Six Chamarajanagar villages to celebrate Diwali after nine years
MYSURU: Diwali, the ‘Festival of Lights’, is celebrated the world over every year. But six villages in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district will be celebrating it after a gap of nine long years. Reason: The residents celebrate Diwali only if it falls on a Wednesday as is the case this year.
According to the village headman, Maliyappa, the practice dates back to hundreds of years as the experience of celebrating Diwali or Ugadi on a day other than Wednesday has proved to be a curse for their livestock and cattle in the past.
Maliyappa added, “Call it superstition or a bitter experience of the past, the villagers have suffered whenever they have celebrated festivals on days other than Wednesday”. Shylesh, a researcher, said as per legend, a chieftain (palegara) lived in Nellur village, who controlled over six villages including Neenekatte.
‘No one in 6 villages violated practice for generations’
When two boys of the Padagur village went to bring banana stems to celebrate the festival, the chieftain tied them to a tree and punished them. Enraged over this Maramma, mother of the two children cursed the chieftain, following which the entire Nellur village was reduced to ashes. Residents from six villages approached Maramma and she advised them to celebrate the festival only if it falls on a Wednesday. The villagers took her advice seriously and also started bringing holy water from Mahadeshwara Temple near Engalawadi, mixed it with ragi malt, and fed their cattle to protect them from diseases.
The joy has returned to the six remote villages in Gundlupet taluk -- Nenekatte, Malavalli, Madarahalli, Veeranapura, Egarawadi, Benthalapura, and Chinnajana hundi. Every house has been given a lime-wash as relatives and friends are expected. The villagers are also visiting a nearby town to buy new clothes and sweets for the festival.
Another villager Gangadharappa said that they celebrated Ugadi on Wednesday even though it fell on Monday. He said that no one in these six villages, cutting across caste lines, has violated the practice for generations. Another local resident, Chinamma said she is very happy that the New Moon Day has fallen on Tuesday and Naraka Chaturdashi will be on Wednesday.