Ainmanes

The people of Kodagu are Hindus; they believe in reincarnation, revere the cow and originally worship the natural elements (revering the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, water and fire) and their ancestors. The reverence of various spirits in addition to the established gods of Hinduism is also part of their religion. Each village has a Bhagwathi (Mahalakshmi) temple, each lane has a snake deity and each nad(region) had an Aiyappa temple. The people worship Mahadeva as well. Comparatively liberal in their beliefs, the consumption of soma and pork is permitted during their ceremonies (except during Kaveri Sankramana when they have to be on a vegetarian, non-alcoholic diet). However like other Hindus, the consumption of beef is strictly prohibited. They maintain sacred groves on their public village lands from ancient times, hunting is prohibited in these woods called the Devakadu. They believe in astrology as well. Generally they dont follow idol worship but believe in nature worship.

Kodagu: home of the Kodavas shown above in the map of Karnataka,India (in orange)

People settlements in Coorg are in the form of Okka family groups that are scattered across agricultural and forested holdings, where traditional ainemane houses form focal meeting points in the rural landscape. It is a joint patrilineal clan with males of common ancestry. The male members of an okka share an okka name. Currently there are about 1000 okka names and families in Kodagu. Traditionally all the members of an okka lived in a large ancestral Ainemane house (ayyangada mane – House of the Elders). The emergence of townships, as such, has been a relatively recent phenomenon and many of the main towns in Kodagu are inhabited by recent migrants. This cluster of homes and property form the nucleus of a village called ur.

The spirits of departed souls who were prominent figures in the community and had done good deeds while they were alive were worshipped. These spirit gods do not have a set form of physical representation. Symbolically a piece of rock is sanctified and considered as such a spirit deity. The founder of each clan (Okka), the Guru Karana, is worshipped by the members of that particular clan. On their ancestral clan lands they have a shrine (Kaimada), which is the shrine of the clan's first ancestor (Guru Karana), where they offer prayers and obeisance. A number of weapons, made of wood or metal, are kept in the Kaimadas. The shrine is usually made of clay or wood or covered with sheet metal, and housed within a roofed structure built near the entrance to the ain-mane. Sometimes it is simply located on a platform under a sap-exuding tree near the entrance of ainemane. Some clans conduct a karana kola, a dance of the ancestral spirit during which a Malayalee migrant dresses in elaborate colourful clothing and dances in a trance and acts as an oracle. During this ceremony he is symbolically possessed by the karana, the original founder of the particular clan. In every home a lamp called Nellakki Deepa is lit in honour of the Guru Karana. The lamp in the central hall is lit by the embers of the kitchen hearth every day. Fire of the kitchen hearth is especially sacred.

On the day of Huttari (the rice harvest festival celebrated in around November–December), the whole family assembles in their ain mane (the common family house), which is decorated with flowers and green mango and banana leaves. Specific foods are prepared: thambuttu, puttari, kari and poli poli. Then the eldest member of the family hands a sickle to the head of the family and one of the women leads a procession to the paddy fields with a lit lamp in her hands. The path leading to the field is decorated. A gunshot is fired to mark the beginning of the harvest, with chanting of "Poli Poli Deva" (prosperity) by all present. Then the symbolic harvesting of the crop begins. The rice is cut and stacked and tied in odd numbers and is carried home to be offered to the gods. The younger generation then lite fire crackers and revel, symbolising prosperity. Groups of youngsters visit neighbouring houses and show off their dancing skills and are given monetary gifts. A week later, this money is pooled and the entire village celebrates a communal dinner. All family members gather for this meal.