Left:An image of Queen Mayadevi in Nepali-Tibetan Art form
Who is the first patron Godess of Mangalore city? If you ask this question to any of the bright kids of this city, you are likely to get the answer: Mangaladevi. Yes, it is true that Mangalore city is named after a Queen of Malabar called ‘Mangale’ who visited this place in the early 10th century and expired here on account of her ill-health.
Mayadevi
But, analysis of the available stray strings of historical data on Mangalore suggests that there was another Queen, who lent her name to the city before Mangale came here! That was, incidentally, the Queen Mayadevi of Lumbini, Nepal. Mayadevi was the mother of prince Siddartha who became famous as Gautama Buddha and founded the religion of Buddhism. During the initial phase of Buddhism, the Theravada school, there was no worship of idols or Gods. Further, during Mahayana period, Mayadevi and Buddha were worshipped. Mahayana school of Buddhism itself is said to have been originated in Southern India, as a result of movement to reach Buddhism to the masses ca.100 CE and became influential and active during 2nd to 5th century CE.
Mayi kala
A historical temple devoted to Mayadevi, mother of Gautama Buddha / Siddartha, is found in Lumbini, Nepal. During the early centuries of Christian Era the ancient Mangalore was evidently under the influence of Buddhism. A similar temple devoted to Mayadevi existed in the ancient Mangalore city, somewhat built in the local style of ‘saana’ or ‘kaLa’ devoted to spirits. Possibly, here she was worshipped as a spirit Godess. The Tulu word ‘kala’ is derived from the Early Munda language, meaning ‘a holy field’ (temple or ‘saana’) devoted to spirits. The ‘Mayi-kala’, the ‘kaLa’ devoted to Mayadevi (‘Mayi’) existed in heart of ancient town of Mangalore.
It is customary to designate localities using names of nearest landmarks. For example, the locality name ‘Hampana-katta’ in Mangalore was derived from a small ‘katte’( a rectangular structure for sitting under the shade of a tree) used by one philanthropic Appanna, some hundred year ago, to dispense drinking water to the passers by. Similarly the ‘Lalbagh’ locality in Mangalore is named after a house in the locality called ‘Lalbagh’!
In this way, the town area around Mayi kala was called Mayi kala. The name Mayi kala was applied to the old town of Mangalore. The said Mayi kala (place of Buddhist worship) may have been destroyed later due to change of faiths by the rulers or due to dominance of other schools of religious thoughts.
Nepal connection
The existence of a temple devoted to Mayadevi at Mangalore, suggests transfer of people, ideas and relations between Nepal and Mangalore on the West Coast during the early centuries of the Christian Era.
Beary community
The members of the Beary merchant community of Karavali and Malabar, who frequented the ancient township around Mayi kala, used this word to refer to the city of Mangalore since historical days and continue to use the word ‘Maikala’ even today, while other communities have totally forgotten about the origin or significance of the word Maikala.
In this way, the Bearys have preserved a significant string in the historical and cultural vestige of ancient Mangalore, and an evidence for prevalence of Buddhism in Tulunadu during ethe Early centuries of the Christian Era.
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Bunts and Nairs
ReplyDeleteThe tulu proverb says ”mara puttinalpane, naramani poyinalpane” (tree remains where it grown, man remains anywhere he goes). But a curiosity to know our past, origin still remains in major parts of human beings, including Bunts.
According to paDdanas (oral tradition of tuluva legends) we came from aichatra maDastana. This ahichchatra according to “purananaama choodamani” is a city in uttara paamchaala country of Drupada, the father of Draupadi. This is in “Uttaranchala” state today which is surrounded by Tibet in north and Nepal on east. The city is now called “Ram Nagar”.
According to another legend ahikshetra was a place on the banks of Saraswati river. “ahi” means snake (chiefly serpent). It is believed that we Bunts were “naga or serpent worshipers prior to being buta/boota or spirit worshipers. Of course, we worship our ancestors in spirits (kule) too and thus have various ways/rituals to pray and remember them (agel to kulekulu, new dress to kulekulu, marriage of kule etc.). So there is reason to believe that bunts were mainly serpent worshipers and many groups of us might have come from north.
Nairs or Nayars and bunts belong to same cast. Like Bunts and Nadavas (and other tuluva people) Nairs too follow their own form of inheritance called Marumakkathayam, which is “ali katt”. Bunts have “Nayaranna bali” (bali = matriarchal lineage). Last ruler/king of Kanajar (a village in Karkala Taluk) was Nayar Hegde. In this village it was prohibited to take name of the king. So Kanajar folks always called the plough equipment commonly known as nayer/naver in tulu as guddal (from kannada ‘guddali’). The royal house (oMjane ill) of my village Kowdoor (adjacent to Kanajar) is “Naayara bettu”. Nayara is one of the 93 Bunts surname. Varma is a common surname of Nairs and Bunts.
According to K. M. Parinikar "The Nayars [Nairs] were not a caste, they were a race”. Some think nair is the honorific plural of nayan which is derived from the Sanskrit nayaka (leader).
Again “Nayak” is a Bunts surname, mainly from Nakre village in Karkala Taluk. Majority of Nadavas of North Canara have got surname Nayaka. Father of famous queen Chennamma was Siddappa Shetty and her husband was (Siva) Nayaka.
Others derive nair from the naga (snakes) which they worship. The Brahmin-inspired Keralolpathi regards them as the descendants of the Sudras who accompanied the Brahmin immigrants from outside Kerala. There is a theory that they came from the Nepal Valley, adjacent to Tibet. Some consider them to be early descendants of the Newars of Nepal. Serpent worship is one of common custom between the Newars and Nairs. Dr. Zacharias Thundy’s theory is that groups of Newars who were partially Aryanized and would be later Dravidianized joined the Munda exodus and finally settled down in Kerala after a long period of sojourn in the eastern plains of Tamil Nadu. The Nairs were in Kerala before the Brahmins arrived in the seventh century A.D. The Chera kings were Nairs, and the Nairs were also Dravidians and not Kshatriya Aryans; the Brahmins, in fact, considered them as Sudras.
If I am not wrong “Mundal” of Tulunadu and the “Munda” have same synonym.
There is also a belief that the Nairs are Nagas and were already present in Kerala when Namboodiris came to Kerala. Nairs were martial Dravidian Nagas who had migrated like them, from the North. Like Bunts, affinity of the Nair community to Serpents and Serpent worship is indisputable. The mythical version says that Nairs being Kshatriyas belonging to the Nagavansham who removed their “Janivara” (sacred thread) and escaped to south to evade Parasurama. In the old Tamil texts, the Nairs were mentioned as Naka (Naga) Lords who ruled as feudal lords in the Chera kingdom.
N.T.Shetty
Thank You, Sri N.T. Shetty for a lengthy and informative comment.Here,I shall briefly answer some of the points in your comment,the rest are being covered periodicaly in my posts.
ReplyDelete1.One component of the present Bunts came to Tulunadu/Karavali along with temple priests(Brahmins) at the request/order of Kadama King Mayara Sharma/Varma during 5th century AD from Ahi chatra area: they were originally Nairs ('Neyers' of Nepal/Tibet as Prof.Thundy reports)and now have merged with Bunt identity.
2.The cult of Naga worship might have been brought by these Nair immigrants.
3. Nayak is a general surname derived from the profession/service under kings and /associated with regal armies.It is also found in several other communities not related to Tulu people.
4.Mundala represents one stream of Early Munda Groups.Many such tribal streams existed and still continue to exist in Karavali like Koosa,Bakuda,Mera,Mugera,Kudia,etc.
5.Some of the ancient tribal Munda streams have now evolved and become part of the current forward communities.These include Bhils(=Billavas), Bhumiputra or Bhumij(=Okkelmer)etc.
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maya devi"s kala mayikala[mangalore] absolutly right.thanks to baery community for preserving buddhist mayikala
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