Ravalnath

The origin of word Ravalnath is a matter of conjecture. Mahadevshastri Joshi, derives the word from the word Ruru, who is one of the Ashta Bhairava, eight forms of the god Bhairava - a ferocious aspect of the god Shiva.^[b] The iconography of Ravalnath is same as that of Bhairava.[3] According to Shenoi Goembab, the word Raval (from the word Ravalnath) comes from the word Rahulbhadra which was also the personal name of Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna.Rahul was also the name of Buddha's son. As per his view during the Buddhist period, some Buddhist might have come to Goa and the worship of Ravalnath was mainly due to this Buddhist tradition. These views of Shenoi Goembab are not accepted by mainstream scholars.[1] Some other speculations suggested that the word Ravalnath is derived from Tamil word Iravalnath and in Tamil Iraval means begging for alms, and is connected to Bhikṣāṭanamūrti aspect of Shiva.[1] Ravalnath is sometimes considered as one of the three hundred Gaṇas of Shiva.[4]

The cult of Ravalnath is supposed to have been influenced by Nathism; it is suggested that Nath cult absorbed Ravalnath as suggested by the suffix nath.[5]

The earliest inscription referring to Ravalnath, called Ravaluba, is dated to the Hoysala period. In another inscription from Goa, Ravalnath is referred to as Ravaloba as well as Ravaleshwar. Southern Silaharas, who ruled North Goa and the present Sindhudurg and part of Ratnagiri district and Kadambas of Goa, were devotees of Shiva. However, references to Ravalnath are not found either in Silaharas or Kadamba inscriptions. There are a two inscriptions in Nagari script and from Velus village of Sattari taluka referring to Ravalnath from Vijayanagara period.[1]

Ravalnath is mostly depicted standing, with his left leg slightly bent. He has four hands and holds in the front right hand sword (Khaḍga) and in the left hand bowl of ambrosia (Pānapātra), in the lower right hand a trishula (trident) and in left hand, a damaru (drum). He wears a crown, a garland of human skulls (Runḍamāla) and a dhoti. He has a moustache. A female attendant with a fly-whisk (Cāmara) may be shown on his side; occasionally two attendants on either side are seen. Ravalnath is also worshiped in the form of Linga (Shiva's aniconic form).[1] A horse is mostly depicted as his mount in iconography.

Ravalnath is a popular deity of all social classes in coastal Maharashtra and Goa. However previously the upper castes, especially the Brahmins and the royals of Goa, frowned upon the worship of Ravalnath, who was considered as the deity of the masses. During the 14th and 15th century, Ravalnath was accepted as a guardian deity by all. He is now a Kuladevata (tutelary deity) of all the castes of Goa. Though there is no reference to him in the Sahyadrikhanda of the Skanda Purana, the 17th-century Koṅkaṇa Mahātmya attributed to Saraswats of Goa does mention Ravalnath. The absence of Ravalnath in Brahminical scriptures could be a possible reason to the initial resistance of the upper castes.[1]

The rituals for Ravalnath are especially performed between Dasara to Kojagiri Purnima and on Shigmo in some places. Icons of Ravalnath (as well as some other local guardian deities of non-Brahminical origin) are usually images, but festive bantons called Taranga,decorated with nine yard sarees and a metal palm or a face of the deity is fitted on the top of the banton.[5] Possessions (Bhaar or Avsar) is a very important aspect of Ravalnath worship, where he is said to communicate and bless the devotees via a possessed medium. Blood sacrifices of cocks or goats are offered to him in some places. The ritual of sprinkling the blood of the cocks offered to tarangas on cooked rice is called charu.[5]

There are eight independent temples of Ravalnath in Goa where he is the presiding deity and more than 42 shrines where he is venerated as a subsidiary (Parivar devatā).[1][2]