A historical perspective:

Season of merriment that commenced with a moving event

Prof Sunanda Mahendra

It is widely believed that some of the events as narrated in some fairytales are visualised as actual happenings of the distant past. A certain painful experience in the life of a person or a family may turn to be a ‘good ending’ twist with the help of a supernatural force.

This too is the underlying factor in the Pattini cult that lurks in many a New Year event of merriment. It is popularly believed that the guardian spirit that had given a lively spirit to the new year season was a faithful woman called Pattini’, or as depicted in Tirukkural, the Tamil saga, as Kannagi. She was one of the most beautiful women who was married to a man called Palanga or Kovalan according to the some Tamil source.

Pattini

As they were living happily a disastrous event happened. The king who ruled the country at that long ago happened to be a cruel as well as lecherous who was attracted by the charms of Pattini.

As such he wanted to possess her. What did he do to possess her? He planned to kill her husband Palanga or Kovala to get her to the palace.

The King planned through one of this courtiers to hide the mini salamba or the foot trinket of his queen in the cartwheel was driven by Palanga. Then according to this cruel plan the robber of the queen’s trinket was executed.

When the dear pious wife Pattini came to know this cruelty she wanted to know where the dead body was laid she went all the way in search of her husband to find ultimately the dead body lying under a Kohomba tree. She with a firm sense of belief of the injustice brought on both of them determined to stick to the place in an act of truth or Satya Kriya requesting that her husband be brought back to life, if there is a latent force, of a god or any other super power.

Seasonal change

She went on cursing the king as well as all people who were connected with this cruel situation. She was seen weeping and walking. The sun grew intense and hotter day by day.

Many a seasonal change was brought. For six long days she was walking in this manner, asking all those who are witnesses in all directions to bring back the life of Palanga. The kingdom of the cruel king had all manners of droughts and sicknesses unseen any unfelt so far. The god of gods, Sekara, it was believed happened to see this.

Those who rallied round the king requested the cruel king to pardon the pious woman Pattini, and make some special rituals to condone this evil act. The king who knew that his inner-self was impure by his own fault got the people to help him. In any act which can create the awareness of pardoning.

Meanwhile the god of gods approached Pattini and questioned her, and ascertained the gravity of the event. The god Sakra knew the harm which could cause the kingdom through the cause of a genuinely wronged woman and its intensity.

“Have you cast a spell on the entire kingdom?” The god Sakra asked.

The woman Pattini said, “yes may all beings in this kingdom follow the gravity of sorrow, I undergo due to the misbehaviour of a cruel king.”

Then it is said that god Sakra had sprinkled some water over the body of Palanga to bring him back to life. It is also said that with the giving of life to the husband the seasonal changes in seven directions had reappeared to its past glory where the dried watersheds had perennial fountains the withered twigs of trees blossomed with red flowers.

Erabadu

As a special variety of flowers is called Erabadu which is red in colour, it is said that the special red flower is symbolic of the sorrow which was implanted in Pattini’s heart. Then comes the food stuff brought from seven directions (Sat Disa) and the meal includes herbal food brought from these seven directions.

The meal is called Hat Maluve, meaning the seven delicious which include Vambatu, Kosata, Kadju, Vattakka dalu, alu kehel and puhul. The village folk believe that these seven ingredients go into the making of seven herbal powers. The curry so prepared is a complete vegetarian diet devoid of the slightest mix of any meat or fish.

Ammavarunge danaya

Then it is also believed that through the farmers of Pattini, the sicknesses caused to little children and mothers too vanished. Still the sicknesses are known by the term Ammavarunge leda where the term ‘mother’ is referred to as Pattini, who is also known as Pattini amma or Pattini deviya. In order to avert the sicknesses insisted by children, an alms giving is given to seven women.

The ritual is called Ammavarunge danaya which takes place during the early hours of the morning when seven women are selected to partake of a meal from the house holder who believes in the powers of the woman Pattini.

Then comes the age old games titled as Ankeliya and Parapol gasima, where two teams in the village known as Udapila and Yatilpila play the games to bring back the lost powers of liveliness. The entire village is made to participate either as actual players of both teams or as witnessed to the ritualistic game. This game according to sociologists is symbolic of the merriment in the hearts of Pattini and Palanga.

The seasonal ritual commence with a good harvest where the paddy cultivation ought to be visualised as the most significant factor when the harvest is collected fresh milk rice (kiribath) meal is prepared and a portion is left out as a gift to the empowering gods.

April is connected as the season for the new year. In the indigenous sense this moment is titled as bak which means bhagya or bountiful. It is sensed as the happiest month culminating with the seeing of the new Moon called Nava bagha sanda, which on seeing is believed to bring a new life as against the one already lead.

The sound of koha or the Asian Koel too is believed to be the sound of herald signifying the cry of merriment symbolic of the sound of Pattini and Palanga. This area is hidden in darkness as the Pattini cult is believed to be of Hindu origin.