BENGALURU: Here’s your guide to obscure practices that survive in the era of e-pujas
Salt and pepper for flawless skin
The Lakshmi Venkataramana Swamy Temple at Sajjan Rao Circle is famous for its remedy for skin disease — a salt and pepper offering to the deity.
During the annual belli teru that takes the deity around in a silver chariot (the festival was held on November 27 this year), people used to fling crystal salt and black corn pepper as the procession travelled through the crowded streets of Visveswara Puram, but not anymore. “Last year, the temple had to spend lakhs on the chariot because it was corroded,” says Eshwaramma, who has been selling flowers outside the temple for 50 years. So now the offerings go into a plastic drum kept outside the temple.
Inside, people discreetly leave their salt- and-pepper offerings in plastic covers on a stone platform. “It’s an old custom and many devotees follow it,” says Narayana Sharma, priest of the Krishna shrine inside the compound.
Neither the priests nor the devotees are clear about when or how the practice originated. But many swear by it. Says Nirmala, a housewife and resident of Hanumanthnagar, sitting on the steps after darshan, “My nephew had an abscess and the doctor said he needed surgery. My aunt told me of this remedy, which we followed. It vanished, and the doctor was surprised too.” She had tried out both traditional remedies as well as “English medicine,” a term commonly used for allopathy, for the boy before he saw improvement. “Who can say what works for whom?” she muses.
Venkataramana Temple, Sajjan Rao Circle, V V Puram
Mary Who Wears a Silk Sari
St Mary’s Cathedral, enshrined in the late 19th century, has its teru too — the Mother Mary Chariot Festival on the last day of the annual feast, September 8, celebrating her glory.
Her statue, dressed for the occasion in a silk sari (on other days she wears a cotton sari), is taken through the streets. The church’s rituals are influenced by Hindu practices. “On regular days, a smaller statue is carried around within the compound,” says Kasturi, who runs a canteen. Born a Hindu, she says many like her pray at the cathedral for unfulfilled wishes.
“People take harakes (a promise to offer something in return if a prayer is answered), and give saris when their prayers are answered. They write a letter to the Father, who reads it out before mass,” she adds. Free marriages are conducted during the 11 days of the feast. “The church remains open from 6 am to 12 midnight, and free food is given to all devotees,” says the woman, who has found solace here.
St Mary’s Cathedral, Near Shivajinagar, Bus Terminus
16-day coconut puja for accomplishment
Karya Siddhi Anjaneya Temple is known for its 16-day poorna phala samarpana puja. It is believed that devotees who perform this ritual will have their desires fulfilled.
Devotees, after making a wish in front of Lord Anjaneya, have to tie the coconut — with its fibrous outer layer — given to them to the grill there. A 16-day puja follows, which includes the chanting of the Karya Siddhi Anjaneya mantra 108 times at home and twice a week and then doing 41 pradakshinas (circumambulations) at the temple. On the 16th day, devotees untie their respective coconuts and offer it to the God. It is returned to the devotees, and a sweet prepared from it is distributed as prasad.
Karya Siddhi Anjaneya
Temple,Sri Ganapathy Sachidananda
Ashrama 3rd C Main, 7th Cross, Girinagar 2nd Phase, BSK 3rd Stage
Elsewhere...
A court battle is raging over the practice of made snana, a ritual in which devotees roll over leftover food to rid themselves of skin diseases. Kukke Subramanya, a pilgrim centre near Mangaluru, is known for the practice. On Tuesday, 300 devotees took part in the ritual in the face of protests by groups seeking a ban on it.
Adishakthi Mantralaya in Cottonpet, also known as the Yenne Angadi (oil shop) Durgaanjenaya Devasthana, is one of Bengaluru’s busiest little temples.
It is known for its talismans, called tayatas in Kannada. Devotees get tayatas tied around their children’s necks to ward off the evil eye.
Pramodh, a priest at the temple, says in fluent English, “This is called the Yenne Angadi temple because my grandfather used to sell oil here. There was a devi temple behind the shop. People come here with children who fall and injure themselves frequently, or keep vomiting every now and then.”
The tayatas also help children overcome fear. Pramodh says children who are scared easily get better soon after they visit the place. “We tie the tayata, with the amma’s (goddess Kalika Devi) name inscribed on a panchaloha plate,” he explains.
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are considered the most auspicious days to visit this temple. On amavasya and full moon days, devotees start queueing up with their children from 2.30 am.
“We have at least 1,500 devotees on Saturdays and Sundays. My day starts at 5 am and goes on till 10 pm,” says Pramodh.
The 150-year-old talisman tradition was started by Arasappa, continued by A Rajanna and followed by Devanand. It is now run by D Pramodh and his brother D Harsha.
“I discontinued my BDS to continue the family tradition. I was keen to become a doctor, but my father insisted I sit here,” Pramodh says.
Tayatas are also given to older people for good health and well-being. “People come from Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Patna and some take 50 tayatas with them,” he said.
Bharathi, a regular visitor from Goripalya, says, “I used to come with my mother when I was a child and now I bring my two children here.”
Yenne Angadi Temple 99, Bhashyam Road, Sultanpet, Cottonpet Road, 8.30 am to 9 pm
(Inputs by A Sharadhaa and Chetana Divya Vasudev)