All for god's grace
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RITUAL `Danda nata', a punitive dance that culminates on Visuva Shankranthi day (April 14), has many legends surrounding the practice.
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THEY PUNISH themselves to obtain god's grace! Come "Visuva Shankranti" and groups of people are seen dancing bare feet on hot sand under scorching sun.
The strange practice marks a 21-day ordeal that culminates on the Visuva Shankranti day which falls this year on April 14.
Legend has it that when some youths disturbed Lord Shiva in the "Satya Yuga", the Lord cursed them to undergo punishment in the "Kali Yuga" by dancing barefoot on the hot sand as a penance.
Another myth talks about how a king punished the people who could not pay additional tax for the construction of a temple. Some of the victims prayed to Goddess Kali to come to their rescue. This annual dance known as "Danda nata" is a reminder of the prayer to the goddess.
Those who participate in this "Danda nata" are known as "bhokta" or devotees. They stay away from home during this penance and take frugal meals once in a day.
The meal time is followed by heavy drum beats to avoid hearing human voices. Rich households get the dance performed by professional "Danda dancers" at their places in anticipation of getting their desires fulfilled.
Local villagers also pay the dancers and seek their blessings. The dancers clad in saffron move in rows amidst the beating of drums, blowing of conch shells and trumpets.
The dance is ritualistically divided into three parts-"Dhuli danda" (on sand), "Pani danda" (in water) and "Agni danda" (over fire).
The first phase is performed in the morning when the dancers sleep on hot sand under the sun; in the second phase at sunset they enter a pond and remain in water for over an hour, while the third phase starts at midnight when goddess Kali and Lord Shiva are worshipped together.
It can often become quite bizarre the dancer hangs himself upside down over a fire near the temple of goddess Kali till drops of blood oozes out of his nose and fall into the fire.
The masochistic rituals sometimes take weird forms as the dancers at times walk on a bed of burning charcoal, stand on the edge of a sword, pierce iron nails on the skin and tongue .
All these take place during the afternoons under the scorching sun in front of a temple or a public place. The villagers gather in large numbers to watch the rituals and lend moral support to the dancer-devotees who are always 13 in number.
B.M.
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
