Dakkebali -Sri Khadgeshwari Brahmasthana, Padubidre

 

Dakkebali is a form of snake worship also known as Nagaradhane. Dakkebali ritual is practiced in the town of Padubidri in the Udupi district, Karnataka, India. Padubidre Brahmastana as it is known as a place of Shakti worship in Parashurama Kshetra located on the west coast of Southern India in Tulunadu of Karnataka State. The festival is held once two years. This pooja is performed for Naga, Bramha, Raktheshwari, Nandikonna, Haygulli, Kshetrapala, Bagilu Bobbarya, Motukalu Bobbarya, and Yakshi. The festival starts from the Makara maasa (normally 14th January) and continues till the end of Meena maasa i.e., the 2nd week of March. It is a rare place of Shakti worship, which has retained the age-old custom and practices, which trace their origin back to the Vedic Ages. The belief system has manifested right from Vedic Age. However, there has been a transformation in a belief system that has gradually grown towards nature worship, naga worship, evolving customs, practices, and ritualistic observations that have become part of human life. Human beings besides creating progeny started worshipping nature-borne things like water, fire, trees, stones, animals, and naga, in safeguarding the progeny and the human race. It is said that instruments like bells, Vaadya, Nagari, Didumbu, Dakke, etc were made for these worships. Dakke Bali is the amalgamation of man, history, and nature taking place from times immemorial in this land. Nagabanas can be seen abundantly in this region. Nagaaradhana and Brahmaradhana are conducted with a lot of devotion and dedication.

Khadgeshwari Brahmasthana

It is a place of worship where these chaitanyaas Shaktis are said to be presided over by the deity Sri Khadgeshwari- Brahma, Naga, Rakteswari, Nandigona, Kshetrapala known as Panchadaivikas. The place, where the deity known as ‘Khadgeshwari’ or ‘Vanadurga’ or ‘Nagavesthithe’ presides over in the midst of the dense forest, is called the udbhava sthala where the deity appears swayambhu as Aadi Shakti with all-pervasive powers. The place has a lot of sanctity. Dakke, a small instrument, made of bronze and leather, is first placed in the holy place and then played by the possessed pathri moving spherically. Devotees carry their offerings, called 'Hore Kanike' in Kannada and 'Pude' in Tulu language, from the famous Padubidri Mahalingeshwara, Maha Ganapathi temple to the Brahmasthana, in a long procession passing through Padubidri town, which is more than a Kilometre. The offerings mainly consist of fruits, flowers, tender coconuts, etc, and hingara or pingara the areca nut flower is a must. Before the procession, 'Anna Santarpane' is held in which thousands of people are offered free meals near the Brahmasthana premises. The beating of Dakke is harmonized with the Tala play, giving a special musical blend that electrifies the atmosphere. Dakkebali has been performed in other places also but the one Brahmasthana, Padubidri is exceptional and unique in that it involves Devi as well as Naga worship. While Nagamandala performed widely in south Karnataka to please Naga Devaru only and this was held throughout the year. During Dakkebali both the Naga Pathiris and Dakke Pathiris are involved. It is customarily practiced at Padubidre that one person from each family does volunteer service during the Dakke Bali period either in flower decoration or in other services. The entire Brahmasthana is converted into a floral palace by the time the sacred function starts. Plantain stems sheathing cuts and designed green leaves are used to frame the "Devi Gudi" while all stone pillars are wrapped with Pingara flowers, fruits, tender coconuts bunch, plantain bunches, and flowers of various colours that transform the place into a royal place. The pathris by custom belongs to the Shivalli Brahmins of the place which is called Bengre in Padubidri. These pathris are not selected by the people nor compelled to play that role. They are in a way accepted as pathris by the presiding deity of the place Khadgeshwari. When the Shivalli Brahmins of the place feel that they must have a pathri according to the custom, they assemble together in the local Mahalingeswara and Maha Ganapathi Temple, pray, and proceed to Khadgeshwari Brahmasthana in a Bhajana gosthi-singing devotional songs procession and arrive at the Brahmasthana. They continue to chant the sacred name of the lord Govinda!, Govinda! Till they reach Brahmastahan and they get a person of their community possessed by the holy Chaitanya. There is a customary procedure in accepting the pathri of the place. The Shivalli Brahmins of the place who have assembled there will have to extend their formal opinion before accepting a new pathri by the deity of the place. This opinion is called upon by a verdict given through existing pathri. When the Shivalli Brahmins of the place extends their consent, the family of the pathri is summoned to the holy place and is called upon to give their wholehearted consent. Thereupon, the pathri who is also called koradu is accepted by the deity of the place and blessed with 'abhaya'-assurance of protection from the deity. The pathris of the place cannot perform except at Brahmasthana. There used to be nine pathris once upon a time but now, only three. The ‘viniyogas’- work connected with the worship of this place are supervised by three persons of the different families called Gurikaras who represent the Shivalli Brahmin community of Padubidri from each of the three families viz., Kornaya, Balappa, and Murudi. For performing the pujas the priests belonging to Rajapurohit class is chosen. The administrative work relating to the worship of this place is carried out by a trust called ‘Sri Vanadurga Trust’ which has a centralized administrative system covering all seva activities. The Shivalli Brahmins of this place elect the members of the ‘Vanadurga Trust’ once in three years.

Brahma Mandala

This mandala – a special kind of rangoli called mandala depicts the divine union of male and female snakes and is drawn by the Panara community in the shape of a rectangle using five different colours. The area is also sanctified and decorated with various Vanahan symbols that symbolically signify the presence of ashtdikpalakass, vasus, subramanyana, MahaVishnu, Brahma, and others.

A family by the name of Vaidya, of Udupi District, is mainly involved in the performance of Dakke Bali. Dakke instrument, which is played by vaidyas as a hereditary art. They reside in Nalkoor of Udupi District. Men dress up in a manner to symbolize Naaga Kannike. The role of naaga kannike is usually played by senior vaidyas. Dakke is played by the Vaidyaas in their hands, to invoke the spirits. They initially place the dakke at the holy place, pray and then play upon it until the pathirs of the place get possessed. With this possession, they move around spherically during worship. This is known as Dakke Bali. This movement has the significance of male and female snakes meeting and the number of spirical rounds have a count which twists called ass mudi meaning knots. Initially, by signing songs and depicting in nartana style they evoke the pathris who are said to be the male snakes, which follow the nagakannike. Initially, it is clockwise mudi till they unite. Then it is anticlockwise mudi that is to depict the separation.

Here, this being the nagaloka or kshetra the deity who is seated as sarpavesthithe wants nagas to be pleased. Again, the union of nagas symbolizes the union of Atma or Jivastam with Paramathma –the union with universal energy. All the devotees who hail from different places in India visit the sacred place with devotion. Note:


----Sphoorthi 

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Feb-March 2021, Vol 7, Issues-43