The idioms used by
Coimbatoreans in their Kongu Tamil dialect are unique, as they figuratively
remark even an act of deceiving as ‘Naamam Saathuthal’ which literally stands
for the Vaishnavaite custom of
drawing a Naamam (trident mark) on
the forehead. Theologians of the faith
say that the mark shows their deep devotion to God, since it represents the
feet of Lord Perumal. Nonetheless, the religious mark has a different meaning in
the culture of Irulas, who were the aborigines of Coimbatore.
Reminding the story
of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood from the Bible, the
tribal Irulas believe that their origin on earth was after a ravaging flood
that destroyed all creatures of the world except Koduvan and his daughter
Sambi. It is said that the duo took shelter inside a cave on Kizhavi Malai, a hill near the present
day Thudiyalur and were noticed by Mallan
and Malli, the creators of the Irula
tribe. But, Mallan and Malli later metamorphosed the father and
daughter into a young couple, from whom the tribe multiplied.
Though the tribal
mythology consists of such supernatural machinery, the painful history of the
Irulas losing their unique worship culture can still be heard in their tales.
When the Kongu region
came under Vijayanagara rule in 16th century A.D, the kings, in
order to spread their official religion Vaishnavism,
built Perumal temples in places like Periyanaickenpalayam and Karamadai and
brought the Irula tribe into the streamline of their faith.
At a time when people
of the present day worry over a hike in the milk price, it is surprising that
the Irulas never milked their cows and believed that a cow’s milk is only for
its calf. However, their myth on the arrival of Lord Perumal at Karamadai
unfolds that an Irula cowherd was canned after he refused providing milk to the
Vaishnavite God.
The tale also informs
that one of his cows shed milk on an anthill amidst the Kaarai plants (Canthium parviflorum), after which a temple for Lord Perumal emerged there. It is also
interesting to note that the place had earlier got its name ‘Karamadai’ due to
the overgrowth of the Kaarai plants.
The tribal myth discloses that Lord Perumal
even fell in love with an Irula girl named Thulasilaampaal. Captivated
by her exceptional beauty, the Lord forcibly carried her to His abode. But, on
His way back home between Karamadai and Palamalai, the Lord felt something wet
on his forehead and understood Thulasilaampaal’s attaining puberty!
The Irulas, who were forced to worship Lord
Perumal, still say that the medial red mark on the Lord’s Naamam (Trident
mark) is nothing but a drop of Thulasilaampaal’s vaginal discharge of
blood!
Source: Sappe Gokalu – A collection of Irula
tribal songs – R.Lakshmanan
Link to my article in The New Indian Express: http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/3794351
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