Have you heard about Kongan Pada, that happens yearly at Chittur, Palakkad? What has Chittur in #Palakkad got to do with #Cochin?
Chittur was Granary of Cochin Kingdom, an integral part. Kongan Attack happened, as per an "ola", in 71 M.E (895 A.D) at Chittur. Not to be confused with Chittur at Ernakulam or in Andhra Pradesh.
Here is an article, published in The #IndianExpress, 17th March 1941. The author of the article, Kerala Varma, is not tracable, but is believed to be one of the nephews of Midukkan Thampuran, IchachanThampuran.
The title of the article, AMAZON QUEEN OF KERALA WHO DEFIED A CHOLA PRINCE - FESTIVAL OF KONGAN PADA, should not be misleading.
An Amazon is a big, strong, warrior-like woman, someone who reminds of the mythical Greek women-warriors, the Amazons.
‐------------
AMAZON QUEEN OF KERALA WHO DEFIED A CHOLA PRINCE
FESTIVAL OF KONGAN PADA
(BY KERALA VARMA)
The Indian Express, 17th March 1941
A thousand-year-old military victory is even today celebrated with pardonable pride and pomp by the people of Chittur-Cochin. The celebrations, comprehensively called the Kongan Pada last more than a week and generally take place in the first half of March. This year they come off this week.
As seem inevitable in India, History, Religion and social customs have got inextricably
mixed up in this function and it is difficult to separate facts from fiction and
superstition.
The historical incidents which form the basis of these
celebrations, as far as they can be reconstructed from the observances of the
week, the folk songs of the place, old authentic-looking records, and more
particularly from a very important ultimatum which is still read every year in
the temple as part of the celebrations, are these.
Conquerors, old and new, have
never resisted the lure of fertile lands and key positions. Chittur is rich,
being the granary of the Cochin State; and it is strategically important because
it is the land gateway to Central Kerala.
Little wonder therefore, that it has
often been the "cockpit of South India." From the very beginning people from the
East, the Kongu Nadu, have come in, via Chittur, to Kerala, as merchants in
times of peace, and as armies in times of war, and it has been the duty of the
little hardly warrior community of Chittur to keep out the barbarian hordes in
trouble, and to be wary of the seemingly harmless merchant parties in times of
quiet.
In 71 M. E. (i.e., 896 A. D.) as an old paly-leaf grandha has it, a
number of Kongu merchants returning to their land empty-handed complain to their
minister and King of foul play by the people of Chittur and Pattancheri, a
neighbouring village. It is difficult to get at the King's personal name through
the jumble of surnames and titles and adjectives that we find in the ultimatum
previously mentioned. He is probably a Rajadhiraja, a descendant or son of a
Raja Raja and described as the founder of the Chola Kingdom. His minister is one
Hiranyamurthi Pillay. Both King and minister are engaged at the report of
ill-treatment of their subjects and, glad of a pretext, march to Chittur at the
head of a large army of foot, horse and elephant. Stopping at Manali, they send
a messenger, a Paraya woman Araththi, with an ultimatum to the people of
Chittur. The ultimatum in old Tamil may be translated as follows:-
In Kaliyuga,
in Sree Mahamandala, the Raja who won Kandanad and defended Kondanad... the ever
truthful Rajadhirajan, Rajamarthandan, Raja-Parameswaran the chief of south
India, the founder of the Chola Kingdom, the Commander of the armies of Kongu
Nadu, the son of Raja Raja…. Declare that the Malayalis of Chittur and
Pattancheri, the subjects of the Perumpadappu Rajas Goda Varma, Rama Varma and
Vira Kerala Varma have robbed my chief Hiranyamurthi Pillay of bags of arecanut
pepper, sugar, pearls and precious stones which were being taken to him. So
therefore, I command that either the Malayalis of the four villages of
Perumpadappu with their leaders should come before me or the robbers of my
properties should be surrendered, their hands and legs tied, or the stolen goods
including gold should be brought to me. If not, considering that my Chetties and
Vellalas have often on variousbusiness to travel through your country I warn
you, this Sunday at Manali, that I will be forced to advance to the Hill and
after untying our parcels of food and breakfasting, to march against you
tomorrow, Monday, with my 8 lakhs of soldiers, foot, horse and elephant. All
this is but the truth, the truth, by God Subrahmania, by his Javelin and his
peacock.
The wording of the ultimatum is evidently conciliatory, polite but
firm, moderate in demand and worthy of a great and good king. The "8 lakhs of
soldiers" is plainly an exaggeration, a piece of bluff meant to frighten.
This
ultimatum is not delivered to any individual. It is placed on the steps of the
temple of the presiding diety in the early hours of the 18th Khumbhom (Masi) 71
M.E. The temple priest happening to pass that way is informed by the messenger.
The news spreads like wild fire. The nayar 'Parishad' (Assembly) as is usual on
such occasions, assembles in the temple precincts. Hurried consultations are
held. The brave fighters do not admit guilt and are in no mood to give way.
Their king, the Perumpadappu Raja is far away. A messenger with an appeal for
help, therefore, hurries to the neighbouring friendly Raja of Palghat. A strict
watch is kept on pathways and thoroughfares. Suspects and strangers are rounded
up and among them are two Numbooris, a Panan and his wife, and an Asari
(carpenter), all new arrivals to the place.
It is evening, still no news from
Palghat. The people go back to their goddess, and pray with all their heart for
help, and they hear or seem to hear promise of help from their “Mother”.
Heartened by this they busy themselves and preparations for the battle do not
take much time. There is the call to arms. Women vie with men in enthusiasm and
cannot be held back. They put on war clothes and carrying what arms they can get
join their men. Are we in the midst of Rajputs?
And the war begins. The two
armies meet a furlong east of the present Nayar quarters in what is now the
bazaar. The fight is sharp and short. In an hour the Nayar heroes and heroines
are retreating, quality retreating before quantity. The wounded and the dead
come in a stream to the ‘Thara’ (Nayar village). The little local army has been
beaten back to their own doors. But now the miracle happens. A Hippolyta
appears. This Joan of Arc, but not a mild one, with her feminine fire and fury,
the fury of a goddess, strikes terror and dismay into the hearts of the
superstitious Kongans; and the tide turns. The mass of Nayar valour rallies, and
rushes onward under their newfound queen and ever Rajadhiraja is perplexed. He
beats hasty retreat, but is cut to pieces. Chittureans press home their victory
and do not stop till the enemies of Malabar have been driven beyond the Valayar
river, the eastern frontier of Chittur.
The victorious warriors wash their
clothes and their swords after the bloody fray in the river and hence the name
Valayar (Val - sword, Ar - river). Returning, the Amazon Queen and her male and
female followers take rest and food on a rock, and the rock is still called
Uttupara (Uttu-feeding, and para-rock).
The mysterious woman disappears in the
midst of the rejoicings that follow. No search is made, and more fortunate than
Joan of Arc, she is soon deified. She is taken to be the incarnation of their
goodness and a temple is built for her. An image of clay, which reminds us of
the 'Nadugals' common in Tamil Nadu, is consecrated in the presence of all the
men, women and children of Chittur. Centuries haverolled on, and still this
temple reigns supreme in the devotion of all Chittur. The Kongan Pada
celebrations centre round this temple.
Though the incidents narrated in the
foregoing paragraphs took place not less than a thousand years ago the
celebrations in connection with them become an annual function only about 700
years later. The events that occur in the short period of forty eight hours or
less in history have been spread out to take place in a week in the
celebrations. Certain social eexercises and dances like Malankali or Malama,
even drama acting, and some temple festivities like 'Ulsvam' have all now got
interwoven into the texture of the Kongan Pada.
The Kongan Pada items begins on
the Sivarathri day, when the people of the place gather at Purayath House and begin
physical exercises having an air of religious dancing. The Wednesday preceding
Kongan Pada proper, i.e. Monday(?), the leaders of the locality go in a body to a
neighbouring field to consult an astrologer, and this is called "Kanyar." The
Friday following, youths lead by Muppatti's (leaders) march to the western
frontier of the place and after a bath in the river return shouting through the
streets and lanes of the villages. This is clearly the warning and the summons
to camp, the mobilisation of the modern day.
In the evening the youths in
procession march to a camp in the centre of the Thara followed by a vociferous
crowd. This is aripathattu. On Saturday and Sunday the poor Numbudiri, the
Asari, the Panan and the Patti are all rounded up, taken to Chempathu Tharavad,
tied and let off after being made to swear their innocence and loyalty. The
festivities reach their climax on Monday.
Every House is 'en-fete'. Girls in
boys' clothes and vice-versa are taken in procession towards noon, this being
probably a remnant of the way in which boys and girls were taken away to safety
in disguise. In the evening an image of the goddess is taken out in a grand
procession preceded by all sorts of old dramatic personal, Ravana, Krishna,
Surpanaka, Harischndra, some on platforms and some on the ground.
At about 10
p.m. the Kongan, and not his messenger, arrives in the temple and reads,
curiously enough, his own ultimatum. This is an instance of history being
altered for the sake of dramatic effect. Then begins the mimic fight
"accompanied by the beating of numerous Paraya drums, blowing of horns, racing
of horses, torch light processions etc., and in the course of it some act as
wounded and some fall down on the field of action as dead". is brought to the
Thara surrounded by weeping mobs. There is muer running to and fro and in the
end, towards morning, there is another triumphal progress the goddess from the
battle field to the temple where the procession breaks up with a display of
fireworks. There are still some minor items to be gone through on the succeeding
days and the rejoicings end only a few days later.
Unique among the temple
festivals of Kerala, the Kongan Pada takes us back to those unsettled days of
repeated invasions of Kerala by the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Gangas, the
Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas and the Pallavas. "These invasions do not seem to
have left any permanent impression on the country or to have given rise to any
changes among the ruling families," but the Kongan Pada is a rich and rare
survival from that dark but glorious past.
END
#UNKNOWNMALAYALI
