The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : A festival to pay homage to bullocks

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Sunday, Aug 31, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A festival to pay homage to bullocks

S. Harpal Singh

Day of honour: Decorated bullocks waiting for their turn to circumambulate the Hanuman temple at Chanda (T) village in Adilabad on Saturday.

ADILABAD: In festivals like ‘Pola’, the agrarian society of rural Adilabad reflects aspects typical of Indian philosophy like thanksgiving to the beast of burden. On Saturday, elaborately decorated bullock pairs were subjected to rituals associated with the expression of gratitude for their contribution to the well being of the farmer.

Pola marks the end of active participation of bullocks in farming that had begun on Ugadi. For the festival, the plough is symbolically removed from the shoulder of the bullocks and the place where the plough rested is massaged with turmeric. Salt is rubbed on the tongue of the animal, an old custom meant to deworm it.

On the day of the festival the animals are let free in the fields to graze at will on the standing crops. The belief is that God will grant enhanced yields. The animals are later decorated rather vividly. A colourful ‘joolu’ is draped on the back of the bullocks, its horns are decorated with colour paper and anklets are tied on its feet. The sound of the small bells on its neck indicates a rural atmosphere.

In the afternoon, puja of the animals is performed with all rituals. It is followed by the bullocks circumambulating the local Hanuman and grama devata temples.

Welcome home

On returning home after the visit to the temples, the animals are welcomed with the traditional harati. Tilakam is applied on the forehead and a feast of boorelu, garelu and naivedyam is laid out. After feasting, the mouth of the animals is washed for it to savour the post meal ‘pan’. Farmers then seek the blessing of the bullocks by paying obeisance.

The continuing importance of bullocks in the life of agriculturists in the country can be gauged from the importance attached to festivals like Pola.

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Andhra Pradesh