‘Pattathu Kaalai’, the main deity of Sri Thambiran Maatu Thozhu, a cow temple in Cumbum, and family deity for many farmers in Cumbum and 21 villages around it, died on Tuesday.
The bull, which was treated as a divine creature, was buried with all rites in a separate yard within the temple complex on Tuesday.
It was placed on a vehicle, bedecked with flowers. Devotees offered silk towels, dhoties, saris and garlands to the bull and paid homage. A large number of villagers took part in the funeral procession, which started at the temple and ended at the burial ground within the temple campus, after passing through the main roads of Cumbum.
When the funeral procession crossed a mosque, Muslims paid homage to the bull by offering golden yellow colour shawls and garlands and conducted a special prayer. A large number of Muslims assembled in front of the mosque well in advance to pay homage to ‘Pattathu Kaalai’. This bull had been treated as ‘Pattathu Kalai’ since 1997, said temple committee members.
Former secretary of Kerala Cardamom Growers’ Association R.T. Ashok Kumar of Cumbum said selection of the next ‘Pattathu Kaalai’ would be held on June 17.
He said all calves in the temple would be assembled in a single line. Pieces of sugarcane would be kept in front of them. The cow or bull calf that picked the sugarcane piece first would be declared the ‘Pattathu Maadu’ and it would be the next main deity of the cow temple, he added.
Calves that are born on the second of Thai (Tamil month) are considered to have divine qualities by the people of several villages in Cumbum valley. They treat the calves as their family deities and offer them to the temple, which now has more than 200 cattle heads.
People neither collect milk from the cows nor use the bulls for any work. Okkaliga Gouder community people have been maintaining this temple and feeding the cattle.
People, irrespective of their community, clan and religion, offer calves to the temple. Cattle growers belonging to other religions too follow this tradition.
