Security up to stop bone-biting ritual

[Guest guest]

http://www.deccan.com/chennaichronicle/home/homedetails.asp#Security%

20up%20to%20stop%20bone-biting%20ritual

 

Coimbatore, Feb. 16 : Security at burial grounds here has been

strengthened to make sure that the human bone-biting ritual, banned

three years ago by the government, does not take place during

Mahashivarathri. Police have been deployed at the Sundakamuthur

burial ground where thousands of people gathered to witness the

ritual a few years ago, when it was still in vogue.

 

Deputy superintendent of police, P.Muthuraj, told this newspaper the

village heads had given it in writing that they would not indulge in

the "nibbling of bones" ritual this year. Less than 300 people are

expected at the burial ground as the devotees who usually congregate

here have been diverted to the Isha Yoga Centre and the Shiva temple

at Udumalpet, which is celebrating Mahasivrathri on a grand scale. By

evening there were hardly a 100 people at the Anagalamman Temple in

Sundakkamuthur where prayers were offered in the past before the

devotees left for the burial ground where bones would reportedly be

dug from the graves and chewed on.

 

The ritual was practiced by the Kalayar community which belongs to

the 24th Manai of Telugu Chettiyars. The ritual is also called

the "Mayana Kollai" or "Mayana Suraiadal" (robbing the graveyard).

The puja on the Mahasivarathri day at the temple of Angalamman, the

consort of Lord Shiva, usually started close to 9 p.m. with an

elaborate musical performance. People in thousands including women

later thronged the graveyard to witness the milk that supposedly

oozed from the human bones when they were chewed on.

 

It is believed that this ritual wards off evil and rules out the

possibility of people dying on Mahasivrathri. It is said to have

relieved Lord Shiva of his insanity as he wandered in the burial

ground cursed by his father-in-law Dakshan. It is said that the skull

of Dakshan, which refused to let go of Lord Shiva's hands for years,

let him go him at the sight of the bones in the graveyard. The skull

supposedly rolled out of his hands and chewed on the bones strewn

around.

 

According to police sources the villagers did not dig out the bones

but chewed on the bones thrown out from a grave when it was dug to

bury another body. The police is making sure that the devotees do not

go more than a furlong inside the burial ground this Mahashivarathri

to offer their prayers. The DSP said the police was even more

vigilant now as a villager in a possessed state was reported to have

been seen chewing on a human bone inside the Maniamman Temple in

Udumalpet, some 70 kms from Coimbatore, about 10 days ago.

 

Police sources however do not rule out devotees consuming bhang, a

preparation from the leaves and seed capsules of the cannabis plant,

smoked, chewed, eaten, or infused and drunk to obtain mild euphoria

especially during Shivrathri. The drink is associated with Lord

Shiva and it is an accepted tradition for many Hindus to drink bhang

on special occasions, such as during holi, the festival of colours

and during Kali Puja besides Mahasivrathri.

 

According to Perur village chieftain S. Kumaralingam, the ritual,

where the chief priest breaks coconuts on heads of devotees will,

however, take place this year. Devotees usually thronged the

Masaniamman Temple in the outskirts for this ritual in fulfillment of

their vows on the occasion of Mahashivarathri. A large number of

devotees from all over the state and also from Kerala, Karnataka and

Andhra Pradesh usually participated in this ritual in the past. This

year it is being reported from a few temples on the fringes of the

district.