Instrument(s) | |
---|---|
Origin | Karnataka, India |
Veeragase/Guggla is a dance form prevalent in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements performed by Jangama. Veeragase is one of the dances demonstrated in the Dasara procession held in Mysore. This dance is performed during festivals and mainly in the Hindu months of Shravana and Karthika. It is performed at all important functions of Veerashaiva Lingayat household the veeragase artist's are called as puravanta in village side.
The basic tenets of Guggla are drawn from Veeragama (One of the 28 key Shaiva Agamas) and usually Veeragaase performers during their acts will convey some stories from the main six Shaiva puranas like Shiva/Linga/Skanda/Agni/Matsya/Kurma - Puranas, and some Kannada Veerashaiva puranas like Girija Kalyana/Prabhulingaleele/Basava purana/Chennabasaveshwara charite...etc. Most popularly conveyed story is of Daksha-yajna.
The custom of bringing Devagange (Gange taruvud - ಗಂಗೆ ತರುವುದು/Devaru taruvudu - ದೇವರು ತರುವುದು) into homes from nearby water-sources (usually from wells) is a tradition in veerashaiva Lingayat household for every important functions held (like Marriage, House-warming, Naming, Lingadhaarana <Lingayat-Baptism>...etc.), some Vokkaligas in Karnataka also perform this custom - in this custom Veerabhadra is taken to please mother Ganga, Veeragaase is performed while bringing her home - in Veeraagama Ganga is considered to be the mother of Veerabhadra as he was sprouted out of Shiva's hairs and Ganga has taken residence on Shiva's head.
Veeragase gets its name from the Hindu legendary warrior lord - Veerabhadra; Ajaata putra (Non biological child - who didn't take birth formally) of lord Shiva. According to Puranas, the Hindu supreme deity Lord Shrimanmahaa Shankara bhagavaan (Shiva) was married to Sati(who is also known as Daakshayini - since she was the favouritest child of Daksha - He got maata Aadishakti incarnated as his child after doing long penance to her). Daksha(the prajapati - one of the eight manasputras of Brahma and a stauch Vaishnavite - Vishnu happens to be his<Daksha's> grandfather in vasthu roopa) was against this marriage because Shiva had beheaded Brahma(Daksha's father) and being Moola-purusha Shiva actually didn't follow any rules(As he was nirguNi) designed by Daksha which made him not to belong to any of the class-categories classified by Daksha(being a Prajaapati, it was his duty to classify everybody from Lord Vishnu - to smallest organism)) and hence bore enmity with Lord Shiva; He married his favouritest daughter Sati to Lord Shiva after multiple insistence from his aaraadhya(celebrated) Lord Vishnu and his father Brahma. Added to this enmity Lord Shiva after marriage, did not do proper conventional(Conventions designed by Daksha in his Shaastras) reverence which is to be done by a son-in-law to his father-in-law, instead Lord Shiva blessed him for Daksha's prosperity; which yet enraged Daksha's ego, so he decided to perform a mahaayagna to which he invited all except the Aadipurusha Lord Shiva himself. In vasthu roopa since Sati was Daksha's favourite child; she couldn't refrain from attending her father's greatest of yajnas. To this, much against Shiva's wishes, Daakshayini went to the yagna uninvited, By then Daksha's favoritism for Sati was perished since she was vaamaangi(left part of the body) of his enemy and he used the situation to insult Mahadeva. Unable to bear the insults - She cursed her father for his ego and showed her nija rupa(as Adishakti); she cursed everybody from Vishnu to Brahma to each individual present over there; Even after many condolences from Vishnu and Brahma, Daakshayini got herself burnt with her own powerful radiance. Hearing this news, Mahaarudra Mahakaala Lord Shiva got very angry and started to perform the RudraTandava dance which created turmoil in the world. In this rage he created Veerabhadra and BhadrakaaLi out of his JaTa (tied hair-matts), who went to Dakshayagna, disrupted it and beheaded Daksha, after defeating Vishnu, Bhaga, Poosha, Adityas...etc. When Daksha's wife pleaded mercy, he died and bestowed Daksha with a goat's head. This story is narrated by the dancers performing Veeragase. [1]
Veeragase is to be performed only by the Jangama also called Maheshwaras - clan of Veerashaiva/Lingayat community. The performers of Veeragase are also called Lingadevaru . [2] The dancers put on a white traditional headgear and a bright red coloured dress. They also adorn themselves with a necklace made of Rudraksha beads, a hip-belt called rudra muke, an ornament resembling a snake and worn around the neck called Nagabharana and anklets. [3] The dancers smear vibhooti on their foreheads, ears and eyebrows. They carry a wooden plaque of Lord Veerabhadra in their left hand and a sword in their right hand.
Female artists do not traditionally perform this art, but females have started to be a part of stage performance of non-religious nature which merely as a folk dance .[ citation needed ]
The dance troop usually consists of two, four or six members. A lead singer in the troupe narrates the story of Daksha yajna as the dance is being performed. [3] A huge decorative pole called Nandikolu which has an orange flag at the top is held by one of the dancers. Traditional percussion instruments called sambal and dimmu lend music to the dance. Cymbals and shehnai and other instruments like karadi and chamala are also used. The dance also involves a ritualistic piercing of a needle across the mouth. [4]
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)In Hinduism, Daksha is one of the prajapati, the agents of creation, as well as a divine king-rishi. His iconography depicts him as a man with a stocky body and a handsome face or the head of a goat.
Virabhadra, also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self-immolation of his consort, Sati, at the Daksha yajna.
Bhrigu was a rishi in Hinduism. He was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the astrological (jyotisha) classic, Bhrigu is considered a manasaputra ("mind-born-son") of Brahma. The adjectival form of the name, Bhargava, is used to refer to the descendants and the school of Bhrigu. According to Manusmriti, Bhrigu was a compatriot of and lived during the time of Manu, the progenitor of humanity. Along with Manu, Bhrigu had made important contributions to the Manusmriti, which was constituted out of a sermon to a congregation of saints in the state of Brahmavarta, after the great floods in this area. As per the Skanda Purana, Bhrigu migrated to Bhrigukaccha, modern Bharuch, on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat, leaving his son Chyavana at Dhosi Hill.
The Pinaka is the celestial bow of the Hindu deity, Shiva. In popular legend, he is believed to have employed this bow in his avatar as Tripurantaka to annihilate the three cities of Mayasura, known as Tripura. The weapon is the origin of one of Shiva's epithets, Pinākapāṇi, literally meaning, 'The Wielder of The Pināka'.
Kamakhya, a mother goddess, is a Shakta Tantric deity; considered to be the embodiment of Kama (desire), she is regarded as the goddess of desire. Her abode–Kamakhya Temple is located in the Kamarupa region of Assam, India. Originally a Kirata goddess, Kamakhya remained outside Brahmanical influence until at least 7th century CE. Residing on Nilachal hills across the banks of the Brahmaputra river, west of Guwahati in the 10th/11th century Temple rebuilt in 1565 CE, she is worshiped in a non-iconic and un-anthropomorphic form of stone shaped like yoni fed by a perennial stream. The temple is primary amongst the 51 Shakti Pithas, and is one of the most important Shakta temples.
Sati, also known as Dakshayani, is the Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of the mother goddess Shakti. Sati was the first wife of Shiva, the other being Parvati, who was Sati's reincarnation after her death.
The Shakti Pithas or the Shakti Peethas are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakti Pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts.
The Jangam or Jangamaru are a Shaiva order of religious monks. They are the priests (Gurus) of the Hindu Shaiva sect, Gurus of Veerashaiva sect and are disciples of Shiva as mentioned in Basava Puranas. The meaning of word Jangam is 'moving linga'. Jangama is one who is endowed with true spirit of Agamic knowledge, and has sacrificed his life for giving Samskara (good) character building practices in all sections of the Hindu society.
Dakshayagnam is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced and directed by Kadaru Nagabhushanam under the Varalakshmi Pictures banner. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Devika, S. V. Ranga Rao with music composed by Saluri Hanumantha Rao. This was N. T. Rama Rao's 100th film which was also dubbed in Tamil with the same title.
Daksheswar Mahadev or Daksha Mahadev temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in the town of Kankhal, about 4 km from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. It is named after King Daksha Prajapati, the father of Sati. Daksha is one of the fourteen Prajapatis, creator deities, who preside over procreation and are the protector of life in Hindu mythology.
Yajna or Yajñeśvara is mentioned as an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu in Hindu literature. As Yajna, Vishnu is the embodiment of the Hindu sacrifice ritual, Yajna. He is also the Indra of the Svayambhuva Manvantara, the era of Svayambhuva Manu. His father is Ruci, and his mother is Ākūti.
The Brihaddharma Purana is a Hindu religious text, which classified itself (I.25.26) as the last of the 18 Upapuranas. The extant text comprises three khaņḑas (parts): pūrvakhaņḑa, madhyakhaņḑa and uttarakhaņḑa. On the basis of its usage of Sanskrit words with unusual meaning and Sanskrit proverbs popular in Bengal, a number of modern scholars believe that this text was written in Bengal. According to R. C. Hazra, a modern scholar, this text was composed in the second half of the 13th century. He classified it as a non-sectarian Upapurana.
Dakshayagnam is a 1938 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Raja Chandrasekhar. It starred V. A. Chellappa, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Mathuram in the main roles. M. G. Ramachandran played a minor role in the film as Vishnu. The film was the first sound version based on Daksha yajna, the story of Daksha.
Sugandha Shaktipeeth, a temple of the Goddess Sunanda, is located in the village of Shikarpur, 10 miles north of Barisal, in Bangladesh. This Hindu temple is one of the Shakti Peethas.
Kottiyoor Ulsavam or Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam is a 27-day annual pilgrimage observed by Hindus commemorating the Mythology of Daksha Yaga. The pilgrimage is similar to the Kumbh Mela of Prayag, where ablutions are performed. The temple and grounds are also known as Dakshina Kasi.
Dakṣayajña is an important event in Hindu mythology that is narrated in various Hindu scriptures. It refers to a yajna (ritual-sacrifice) organised by Daksha, where his daughter, Sati, immolates herself. The wrath of the god Shiva, Sati's husband, thereafter destroys the sacrificial ceremony. The tale is also called Daksha-Yajna-Nasha. The legend forms the liturgical basis of the establishment of the Shakti Pithas, the temples of Mahadevi, the supreme deity of Shaktism. It also becomes a prelude to the legend of Parvati, Sati's reincarnation, who later marries Shiva.
Dakshayagam is a Kathakali play (Aattakatha) authored by Irayimman Thampi in Malayalam. Based on the Skanda Purana, it narrates the story of Daksha, son of Brahma, and his daughter Sathi. Sathi marries Shiva and after the marriage, an animosity develops between Daksha and Shiva. Sathi attends, uninvited, a yajna conducted by her father. Her father humiliates her and sends her away. Sathi returns to Shiva and asks him to kill her father to avenge the insult. Then she burns herself into ashes. Shiva creates two fierce warriors Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali, who behead Daksha and throw his head in the yajna fire. However, as an act of benevolence, Shiva brings Daksha back to life, albeit with a goat's head.
Devi Adi Parashakti is a mythological television series based on the Hindu texts of the Shiva Purana, the Devi-Bhagavata Purana, the Markandeya Purana, and pan-Indian folktales of the Goddess. The series was created by Siddharth Kumar Tewary, directed by Loknath Pandey and Manish Singh, and produced by Swastik Productions. Rati Pandey plays the role of Devi Adi Parashakti and her incarnations Goddess Sati, and Goddess Parvati. Tarun Khanna played the role of Devi's husband, Lord Shiva with Kanan Malhotra as Lord Vishnu, Devi's brother. The show also features Sonia Singh as Goddess Diti, the main antagonist.
Veerateswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Keelaparasalur in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, India. The historical name of the place is Tirupparialur. The presiding deity is Shiva in the form of Veerateswarar and his consort is known as Ilam Kobanayal. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, the 276 temples that find mention in it.