmi, but also, Gouri and Saraswathi. She must be the
Female Trinity.
There are many songs but invariably every line will
have at its end either “Kolu” (Worship) or “Uyyala” (Cradle) or “Chandamama”
(Moon) or “Gouramma”. One of the songs stipulates the preparations and mode of
worship of the deity Batukamma. It says: The plate in which the deity is placed
should be made of either weeds or bamboo. Pumpkin flowers should be suitably
arranged in the plate and various other flowers should be piled up in the form
of the deity and on the top of the deity, made with turmeric should be placed.
The entire form is then placed on a “Peetham” and worshiped in the traditional
manner. Then the women go round the deity singing with rhyme kept by claps.
Usually the deity is taken to some public place or
kept outside the house to enable the women perform this musical go-round. It is
repeated on all days of the festival and on the last day, the deity is taken to
a stream or tank and immersed amidst great display.
Batukamma festival is a sight which feasts the eyes
and ears. Women decked in all fineries take the deity in procession singing the
devotional songs. Usually a woman of a good tone starts singing and the other
women repeat it. Men accompany the procession and enjoy the collective singing.
There cannot be a festivity without “Prasadam” (Food offering to the deity). Five
kinds of Prasadam were stipulated during this festival and they must be prepared
with green gram, wheat, rice, coconut and gingili. Women, who might not have been
on talking terms prior to the festival, reconcile and renew their friendship during
these festivities.
This is not merely a village festival. The festivities
are now being observed in many urban areas. The rich perform it with pomp commensurate
with their riches. But the aesthetic excellence of the festivities organized the
poor also match the grandeur.
Some of the moderners who were not found to participate
in these festivities once are now enthusiastic thanks to the lead from Kavita of
Telangana Rashtra Samiti during the last three-four years. Whether someone participates
or not, it does not minimize the enthusiasm with which it is celebrated. Batukamma
festival is a charm.
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