The enduring 'devara gubbas' of the Kadugollas

Views of traditional Kadugolla 'gubbas', the heart of the community's age-old traditions. Credit: Photos by Sharath Hegde

The Kadugolla tribe is among the few indigenous communities that follow their own traditions and lifestyle even to this day.

Staying in their hattis (small settlements), the community has carefully preserved their ‘devara gubba’ (place of worship), ‘aavina goodu’ (the place where their cattle are housed), as well as their nomadic lifestyle.

Kadugollas do not believe in idol worship. In their gubbas, they worship their ancestors who have sacrificed their lives for the welfare of the community or while trying to protect their cattle (aavu) from wild animals. They call such martyrs ‘veeragaararu’.

Ettappa, Junjappa, Siriyanna, Honnemarada Eranna and Kyathappa are some of the veeragaararu worshipped in the Kadugolla hattis of Karnataka.

The people take a lot of pride in the bravery of their veeragaararu and so, they have a lot of stories about them, passed on from one generation to another through oral tradition.

Every Kadugolla hatti in Karnataka generally has two gubbas or places of worship — one Chitradevara Pouli and another pouli of the local hero. The word ‘pouli’ refers to fencing put around the gubbas made of natural materials like grass. It is believed that this fencing prevents negative energy from entering this place.

‘Chitradevaru’ is the main deity of the Kadugolla, and so a pouli dedicated to the deity can be seen in almost every hatti in Karnataka. Some hattis have a third, the Junjappana Pouli.

Some places of worship also have a traditional musical instrument of the Kadugollas called ‘gane’. This is also worshipped along with the deity.

Traditional construction

These gubbas are generally set up at one corner of the hatti or under a huge tree. Up to a height of four feet, the wall is made of mud, after which a mat of locally-available grass (‘kamsihullu’, also called muttugada ele, balepatte or aapina dantu) is put over it. In some hattis, the walls are also made using dry grass. The mat of grass put on the gubba is usually replaced once every two to three years. This practice and the design of the gubba reflects the nomadic lifestyle that the community used to traditionally lead.

The gubbas have small doors that can accommodate only one person at a time. Except for the ‘pujarappa’ (main worshipper), none can enter.

As per veterans in the community, these places of worship are simple, surrounded by nature and are meant to symbolise humility. Unlike the outside world, where grand structures are used to infuse spirituality among people, it is the minimalism of the gubbas that signifies the devotion of the Kadugollas.

Just close to these gubbas, one can also find ‘dhoopa’ plants. A mention of these plants can be found in the ‘Chitradevara Kavya’ (poetry in praise of Chitradevaru). During the times when there were no incense sticks, Kadugollas used to first light up dry sticks of the ‘tangate mara’ (tree) and use the twigs of the dhoopa tree to fill the space with fragrant smoke. This tradition is prevalent even today. It is because of this reason that several dhoopa trees have been conserved in the hattis.

This apart, Kadugollas also worship the weapons that their ancestors used to protect themselves and cattle.

Another tradition that the Kadugollas follow is the worship of ‘Nagas’ (snakes). Kadugollas are neither Shaivas (worshippers of Shiva) nor Vaishnavas (worshippers of Vishnu).

The unique way they are bound together by their diverse culture calls for in-depth research.

However, transitions in culture are part of a natural process and accordingly, the gubbas of Kadugollas are slowly seeing changes. In some places, instead of gubbas, ‘temples’ are emerging. However, a few enthusiasts have been working to save the gubbas of the Kadugollas by creating awareness about their importance and documenting them.

(Translated by Divyashri Mudakavi)