Gulikan: Ethereal Element
Gulikan or Mandi is propitiated by the Hindu fishermen all over Kerala. The Gulikan is connected with diseases and death. Horoscopes are cast by every Hindu of Kerala in which the position of the Gulikan is clearly indicated. The Gulikan's position indicates when the person will die. When death occurs in a fisherman's house, it is customary to plant a stone outside the house representing the Gulikan. An informant informed me that the stone representing the Gulikan will never be installed in the room reserved for ancestors or in any of the house. However, the fishermen believe that once the Gulikan is propitiated by installing a stone on the earthen platform, it will prevent death. The Gulikan is generally worshipped to get big fishes like etta and avoli. They vow to conduct a special puja in honor of the Gulikan by offering etta and avoli. They fulfill their vow by making votive offerings when they get these species of fish. The Gulikan is periodically propitiated by the offer of kuruthi (water mixed with turmeric and lime), today, bananas, and flowers. A wick lamp is lighted for the worship. A red fowl and a ram are sacrificed in the Gulikan's honor on important festive occasions like Omam and Vishu. Sometimes, the oracle of the Gulikan, in trance, directs the fishermen to handle times of crisis. The oracle reveals the causes of illness and discloses the remedy.
The Mukkuvans of Malabar believe that there are four kinds of Gulikans: Brahma Gulikan, Vishnu Gulikan, Abhimanyu Gulikan, Asura Gulikan. They further believe that if the Asura Gulikan is displeased, tensions in the family are bound to arise, besides infights among the members of the crew. In such cases, the Mukkuvans consult the kaniyan (village astrologer) and seek their advice to ward off the wrath of the enraged Asura Gulikan. The kaniyan prescribes the remedy in the form of a magical rite called Puramneekkal, which is similar to Uzhinhu Vangal. A magician is invited to conduct this rite. The articles required for the purpose prescribed by the magician and the astrologer are: a cooked fried fish (etta, aikkora, and narimeen), coconut oil, potato, lady-finger, bengal gram, beaten rice, puffed rice, etc. A thigh of the cock is roasted in the fire and given to the Asura Gulikan. The total expenditure for conducting the rite comes to Rs. 100.
Brahma Gulikan: Ethereal Element
The Brahma Gulikan is worshipped for getting bumper catches and also for warding off the misfortunes and illness caused by him. Sometimes the Mukkuvans call the Brahma Gulikan as Brahma Yakshasu, the spirit of a dead Brahman. The Mukkuvans believe that the Brahma Gulikan is capable of causing the separation of a husband and wife. An amulet is prepared by the magician and given to the patient to wear or a Puramneekkal ceremony is conducted to appease him. Sometimes the mantram 'Oh Gulika, Brahma Gulika, Vishnu Gulika, Asmara Gulika, and Abhimanyu Gulika' is chanted for 21 times over a string for putting on the waist of the patient. The same mantram is written 21 times on a copper plate, and an amulet is prepared for wearing. Sometimes rice powder mixed with molasses is given to the Brahma Gulikan to appease his wrath. The Mukkuvans say that the Vishnu Gulikan and Abhimanyu Gulikan are not wicked. The Abhimanyu Gulikan is the spirit of Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, who died in the Kurukshetra war.
Pottanmar: Ethereal Element
The Mukkuvans of Malabar believe that Pottanmar are the bodyguards of the Goddess Bhadrakali. They are propitiated on festive occasions like Mandalam, Karkitaka Sankranti, and Sivarathri. Pottanmar are offered vegetarian dishes consisting of balls of rice, jaggery, and coconut. The ordained oracle of the Pottanmar speaks a mukabhasha (gesture language) in their frenzy and declare what offerings would please the Goddess. They predict future events that affect the fishermen and divine the causes of illness in their families.
KANDAKARANAN
The Mukkuvans of Malabar hold that Kandakaranan is the defense minister of Bhadrakali. They say the deity does not like meat and liquor. It seems he has been elevated as a Sanskrit deity. The main offerings of Kandakaranan consist of boiled rice, jaggery, and coconut. He is worshipped for getting bumper catches, getting rid of illness, particularly smallpox, and for protection from the hazards of the sea. The Izhvas of Palghat propitiate this deity by sacrificing a fowl.
Kadalamma: Water-element
The Aryans of the Kanjirachera village, Alleppey district, perform an annual festival called Ponkala in honor of Kadalamma (mother or Goddess of the sea). It is reported that this ceremony is also conducted by the fishermen of Trivandrum Quilon and southern parts of Ernakulam. Ponkala, the cooking of rice or pudding in the open air by women, is an offering to Kadalamma, who is worshipped daily. A mandapam (open shed) is erected for this. The offerings consist of flattened rice, puffed rice, jaggery and navadhanyam (nine pulses), ghee, camphor, benzoin, sugarcane, and coconuts. The mandapam is decorated with tender coconuts and mango leaves before the actual ceremony. Fisherwomen who have reached their menopause assemble on the morning of the forty-first day at the seacoast with ponkala pots containing the necessary rice, jaggery, coconut, and firewood. The ladies cooking the ponkala should abstain from sexual intercourse and observe vegetarianism for the day. Two kinds of ponkala are prepared, one with rice, jaggery, coconut shavings, and plantains, and the other without jaggery. Forty-one women participated in the festival of 1971 at the Kanjiranchera village in Alleppey. Each lady cooked the ponkala in a new earthen pot and propitiated the Kadalamma jointly. Formerly, the ponkala payasam (pudding) was thrown into the sea in sealed pots. This practice has been discontinued in recent times. However, it is reported that this custom is still in vogue in the Azhikkal village, Alleppey district. Charms and sacred formulas are uttered while throwing the pudding into the sea. Krishnan Kunhu, my informant, told me that in olden days, the ponkala pots thrown into the sea used to return the following day to the ovens on which the pudding was prepared. Many of his ancestors, he claimed, had seen such miraculous deeds of Kadalamma. A few coins and a little rice pudding are the only items thrown into the sea today instead of ponkala pots. A night-long nadaswara cutchery (a music concert played with Nadaswaram — a snake pipe with 12 holes and other accompaniments) is held on the occasion.
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