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Kodavas of Kodagu – 7

Sports and martial arts like sword wielding are extolled, and hence there are some traditional swords and machetes that are used during ceremonies as well as part of the ceremonial costume.  The most important is the peeche kathi, which is an ornamented dagger that can be worn on the waist band. 

During wedding ceremonies, peeche kathi is used to break coconut and scoop out the inside shavings and offered to others.  An odikathi which is a sword with a broad head is used to cut trunks of banana trees in a ceremonious fashion during weddings.  These rituals are performed by a member of the groom’s party during the initial offerings by the bride’s party.

Kodava women dress in a manner that is unique to their community.  The pleats of the sari are tucked into a band around the waist.  The pallu is brought around the back and then on to the right shoulder and tied in the front with a knot (molakattu).  Chemise and ankle length petticoats are worn under the sari.  A long-sleeved jacket with or without a close collar is worn as a blouse. Married women cover their heads with a cloth, five feet on each side with edges over the ears and then tied in the back with ribbons.  This head garment is called a chowka. A widow will wear only white.  Marriages of widows are not only accepted but also encouraged.

Kodavas are very fond of dancing.  Folk songs are sung while dancing.  Kombat is a dance when the dancers are holding horns of stags, Couriat, with dancers holding yak-tails, piliyat, with peacock feathers, bolakat, with dance done in the temples around a lamp, and kolat, with dancers holding sticks are all commonly performed dances.  Ummalat is a dance by women holding cymbals.  Even in most of the religious functions, liquor and meat are not taboo.  This has given the Kodavas a reputation as fun loving people with little inhibitions, who extol physical strength and skills.

Conclusion

Kodavas are an ancient society, origins of which are unknown, who made their homes in the slopes of Western Ghats in the southern part of the state of Karnataka.  They are fiercely independent people with a proud martial tradition.  Though they form only about 20% of Kodagu, they are the dominant group, synonymous with the region.  The customs followed by the Kodavas are strange and different when compared to Hindu customs.  Over recent centuries, Hindu culture has influenced the Kodavas immensely but yet they still have maintained their uniqueness.  Caste system was unknown to them and they treated the low caste Hindus as equals and did not subscribe to the Brahmanical dominance of Hinduism.  Their worship, weddings and death ceremonies do not call for a Brahmin priest to preside over them.  They are culturally liberal and their women are allowed to marry again if widowed or divorced.  The Kodavas also dress differently and the men wear tunics similar to some of the Middle Eastern or Eurasian tribes.  The women of Kodagu are known for their beauty and men are ruggedly handsome.  They have their own language, without a script, which is thought to be one of the Dravidian languages of South India.  Due to its geographical location, the Kodava language is influenced by Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu languages.

The Kodavas are hospitable and pay much attention to personal hygiene and cleanliness.  They strive to keep their homes and surroundings clean and neat.  The freshness of jungle with rain forest, the altitude of a hill station with its pleasant summers, and the fascinating people of Kodagu with their quaint customs makes Kodagu a worthy place to visit.

– Neria Harish Hebbar, MD 
July 4, 2004

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References

1. Chinnappa, Nadikerianda: Pattole Palame (Translated by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa)
2. Ponnappa, Lt. Col. K.C.: A Study of The Origins of Coorgs
3. Ponnama Vasudev: Personal Communication 
4. Internet Sources

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