Bull.lnd.lnst.Hist.Med. Vol. XXVIII - 1998 pp 1 to 6

RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN SOUTH INDIATO CURE DISEASES

M.M.ALAM* & B.RAMA RAO**

ABSTRACT

There is belief in South Indian villages that epidemics are due to evil spiritssurrounding the villages. The propitiating of Gods and Goddesses to get rid ofdiseases in these villages are discussed. The Christian and Muslim traditionsto cure the diseases by practising religion are also detailed.

All religions in ancient civilizationworshipped various gods andgoddesses for relief from physicalailments and mental agonies. It was acommon belief of villagers that thevillages are surrounded by evil spiritswho cause failure of crops, fire or inflictdiseases, epidemics like cholera, smallpox, fever, cattle diseases. They usedto turn towards guardian deities andpropitiate them to ward off suchdiseases and calamities.

Ancient Indian civilization hadworship of deities for averting epidemicdiseases and other such calamitiessupposed to have been caused by evilspirits Traces of worship of mothergoddesses are found in Indus Valleycivilization thereby giving an impressionthat worship of goddesses wasprevalent for cure of diseases. Chinesetraveller I' tsing mentioned that imageof Hariti was found near the door of allBuddhist monasteries. Hariti was

regarded as an incarnation of diseasethat destroy children. Lord Buddhaturned her into a protector of childrenfrom her old character of destroyer ofchildren. Sitala is an identical form ofHariti and goddess of smallpoxworshipped in India.

In Vedic religion Ashvins areassociated with the act of healing.Several miraculous cures like providingan artificial iron leg, rejuvenation, cureof blindness, leprosy are attributed tothese twin gods. Many of the hymns ofAtharvaveda are for cure of diseasessupposed to have been caused by evilspirits.

Inspite of the fact that rationalisedmedicine and medical concepts ofAyurveda and use of medicines invarious forms and from various sourcesemerged long before the appearance ofAyurvedic classics, worship of gods andgoddesses was continued and iscontinued even today. Some temples

* Assistant Director

** DirectorIndian Institute of Panchakarma, Cheruthuruthy, Kerala (India).

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which are known for relief of certaindiseases and also various practices andsacrifices of animals for relief ofdiseases specially epidemics byvillagers in South India are presentedhere.

Worship of gods, goddesses andspirits is in vogue in villages. People,both men and women, boys and girlswho have died violent or untimely, areworshipped after death.

There are temples of goddessesAnkamma and Gangamma for choleraand small pox respectively in AndhraPradesh. Temples have been built toplagueamma to prevent plague. A storyis mentioned by Henry (1921) thattherewas a widow, Ramamma living betweenVijayawada and Hyderabad. She hadillegal relation with one of her servantsnamed Buddha Sahib. The brother ofRamamma on knowing it killed both ofthem. After this murder there was outbreak of cattle plague which peopleattributed to the spirit of Ramamma.They instituted special rites to pacify herspirit. Now there is a practice of takingout wooden images of about 2 feet highto represent Ramamma and BuddhaSahib with two images of localgoddesses as their attendants duringcattle plague. The images are placedon a cart and are dragged in processionat night through all the main streets ofthe village accompanied by fire works,music and dance. Finally the cart isdragged to the boundary of the villageand is thrown into the territory of theadjacent village in order to transfer theangry spirit of Ramamma.

Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist, Med. Vol. XXVIII- 1998

The Kogillu village in Karnatakathere is a slab of rough stone of aboutfive feet high and three feet broad. It isplaced on a stone platform and isworshipped whenever cattle s getsorefeet. In another village the goddessof small pox, Maramma, is representedby erecting a square stone pillar of aboutfive feet height and half a feet inthickness near the cattle stone. She iscalled Maramma - Hethana and isoffered buffalloes and sheep wheneverepidemics break out.

In Tamil Nadu Mariamma or Mari isworshipped for small pox while Kali isregarded as the goddess who protectsfrom evil spirits and ghosts. In someparts she is the special goddess of thevivid character and in some villages sheis also the guardian against cholera. Thecholera goddess is believed to be themother of washerman. He is thereforechosen to officiate as the pujari (priest)as the son alone can hope to succeedin propitiating such a fierce divinity. Thewasherman bathes early morning andplaces a decorated pot called karagamon his head. The villagers pour ragi gruelin iron buckets which are kept for boilingwater. The poor are fed this ragi grueland the washerman dances before themholding a sickle in one hand andmargosa leaves in another hand. Afterdusk when the procession passesthrough the village, sheeps aresacrificed at the important centres in thevillage and the blood is collected in anearthen pot. The washerman goes ondancing accompanied by musicians andplaces the karagam and blood vessel

Religious Practices in South India - Alam & Rao

at the border of his village. He returnshome after taking bath. The goddess isbelieved to be propitiated by this and iscarried beyond village limits. Thevillagers of adjacent villages in their turncarry the karagam to the border of thenext village and this way the karagamtravels long distance resulting in thetransfer of angry goddess to a saferplace.

In some villages Kaliamma isrepresented by seven brass pots oneabove the other with margosa leavesattached to the mouth of top most potalong with an earthen pot filled with waterand adorned with margosa leaves. It ispossible that the seven pots representseven sisters or seven virgins found inTamil Nadu shrines.

It is reported that in Kerala manyreligious communities have faith insupernatural beings and believe thatprayers, partaking prasadams ornerchas is very useful for their welfare.Bhajanams are offered in certaintemples to get children. Many miraclesare attributed to the Lord of Sabaarimalai.e Ayyappan, like dumb devoteesregaining speech and so on.Performance of certain vazhipadus inthe Taliparamba Siva temple curesdiseases like epilepsy. The goddess ofKurumba Bhagavati temple atKodungallur (Kerala) is the masuridevata (qoddess of small pox) andprayers are offered to ward off thedisease. Guruvayur temple is known fordefinite cure of rheumatism and othermaladies. Bhramarasandesa andChakorasandesa (19th C) refer to the

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rheumatic patients going to Guruvayur.In recent example late ChembaiVaidyanatha Bhagavataer is known tohave regained his golden voice afterBhajanam at Guruvayur. There arecertain prasadams known as antidotesfor certain diseases. The talkari ofMaruttoruvattom temple, the va/iaennaof Takazhi Sasta temple and blackointment resembling eyetex obtainedfrom the big lamp at the entrance ofEttumanur Siva temple are known assuch antidotes for diseases. There is atank with perennial supply of water(Muchukunda Tirtham) adjoining SriParthasarathi Temple at Munjanakavuin Kasargod Dist. It is believed that adip in this water, three pradaksinas andoffering of handful of Navadhanyas is asure remedy for all warty growths onhuman body.

Muslims and Christians are noexceptions in superstitions. St Thomastradition believes in miracles. St.Sebastian possesses power to affordrelief from contagious diseases and St.George from serpentine displeasure.Pilgrims at Arthungal Church to payhomage to St.Sebastian crawl on - theirbellies from the beach to the church (urulnercha) and make offerings of gold andsilver images of human limbs, bows andarrows.

At St. George's church at Edathuamodels of snakes, ears and other organsare offered apart from gold and silver.The water from the well in St. George'sChurch at Edappalli is having miraculouscurative powers. The Orthodox SyrianChurch, Manarcaud is visited by

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mentally sick and those possessed byevil spirits. Putupalli Church is visitedfor cure form poisoning. The tamuk aspecial edible sweet in some churcheslike that of Infant Jesus, facilitates easydelivery and pregnant women partakeit.

Kerala Muslims have faith in saints- dead and living. The jarrams aregraves of some Muslim divines and theyattract devotees in large numbers. Thetomb of Beema Bivi and her son is inBeemapalli in Tiruvanathapuram. Thistomb is visited by physically crippled andmentally deranged. The tanga/s are

Bull./nd./nst.Hist,Med. Vol. XXVII/- 1998

believed to be direct desendents of theProphet and their help is sought indifficulties. Musaliars are attributed withmiraculous powers of curing diseases,exorcising evil spirits and doing generalgood to the welfare of the family.Conclusion

The main aim of worshipping villagegods and goddesses is to avert theirwrath. The purpose is to get rid ofcholera, small pox, cattle disease ordrought and other calamities. Theworship in most of the villages takesplace during epidemics while in somevillages annually.

1. Leslie, Charles 1977REFERENCES

2. Ramana Rao, vv. 1971

3. Sreedhara Menon, A. 1996

4. Whitehead, Henry, D.O. 1921

Asian Medical System A comparativestudy, University of California Press,London.

Indian Goddesses of Epidemicdiseases, Bulletin Ind.lnst.Hist.Med. 1(1-2) 44-88.

Cultural Heritage of KeralaS.viswanathan Pvt. Ltd., Madras.

The village gods of South India, OxfordUniversity Press, Calcutta.

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