page_title: Buta Kola
section_title: Possession
hierarchical_section_title: Buta Kola / Possession
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: castestribesofso06thuruoft (find matches) Title: Castes and tribes of southern India. Assisted by K. Rangachari Year: 1909 (1900s) Authors: Thurston, Edgar, 1855-1935 Rangachari, K Subjects: Caste -- India Madras (Presidency) Ethnology -- India Madras (Presidency) India -- Social conditions Publisher: Madras Government Press Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto Digitizing Sponsor: MSN View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: thosewho made voyages by sea; but it does not appear thatthere is any solid foundation for this hypothesis. It isthe general belief among the Paravas that their originalcountry was Ayodhya, or Oudh&#160;; and it appears that,previously to the war of Mahabharata, they inhabitedthe territory bordering on the river Yamuna or Jumna.At present they are chiefly found in the seaport towns ofthe Tinnevelly district in the south of India, and also insome of the provinces on the north-west coast of Ceylon.With regard to their origin, there is a variety as well asdiscordancy of opinions. Some of the Tantras representthem to be descended from a Brahman by a Sudrawoman, while the Jatibedi Nul (a work of some celebrityamong the Tamils) states them to be the offspring of aKurava (or basket-maker) begotten clandestinely ona female of the Chetty (or merchant) tribe. But theParavas have among themselves quite a different * Origin and History of the Paravas. Simon Casie Chitty. Journ. Roy. As.Soc, IV, 1837. Text Appearing After Image: PARAVA DEAIL-DANXER. HI PARAVAN tradition concerning their origin, which is founded onmythological fable. They relate that their progenitorswere of the race Varuna (god of the sea), and on theoccasion, when Siva had called Kartikeya (god ofarms) into existence, for destroying the overwhelmingpower of the Asuras (evil spirits), they sprang up withhim from the sacred lake Sarawana, and were like himnursed by the constellation Kartika. At the close of thelast kalpa, when the whole earth was covered with adeluge, they constructed a dhoni or boat, and by itescaped the general destruction&#160;; and, when dry landappeared, they settled on the spot where the dhonirested&#160;; hence it is called Dhonipura, or the city of theboat. The Paravas were once a very powerful people,and no doubt derived much of their ascendancy overother tribes from their knowledge of navigation. Theyhad a succession of kings among them, distinguished bythe title of Adiyarasen, some of whom seem to haveresided at Uttara Kosama Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: Buta Kola is a ritual folk dance from the coastal districts and some parts of malenadu of Karnataka, India. The dance is highly stylized and held in honor of the local deities worshiped by the Tulu speaking population. It has influenced Yakshagana folk theatre.
context_section_description: The art of being a channel/medium is learned. Young boys belonging to the Pambada, Parava, Nalike castes attend rituals where their kin is performing; and they help out with shredding the coconut leaves for the garment of the channel/medium, holding the mirror while the channel/medium is putting on the make up etc. They learn the art of the performance by observing the performance of their kin and trying to mimic it. Along with being able to mimic the way their kin performed, what is essential to be a successful channel/medium is also the aptitude of being possessed by the deity. There are certain rules the channel/medium needs to follow to prepare his body for the possession. This may include being a vegetarian and not drinking alcohol. The channel/medium feels the sudden spirit possession only for a few seconds but after that he is filled with the deity's energy that lets him behave as the deity for the entire ritual.
  There are two types of mediators between the spirits and the humans. The first type of mediator is known as the pātri. These are members of middle castes such as  Billava (toddy tappers, formerly also bow-men). The second type of mediator ("channels/mediums") typically belong to scheduled castes such as Pambada, Parava or Nalike. While the pātri has only a sword and a bell as ritual tools, the channel/medium uses makeup, ornaments, masks etc. Both mediums are believed to channelise the deity from an altered state of consciousness. But while the channel/medium may speak as the būta (in the first person) and about the būta (in the third person, i.e. when he recounts his/her pāḍdana), the pātri only speaks as the būta in the first person.
caption: Buta Kola dancer from the Parava caste. circa 1909
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