[This review was published in YouthKiAwaaz]
Daiva aaradhane, or the worship of spirit deities is an intrinsic part of Tulu culture. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the same as “ghost worship”. While “bhoot” is commonly used to refer to ghosts or something that once existed but is now no more, such a definition falls short of capturing the rick and complex cultural significance of “Bhuta” as understood by the Tuluva people. “Bhutas” are the spirits of long-gone heros who continue to be worshipped to this day.
In “Daiva: Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship”, author K. Hari Kumar dives deep into the world of spirit worship, describes his personal quest as a migrant Tuluva to learn more about spirit worship and tells the origin stories of the powerful immortals. The book is divided into two sections- ‘In Search of Satyolu’ and ‘Stories of Satyolu’. In the first section, the author attempts to unravel the mysteries of spirit world and describe the ritualistic aspects of the worship, especially the ritualistic kola dance where the spirits possess the body of the dancer and communicate through him. The second half of the book describes the origin stories of the more popular daivas- these stories were handed down through the oral tradition, and therefore differ from community to community.
The book begins with a fascinating introduction to the Tulu language. Tulu is one of the five major Dravidian languages and had a rich literary and cultural heritage. Very few people apart from native speakers of the language are aware of it, since it is not recognised as an official language by the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, but it is spoken by a significant number of people who originated from what is called “Tulu Nadu”, which spans modern day Dakshin Kannada, Udupi (both in Karnataka) and Kasargode (Kerala). It is worth reading the book just for this section, because it reminds us of how little even well educated Indians know and appreciate the sheer diversity of the country.
The author was brought up in Gurgaon, and despite his mother speaking to him in Tulu at home, was quite disconnected with the world of spirit worship. His journey to rediscovering his roots in the sacred land of the nagas and daivas is one that will resonate with many others who grew up in cities without being aware of the traditions of the land they come from. His description of the travel within Tulu Nadu, the experiences he had and the coincidences that led him to people who could tell him the ancient stories is engrossing, and almost reads like a work of fiction.
The most powerful chapter in the book is the one where he describes the many aspects of a Kola performance. The description of the atmosphere is so vivid that you can almost visualise it yourself, you are left hoping that someday you are able to witness a similar performance. He mentions how some kola performers do not take kindly to their performance being recorded- however, it is unlikely that even the best cinemantographers will be able to capture the multi-sensory and multi-dimensional experience adequately.
The second part of the book has the folklore associated with the daivas and heros of Tulu Nadu. Since these stories were handed down through the oral tradition, there are many versions of the same story, some with minor and others with not so minor differences. Where the stories are drastically different, the author has written down each of the versions, and it is fascinating the speculate on how the different versions might have evolved from a common story.
Such differences are common, particularly in stories which are not written down. In fact, the author remembers how, as a child, he heard different versions of the same story from his two grandmothers and of how he would sometimes challenge them by giving them the other version. What is common to many of the stories are defining human emotions of greed, jealousy, compassion and revenge. Social evils like caste discrimination and gender biases also pop up often in the stories proving how little things have changed over the centuries. If some of the stories sound familiar, it is only because human emotions and the social order is universal.
While the author does not claim that the book is an academic work, the exhaustive list of sources at the end of the book lends it academic credibility, and the reader can go deeper into aspects that interests them the most.
You do not have to believe in daiva aaradhane to read this book. Even if you are a rationalist who does not believe in spirits or spirit worship, the book depicts a fascinating aspect of our culture and can be read as a standalone anthropological work. It also reminds us that even if as city dwellers we have lost touch with our culture and identity, it is not too late to try to rediscover them. The quest, as the author shows, will be worth it.
[I received an ARC of the book, but the views are my own.]
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