Guest guest Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 By Sanu George, Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 25 (IANS) : Thousands of men thronged a Hindu temple in Kerala wearing saris, skirts and churidars in a unique tradition in which males seek divine blessings while dressed as women. Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 25 (IANS) Thousands of men thronged a Hindu temple in Kerala wearing saris, skirts and churidars in a unique tradition in which males seek divine blessings while dressed as women. The unique two-day festival concluded at the Kattankulangara Devi temple at Chavara in Kollam district, and officials said the response this year was huge - with people cutting across religious lines pouring from all over the state. A walk through a three-kilometre stretch to the temple compound could take a first time visitor by surprise. Here, men wear women's clothes through the night. This is no game, though. It is believed that men who wear women's clothes have their prayers answered. The festival is called "Kottankulangara Chamayavilakku". C. Sankar, a photographer, has not only observed the festival from close quarters because he stays close to the temple but has dressed up like a woman at least 10 times. "The last time I did it was in 1981. I did it because my mother told me that the family had taken a vow to observe the ritual to receive the goddess' blessings," he said. There are many stories about the origin of the festival but the most popular version says a group of boys who used to herd cows would playfully dress up as girls and offer flowers and a coconut dish called 'kottan' to a stone. The story goes that the goddess appeared before one of the boys. Subsequently, a temple came up and the ritual of men dressing up as women to offer prayers to the goddess got under way. This stone has now come to be regarded as the temple deity, and some say the stone has been growing in size over the years. The festival attracts people of various faiths. Thomachen, a 65-year-old Christian who came dressed in a sari, appeared very shy. "This is my first time here and I have come with a special request for the goddess. "I have three daughters and even though all of them are employed, none of them has been able to marry yet. I wish the goddess would listen to my request that they should get husbands soon." The second day of the festival Wednesday saw close to 3,000 males - adults as well as children - dressed up in skirts, churidars, saris and even the traditional Kerala 'mundu' and 'neriyathu'. By evening the men start to stand on either side of the temple road, waiting for the traditional lamp called Chamayavilakku. The lamp is a peculiarity of this temple and is seen here only. The lamp is mounted on a long wooden rod and rises to the waist. Speaking to IANS, five-year-old Nitin appeared shy and sad as he stood in a queue dressed like a girl in a traditional skirt and blouse. Asked what made him come to the temple, he said, his eyes filled with tears: "My brother is suffering from brain tumour and my mother offered to the Devi that I would be dressed up as a girl so as to save my brother." The ones who make a killing during the event are makeshift shopowners who sell ladies dresses and also help to get the men dress up like women. "Every year the crowd is increasing. This year I did good business," said one shop owner. "I notice that Christians arrive in large numbers now a days." The unique two-day festival concluded at the Kattankulangara Devi temple at Chavara in Kollam district, and officials said the response this year was huge - with people cutting across religious lines pouring from all over the state. A walk through a three-kilometre stretch to the temple compound could take a first time visitor by surprise. Here, men wear women's clothes through the night. This is no game, though. It is believed that men who wear women's clothes have their prayers answered. The festival is called "Kottankulangara Chamayavilakku". C. Sankar, a photographer, has not only observed the festival from close quarters because he stays close to the temple but has dressed up like a woman at least 10 times. "The last time I did it was in 1981. I did it because my mother told me that the family had taken a vow to observe the ritual to receive the goddess' blessings," he said. There are many stories about the origin of the festival but the most popular version says a group of boys who used to herd cows would playfully dress up as girls and offer flowers and a coconut dish called 'kottan' to a stone. The story goes that the goddess appeared before one of the boys. Subsequently, a temple came up and the ritual of men dressing up as women to offer prayers to the goddess got under way. This stone has now come to be regarded as the temple deity, and some say the stone has been growing in size over the years. The festival attracts people of various faiths. Thomachen, a 65-year-old Christian who came dressed in a sari, appeared very shy. "This is my first time here and I have come with a special request for the goddess. "I have three daughters and even though all of them are employed, none of them has been able to marry yet. I wish the goddess would listen to my request that they should get husbands soon." The second day of the festival Wednesday saw close to 3,000 males - adults as well as children - dressed up in skirts, churidars, saris and even the traditional Kerala 'mundu' and 'neriyathu'. By evening the men start to stand on either side of the temple road, waiting for the traditional lamp called Chamayavilakku. The lamp is a peculiarity of this temple and is seen here only. The lamp is mounted on a long wooden rod and rises to the waist. Speaking to IANS, five-year-old Nitin appeared shy and sad as he stood in a queue dressed like a girl in a traditional skirt and blouse. Asked what made him come to the temple, he said, his eyes filled with tears: "My brother is suffering from brain tumour and my mother offered to the Devi that I would be dressed up as a girl so as to save my brother." The ones who make a killing during the event are makeshift shopowners who sell ladies dresses and also help to get the men dress up like women. "Every year the crowd is increasing. This year I did good business," said one shop owner. "I notice that Christians arrive in large numbers now a days." >From Kerala News Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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