The traditional Banni festival of Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy temple at Devaragattu in Holagunda mandal of Kurnool district began with religious fervour on Vijayadasami festival on Tuesday.
Thousands of people of Neraniki, Neraniki thanda, Kothapet and adjoining 10 villages converged on Devaragattu where they resort to a mock stick fight while carrying the idol of Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy and Parvathi Devi from atop a 800-foot high hillock. As the fight with long sticks with metal ring tips leave substantial number of people injured, District Collector Ch. Vijayamohan and SP A. Ravikrishna held several meetings and advised people not to use sticks with metal ring tips.
Police bandobust
A heavy posse of police force was posted for bandobust with four DSPs, 17 circle-inspectors, 61 Armed Reserve and civil sub-inspectors, 145 ASIs and head constables, 458 constables, 70 special party policemen and 200 home guards were posted for bandobust duties, according to Kurnool Superintendent of Police A. Ravikrishna.
According to a legend, two demons -- Mani and Mallasura -- lived in Devaragattu hillocks and tortured saints who undertook penance and the latter prayed to Lord Parameswara and Parvati to rescue them.
The Lord appeared as ‘moola virat’ in Kurmavatharam form on a stone atop the hillock and eliminated the demons on the night of Vijayadasami. Before dying at ‘Rakshapada’, the demons prayed to the almighty to give them human sacrifice every year, but he refused and offered a fistful of blood in ‘Rakshapada’ area on the night of Vijayadasami, according to elders.
Prayers offered
Marking the occasion, villagers offer prayers to Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy and Parvati Devi and run down the hillock carrying the idols. Thousands of people of Neraniki, Neraniki thanda and Kothapet assemble at Palabanda at midnight, vow to give personal vengeance and conduct the festival with grandeur.
As the deities are carried on ‘aswavahanam’ by a group of persons, thousands of persons carrying flaming torches and long sticks having metal ring tips, dance to drumbeats, perform feats and form groups village-wise.
As eight rounds of crackers are burst with cries of ‘Durru and Goparak’, the stick-holders surge ahead with frenzy to stop the ‘aswavahanam’ from going forward, with the belief that people of the village prosper if they manage to stop its movement for some time.
In the fierce struggle, several persons sustain injuries on their head and limbs, but they smear sandalwood paste called ‘Bandaru’ and move forward. The blood that spills to the ground in the stick fight is considered an offering to the Lord.
The idols are taken to Mulpanda in the early hours, where puja is performed and taken to padalakatta. After performing puja, the temple priest slits his thigh to offer a fistful of blood, smears sandalwood paste and goes forward to the Banni tree.
Around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, the priest stands before Sri Basaveswara temple, explains the significance of the festival and foretells the future. Another round of fierce stick fight follows. Subsequently, the palanquin of the Lord is placed at Simhasana katta and pooja performed marking the conclusion of Banni festival. On Thursday, the temple priest ties an iron chain to his hand and to a large boulder on the other end and breaks the chain and people return to their villages.
Lakhs of devotees throng Devaragattu from Rayalaseema, Karnataka and other places to watch the Banni fete.
