Kantara

Kantara is a recent movie in 2022, that is nominated for the Oscars and took the cinema fraternity by storm. Kantara means mystic forest. The interior part of Karnataka is filled with such lush and thick forest surrounded by the Western Ghats. But, this article is not about the movie. It is more about the references and traditions around the movie and how this movie has sparked new interest in an age old tradition.

Even today, the land is filled with rich heritage and spiritual connections. The locals in this place worship deities and seek their protection. The tradition has been followed for centuries and practiced even today. Similar references and practices are seen in other places such as Africa, New Zealand and Hawaiian natives.

Some of the references from the movie is the local deity called Panjurli daiva - The feared wild boar and the local festival called Bhoota Kola festival.

Bhoota Kola is a traditional festival celebrated in the state of Karnataka, India, particularly in the coastal district of Karnataka. It is a ritual performance that is performed to appease the local deities, known as Bhootas or Gramadevatas, who are believed to be the guardians of the village.

The festival is celebrated with great fervor and devotion and is usually held during the months of January and February. It is a night-long ritual performance that is performed in the open air, usually in front of a temple or a sacred grove. The ritual performance is led by a local priest or shaman, known as a "guru" or "bhagawath".

The Bhoota Kola festival is a blend of music, dance and drama. The performers, dressed in traditional costumes and masks, portray the various Bhootas and enact various episodes from mythology and folklore. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of traditional instruments such as drums, cymbals, and wind instruments.

The Bhoota Kola festival is an important event in the cultural calendar of the region and is attended by people from all walks of life. It is considered to connect with the local deities and to seek their blessings for peace, prosperity, and good health. The festival is also a way to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the region.

One other reference that is made in the movie is a reference to "Wild Boar". Wild Boar has a great significance in Hindu Religion. The story goes as Panjurli is the divine spirit of a male wild boar. Panjurli in Tulu language refers to a wild boar offspring. Many wild boars destroyed the crops of farmers and hence farmers started to worship the spirits of wild boar. According to the the ancient Tulu oral literature, Goddess Parvati kept an offspring of a Wild boar as her pet and loved it dearly. It was very naughty and destroyed the gardens in Kailash. Lord Shiva angered by this, killed the Wild Boar. This upset Parvati greatly. To pacify her, Shiva brought it back to life as a spirit and sent it to Earth to protect the people and steer them from evil to good.

Similar festivals happen in the southern part of India with references to different Gods and Goddess. In this festival, there is a performer who wears costumes and make-up impersonating the deity and dances in a trance state. During this time, it is believed that person can foresee future, offer solutions to people’s suffering and problems and he is in a state where he has the spirit of the deity in him.

During this time, offerings are made to the God as sacrifices as well. Local deities and traditions were long forgotten in the busy world and modern technological advancements. Many disregard this as it has no scientific co-relation as well. But, this movie has sparked a new interest in folk and local traditions.