Karuppu Sami
Encyclopedia
Karuppu Sami (also called by many other names) is one of the regional Tamil
male deities who is popular among the rural
social groups of South India
, especially Tamil Nadu
and small parts of Kerala
. He is one of the 21 associate folk-deities of Ayyanar
and is hence one of the so-called Kaval Deivams of the Tamils.
Aliases
One can find a group of 5 to 6 variants of Karuppa Sami among the 21 folk deities who perform the protective roles through Shamanism or Oracle system.
Arulmigu mudakkatru karuppana swamy temple, Mandapam pudur, Sriramapuram village, Vedasandur taluk.
One of the legends of Karuppaswamy
Following is the story heard by word-of-mouth from the pujaris or Sami aadis in Alagar Kovil, Madurai.
Lord Rama had sent Sita to the forest when she was pregnant and lived in Saint Valmiki's Ashram.
While in the Ashram, She brought a male heir of Rama to the world.
One day when she was going out for some chores of the Ashram, she asked the Saint to take care of her child in the cradle. The Saint was watching the child and meanwhile went into a deep meditation. When Sita returned, she found that the Saint was in meditation and didn't want to disturb him to tell him that she was taking her child.
When the Saint was out of the meditation, he found the child missing. So he put some holy grass (Dherbai) in the cradle and with his mantra he made that as a child.
Later when he found that Sita was having her real child, he was so confused and asked Sita to treat the new baby also as her own child.
When Sita was returning to Rama, he was expecting only one male heir. But to his astonishment, he found two boys (Lavan and Kushan) approaching him. Again to test the purity of the boys, he set a fire and asked the boys to cross the fire to reach him. He told that whoever was his real heir would cross the fire unscathed. Unknowingly the boy brought up by the Saint, stuck in the middle of the fire and burnt his body becoming very dark.
Finally, Rama got to know what had happened in the forest to have two boys instead of one. Then he blessed the burnt boy to become his escort god (kaval deivam) and called him “Karuppannan” which became Karuppa Sami.
That was the reason why Karuppa Sami put the sacred tri-strips (Thiru Namam) on his forehead. And also I heard that while calling the deity, the pujaris sing that “Dherbaiyil pirandhavane (born from the holy grass)”.
A typical shrine
The Karuppanar Kovil (or a shrine
) is always found in the outskirts of the Village. The maintenance of the temple
is taken care of by the whole of the village.
His temple is usually in the open space and will not have traditional Gopuram
s like any other temples. You can see big statues of Gods with weapons like bow and arrow, swords, knives and other protective weapons alongside Him. There will also be statues of other Goddesses (7 Kannimaar or the 7 Virgins) called as saptha Kannimar in His temples. Animals, often signifying His pets - a dog (Vettai Naai or a hunting dog), a lion and His ride - the white Horse
are also found.
Statues of Karuppu Sami are often black in colour and adorned with chains. He will usually be holding a sword, sometimes with bells attached. Often, as part of his worship, a cigar will be lit and placed in the Deity's mouth. He is also offered alcohol.
Karuppu Sami is often worshipped alongside Madurai Veeran and Muneeswarar
.
The most famous temple for Karuppasamy is located at Azhaghar Koil, near Madurai
. This is considered as the most important of the Karappannaswamy temples. Here he is worshipped as Pathinettampadi Raja Karuppannaswamy. There is no idol here. Only an Aruval at the top of eighteen steps. Hence the name Pathinettampadi.
A typical deity
The main form of worship of Karuppanar in the shrine is a formless stone which has been decorated with a Turban
and a Dhoti
with flowers and garlands. He wields an "Aruval
" which is a long form of machete
resembling a scimitar
, a sword
, sometimes a lance
, a trident
and a smaller knife
.
The Aruval is a very significant weapon in Tamil Nadu
and is considered, in itself, as a symbol of Karuppanar himself. Some Aruval
s may reach the height of even 5 feet, especially the ones in Thiruppaachhi.
The Most Important musical Instrument Which like by God karuppanan are Tappu, Tharai, kombu Tharai, Otha thamukku, Pambai, Udukkai and Urumee.
It is also believed that the Alagar Koil belongs to Kallar community of Madurai. They are basically non Brahmins and they are dacoits turned as senapatis (soldiers) of madurai. They inturn does the job of securing the land for the sake of the society as per the king's order.
In Tamil kallan means thief and kallanthiri is the village where the kalla(thief) - algar(smart) temple is located.
They converted "kalla -alagar to perumal an incarnation of vishnu by wearing a nama on the forehead of all statues.Now the main deity has turned to Vishnu. Thus karuppa samy has become kaval karuppu and his sword has been hanged in the door step (no deity for karuppa samy).
The 18 steps stands for the letters "Ja" "ya". In old Indian languages "ja" stands for 1 and "ya" stands for 8. To say winning lord they said "jaya" karuppanasamy or 18 padi karuppasamy.
Karuppasamy is an alcoholic, non-vegetarian but strict soldier with a wind current flow with bells and chains tied to his body.
Worship
Karuppanar worship is a very ancient ancestral clan-based worship system. Most officiating priests are non-Brahmin
s and derive from local lineages that had initiated the cult generations ago.
The worship pattern is non-Vedic
or non-Agamic
through Folk tales, Folk songs and Folk arts (Villu pattu, Karagam, Koothhu, etc.). The local priest might offer flowers or Veeputhi (holy ash) or Holy flowers to the worshippers and may play the role of an oracle
for Shamanism
. Various persons within the clan system are identified to play to the role of oracle on annual turn basis. They undertake vradham and maintain chastity and purity during the period of vradham. During the festivals, oracles get into trance state (Saami aadudhal) and deliver counselling messages to the group assembled there without bias. The normal problems addressed are family problems, financial troubles and local community and social issues for resolving within the community group with the agreement of local ancestral god through oracle.
Whenever the wishes of the people are granted, they give their offerings to Him based on what they vow
ed to offer.
Karuppannaswamy and Siddhas
Annual Festivals
The village committee would decide on when the Annual mass convention be conducted. The time of the year when this would fall varies with villages and their local customs - each of which will be associated a folk-lore. Generally, the mass convention assembly of a large number of related family members is organized during the spring
season for a period of 2 to 3 days.
The commencement of the festival will be with that of a hoisting of the flag and tying the "Kaappu." After this time, villagers cannot go out of the village but can come in from a different village.
During this annual gathering, a large number of goats and chicken are sacrificed for Lord Karuppanar. He is also offered Beedi
s (country - made cigarettes) or cigar
s and Naravam (toddy = locally instilled alcohol) or some form of modern alcohol.
One interesting fact of special mention is the belief of the village people that the Karuppu Sami is being disguised in the form of the priest
called as Marulali who is asked to predict the future. This belief system about Karuppu samy is called the Arul vaaku or Saamiyaaduthal in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The social issues will be discussed through these temple fore-tellers (also called as Kodangi) whom the people usually consider as the voice of the Karuppa sami deity. When Lord Karuppa Sami addresses the people in different villages through the Kodangi, different issues and dimensions on the social, cultural and psychological aspects of the village and the society are reviewed for possible solutions.
Goat Sacrifice rituals
A unique sacrifice ritual to Karuppu Sami called "kutti kudithal" is famous in Tamil Nadu among the non brahminical sections. In kutti kudithal festival, the goat or lamb to be sacrificed to Karuppu Sami will be their sucked blood in the neck, by the trance dancer, while they are still alive in the sacrificial altar. Even to this day, this ritual occurs in some of the Karuppu Swamy temples, for instance, in Sappani Karuppar temple,Vanapatrai street Tiruchirappalli. The Sandhana Karuppar was the son of Ugra Kali Amman of Tennur, Trichy,The Ondi Karuppar of Kuzhumai Amman Temple, Puthur, Trichy and Sengolathan Karuppar of Kulanthalayee Amman Temple,Woriur,Trichy is very famous for kutti kudithal that occurs every year in the Tamil month of Panguni and Masi, hundreds of goats(lambs) are blood sucked alive by the trance dancer called Marulali who is the representative of Lord Karuppa Sami. In the Tamil calendar, the month aadi is very auspicious for Karuppa Sami.
The Kutti Kudhithal Carnival have been celebrated at Puthur and Woriur, Trichy on 10.03.2011 and in Thennur, Trichy, on 08.04.2010. The Next Carnival will be on next year march & April (1st Tuesday to Saturday).
See also
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
male deities who is popular among the rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
social groups of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, especially Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and small parts of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He is one of the 21 associate folk-deities of Ayyanar
Ayyanar
Ayyanar is a Hindu village god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Tamil villages in Sri Lanka. He is primarily worshipped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages...
and is hence one of the so-called Kaval Deivams of the Tamils.
Aliases
- Arul migu Manthai Sudalaimada Swamy Thiru kovil, MathagaNeri,Vadakkankulam
- Arul migu otha pannai sudalaimadan thiru kovil, sirumallange,vallioor
- Arul migu massana samy, pallavillai,thirunel velli dist
- Arul migu Vallanattu Karuppasamy .
- Arul migu Pathinettampadiyan(18-steps Karuppa samy) In Alagar Kovil & Sabari Malai.
- Arul migu Santhana Karuppanna samy
- Arul migu Periya Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Sinna Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Karadaiyan samy, Thungapuram
- Arul migu Ondi Karuppannasamy of sholanganallur,Tiruchi
- Arul migu Kaattu Karuppar
- Arul migu Karuppu Samy
- Arul migu Aaladi Karuppanna Samy
- Arul migu Puliyadi Karuppana Samy
- Arul migu Karuppanaar Samy
- Arul migu Karuppanar
- Arul migu vetta karuppar
- Arul migu Kulla Karuppanaar
- Arul migu Sangili Karuppan
- Arul migu Sonai Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Munnodi Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Man malai Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Perungkaadu Karuppa samy
- Arul migu Ponnuveriyan Karuppa samy
- Arul migu Kottai Karupa samy
- Arul migu Nondi Karupa samy
- Arul migu Nambaga Karupasamy
- Arul migu Madai Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Vaya Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Sappaani Karuppar
- Arul migu Moodupaarai Karuppanna Samy
- Arul migu Nondi samy
- Arul migu Thoppu Karuppasamy
- Arul migu Killi kundu Karuppasamy
- Sri Malayala Karuppayya
- Arul migu Kallan kallachi Karuppasamy perambalur dt nakkasalem village
- Arul migu karupannaswamy alayam Ukkadai Ammapet Thanjavur Dt (Rajkumar)9443587492
One can find a group of 5 to 6 variants of Karuppa Sami among the 21 folk deities who perform the protective roles through Shamanism or Oracle system.
Arulmigu mudakkatru karuppana swamy temple, Mandapam pudur, Sriramapuram village, Vedasandur taluk.
One of the legends of Karuppaswamy
Following is the story heard by word-of-mouth from the pujaris or Sami aadis in Alagar Kovil, Madurai.
Lord Rama had sent Sita to the forest when she was pregnant and lived in Saint Valmiki's Ashram.
While in the Ashram, She brought a male heir of Rama to the world.
One day when she was going out for some chores of the Ashram, she asked the Saint to take care of her child in the cradle. The Saint was watching the child and meanwhile went into a deep meditation. When Sita returned, she found that the Saint was in meditation and didn't want to disturb him to tell him that she was taking her child.
When the Saint was out of the meditation, he found the child missing. So he put some holy grass (Dherbai) in the cradle and with his mantra he made that as a child.
Later when he found that Sita was having her real child, he was so confused and asked Sita to treat the new baby also as her own child.
When Sita was returning to Rama, he was expecting only one male heir. But to his astonishment, he found two boys (Lavan and Kushan) approaching him. Again to test the purity of the boys, he set a fire and asked the boys to cross the fire to reach him. He told that whoever was his real heir would cross the fire unscathed. Unknowingly the boy brought up by the Saint, stuck in the middle of the fire and burnt his body becoming very dark.
Finally, Rama got to know what had happened in the forest to have two boys instead of one. Then he blessed the burnt boy to become his escort god (kaval deivam) and called him “Karuppannan” which became Karuppa Sami.
That was the reason why Karuppa Sami put the sacred tri-strips (Thiru Namam) on his forehead. And also I heard that while calling the deity, the pujaris sing that “Dherbaiyil pirandhavane (born from the holy grass)”.
A typical shrine
The Karuppanar Kovil (or a shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
) is always found in the outskirts of the Village. The maintenance of the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
is taken care of by the whole of the village.
His temple is usually in the open space and will not have traditional Gopuram
Gopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...
s like any other temples. You can see big statues of Gods with weapons like bow and arrow, swords, knives and other protective weapons alongside Him. There will also be statues of other Goddesses (7 Kannimaar or the 7 Virgins) called as saptha Kannimar in His temples. Animals, often signifying His pets - a dog (Vettai Naai or a hunting dog), a lion and His ride - the white Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
are also found.
Statues of Karuppu Sami are often black in colour and adorned with chains. He will usually be holding a sword, sometimes with bells attached. Often, as part of his worship, a cigar will be lit and placed in the Deity's mouth. He is also offered alcohol.
Karuppu Sami is often worshipped alongside Madurai Veeran and Muneeswarar
Muneeswarar
Muneeswarar or Muneeswaran is a Hindu god. 'Muni' means 'saint' and 'iswara' represents 'Shiva'. He is considered as a form of Shiva,although no scriptural references have been found to validate such claims. He is worshiped as a family deity in most Shaivite families.-Origin:Sati was the youngest...
.
The most famous temple for Karuppasamy is located at Azhaghar Koil, near Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
. This is considered as the most important of the Karappannaswamy temples. Here he is worshipped as Pathinettampadi Raja Karuppannaswamy. There is no idol here. Only an Aruval at the top of eighteen steps. Hence the name Pathinettampadi.
A typical deity
The main form of worship of Karuppanar in the shrine is a formless stone which has been decorated with a Turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
and a Dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
with flowers and garlands. He wields an "Aruval
Aruval
An aruval is an Indian machete variety, particularly seen in South India. These evolved independently from the Billhooks of Europe and the British Isles and are usually produced by local blacksmiths using discarded leaf springs of trucks and other heavy vehicles resulting in a strong but easy to...
" which is a long form of machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
resembling a scimitar
Scimitar
A scimitar is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in Southwest Asia .The Arabic term saif translates to "sword" in general, but is normally taken to refer to the scimitar type of curved backsword in particular.The curved sword or "scimitar" was widespread throughout the Muslim...
, a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, sometimes a lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
, a trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
and a smaller knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
.
The Aruval is a very significant weapon in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and is considered, in itself, as a symbol of Karuppanar himself. Some Aruval
Aruval
An aruval is an Indian machete variety, particularly seen in South India. These evolved independently from the Billhooks of Europe and the British Isles and are usually produced by local blacksmiths using discarded leaf springs of trucks and other heavy vehicles resulting in a strong but easy to...
s may reach the height of even 5 feet, especially the ones in Thiruppaachhi.
The Most Important musical Instrument Which like by God karuppanan are Tappu, Tharai, kombu Tharai, Otha thamukku, Pambai, Udukkai and Urumee.
It is also believed that the Alagar Koil belongs to Kallar community of Madurai. They are basically non Brahmins and they are dacoits turned as senapatis (soldiers) of madurai. They inturn does the job of securing the land for the sake of the society as per the king's order.
In Tamil kallan means thief and kallanthiri is the village where the kalla(thief) - algar(smart) temple is located.
They converted "kalla -alagar to perumal an incarnation of vishnu by wearing a nama on the forehead of all statues.Now the main deity has turned to Vishnu. Thus karuppa samy has become kaval karuppu and his sword has been hanged in the door step (no deity for karuppa samy).
The 18 steps stands for the letters "Ja" "ya". In old Indian languages "ja" stands for 1 and "ya" stands for 8. To say winning lord they said "jaya" karuppanasamy or 18 padi karuppasamy.
Karuppasamy is an alcoholic, non-vegetarian but strict soldier with a wind current flow with bells and chains tied to his body.
Worship
Karuppanar worship is a very ancient ancestral clan-based worship system. Most officiating priests are non-Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s and derive from local lineages that had initiated the cult generations ago.
The worship pattern is non-Vedic
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
or non-Agamic
Āgama (Hinduism)
Agama means, in the Hindu context, "a traditional doctrine, or system which commands faith".In Hinduism, the Agamas are a collection of Sanskrit scriptures which are revered and followed by millions of Hindus.-Significance:...
through Folk tales, Folk songs and Folk arts (Villu pattu, Karagam, Koothhu, etc.). The local priest might offer flowers or Veeputhi (holy ash) or Holy flowers to the worshippers and may play the role of an oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
for Shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. Various persons within the clan system are identified to play to the role of oracle on annual turn basis. They undertake vradham and maintain chastity and purity during the period of vradham. During the festivals, oracles get into trance state (Saami aadudhal) and deliver counselling messages to the group assembled there without bias. The normal problems addressed are family problems, financial troubles and local community and social issues for resolving within the community group with the agreement of local ancestral god through oracle.
Whenever the wishes of the people are granted, they give their offerings to Him based on what they vow
Vow
A vow is a promise or oath.-Marriage vows:Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedding ceremony. Marriage customs have developed over history and keep changing as human society develops...
ed to offer.
Karuppannaswamy and Siddhas
Karuppannaswamy is a favourite Deity of the Nath/Siddhas. His worship has been integrated into the mode of worship of the Siddhas. Chenthamangalam near Salem has a temple dedicated to Pathinettampadi Raja Karuppannaswamy. This has been erected by Swami Santhananda Saraswati Avadhuta Swamigal.
Annual Festivals The village committee would decide on when the Annual mass convention be conducted. The time of the year when this would fall varies with villages and their local customs - each of which will be associated a folk-lore. Generally, the mass convention assembly of a large number of related family members is organized during the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
season for a period of 2 to 3 days.
The commencement of the festival will be with that of a hoisting of the flag and tying the "Kaappu." After this time, villagers cannot go out of the village but can come in from a different village.
During this annual gathering, a large number of goats and chicken are sacrificed for Lord Karuppanar. He is also offered Beedi
Beedi
A beedi is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a tendu leaf tied with a string at one end.The word comes from beeda, Marwari for a leaf wrapped in betel nuts, herbs, and condiments....
s (country - made cigarettes) or cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
s and Naravam (toddy = locally instilled alcohol) or some form of modern alcohol.
One interesting fact of special mention is the belief of the village people that the Karuppu Sami is being disguised in the form of the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
called as Marulali who is asked to predict the future. This belief system about Karuppu samy is called the Arul vaaku or Saamiyaaduthal in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The social issues will be discussed through these temple fore-tellers (also called as Kodangi) whom the people usually consider as the voice of the Karuppa sami deity. When Lord Karuppa Sami addresses the people in different villages through the Kodangi, different issues and dimensions on the social, cultural and psychological aspects of the village and the society are reviewed for possible solutions.
Goat Sacrifice rituals
A unique sacrifice ritual to Karuppu Sami called "kutti kudithal" is famous in Tamil Nadu among the non brahminical sections. In kutti kudithal festival, the goat or lamb to be sacrificed to Karuppu Sami will be their sucked blood in the neck, by the trance dancer, while they are still alive in the sacrificial altar. Even to this day, this ritual occurs in some of the Karuppu Swamy temples, for instance, in Sappani Karuppar temple,Vanapatrai street Tiruchirappalli. The Sandhana Karuppar was the son of Ugra Kali Amman of Tennur, Trichy,The Ondi Karuppar of Kuzhumai Amman Temple, Puthur, Trichy and Sengolathan Karuppar of Kulanthalayee Amman Temple,Woriur,Trichy is very famous for kutti kudithal that occurs every year in the Tamil month of Panguni and Masi, hundreds of goats(lambs) are blood sucked alive by the trance dancer called Marulali who is the representative of Lord Karuppa Sami. In the Tamil calendar, the month aadi is very auspicious for Karuppa Sami.
The Kutti Kudhithal Carnival have been celebrated at Puthur and Woriur, Trichy on 10.03.2011 and in Thennur, Trichy, on 08.04.2010. The Next Carnival will be on next year march & April (1st Tuesday to Saturday).
See also
- AyyanarAyyanarAyyanar is a Hindu village god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Tamil villages in Sri Lanka. He is primarily worshipped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages...
- IsakkiIsakkiIsakki or Isakkai is a Hindu Goddess of South India. She is generically considered one of the Village Goddesses, like Māri, the goddess of epidemics.She is commonly referred as Isakki Amman...
- Kali Amman
- Kaval Deivam
- Madurai Veeran
- MarmadesamMarmadesamMarmadesam , meaning "Mysterious Land" in Tamil, is a television series directed by Naga. The series was telecasted between 1997 and 2001 and was a huge success.- Principal Cast :* Delhi Ganesh* Charuhassan* Vasuki * Ramji as Mani...
- Sudalai Maadan
- Thungapuram
- UrumeeUrumeeThe urumee is a double-headed hourglass-shaped drum from the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Two skin heads are attached to a single hallow, often intricately carved wooden shell. The preferred wood is jackwood, although other wood may be used...