For the first time, 'Mahisha Dasara', an alternative Dasara celebration that is antithetical to the narrative that Mahishasura was a demon, will be held in coastal Karnataka's Udupi district. Udupi is the stronghold of Sangh Parivar organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, and the celebrations will be held by the Ambedkar Yuva Sene on October 15, despite the district police denying them permission for a rally.
Mahishasura is commonly portrayed as a demon in Hindu mythology, but since 2015, there has been a growing movement of the marginalised people in Karnataka, asserting their cultural histories by celebrating Mahishasura, who they claim is a Buddhist ruler murdered by upper caste Aryans. "Regardless of the police permission and the opposition from Hindutva groups, we will be having a discussion at the Ambedkar Bhavan about the history of Mahishasura. It is time to tell the story of Mahishasura in Udupi," Jayan Malpe of the Ambedkar Yuva Sene told TNM.
Though this will be the first formal celebration of 'Mahisha Dasara', Dalit rights activists and historians say that Mahishasura is already celebrated in coastal Karnataka in various forms. "There is even a shrine in which Mahishasura, also called Kundodara, is worshipped in Barkur. This is perhaps the only such shrine in the region," Jayan says.
Mahishasura or Kundodara is paramount to people across communities in Barkur who believe in the worship of daivas or bhootha aradhane - the worship of ancestors. A study on the Bhootha culture in coastal Karnataka published by the Directorate of Census Operations in 1971, states that a Brahmin priest offers daily puja to Mahishasura in the shrine in Barkur. It adds that a three-day festival called 'sedi utsava' is celebrated to honour the daiva.
The daiva Kundodara is linked to the 'Aliya Santana' (nephew as heir), a matrilineal system of inheritance practiced by Tulu communities. This is similar to the practice of Marumakattayam in Kerala. Apocryphal stories suggest that Kundodara demanded a human sacrifice from king Bhutala Pandya, and the king's sister came forward to sacrifice her son. Kundodara, impressed by the sister's actions, ordered Bhutala Pandya to rewrite the inheritance laws to allow his nephew to inherit his property.
In addition to the shrine in Barkur, one of the most popular Yakshagana acts in the region is the 'Devi Mahatme', which describes the victory of the goddess Durga over various demons including Mahishasura. Yakshagana, a traditional theatre form that combines dance, music, and dialogue, is popular across the coastal Karnataka region. Yakshagana prasangas or acts typically run from dusk to dawn and draw their themes from Hindu epics.
Noted journalist and coastal Karnataka historian Naveen Soorinje says that even in the 'Devi Mahatme', the performer who plays the role of Mahishasura is considered as important as the one who plays the role of the Devi. "There is a custom of the organiser of the Yakshagana inviting the performer who plays the role of Mahishasura to their home and giving fruits and milk. This is not done with the performer who plays the role of the Devi. This is a way to show that Mahishasura is one of our own," added Naveen.
However, the celebrations of Mahisha Dasara have touched a nerve among Hindutva supporters in coastal Karnataka as Mahishasura is commonly portrayed as a demon in Hindu mythology. The opposition to the alternative celebration has come from the right-wing organisations Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. Speaking at the Hindu Samajotsava in Udupi on October 10, Bajrang Dal leader Dinesh Mendon said, "The Hindu community should come together and oppose the Mahisha Dasara celebrations in the land of Krishna. It cannot be allowed to go ahead in Udupi."