A DRINKING DEITY :
In a country dominated by Hindus and where vegetarianism is the
advocated diet for the believing
population. A temple located in Parassinikadavu which is about 20 kms away from the city of Kannur in the state of Kerala the reigining deity's staple deit is toddy and meat. While the devotees who flock to this temple is also given baked fish and toddy as prasadam for their darshan(visit).
This rebel deity is Muthappan. As the belief goes and flock tales tells the story. Muttappan is believed to be an incarnation of Shiva who was born to a childless Brahmin couple. The child is said to have an insatiable craving for liquor, meat and fish right from his childhood. This forced the Brahmin parents to kick him out of their house.
Muttappan then wandered around in search of enlightenment and after several months of wandering he reached Puralimala near Mattannur where he became the main abode untill a senior man from a well known family requested him to settle in Parassinikadavu.
It is at Parassinikadavu Muttappan
advocated values of equalitarianism, humanity and radicalism. Muttappan had a special place for the downtrodden and the oppressed in his heart. He rebelled against the Brahmanical way of life and also the belief systems advocated by them. Due to which the main devotees who flock to his temple is from the members of the low caste of Ezhava's( toddy tappers).
The devotees can enter the temple with their slippers on, which is not allowed in a
regular temple across the country. A devotee can even take a dog into the temple along with him while offering prayers in the temple. The temple priest isn't from the Brahmanical clan but from the low caste of Ezhava's. These practices are deviant from the regular belief system of devotees across the country, reflecting the radical values of Muttappan.
The temple feeds about 3000 devotees daily with a sweet and hot tea, besides three meals a day free of cost. During sundays and holidays the temple feeds about 6000 devotees in the same manner.
The practices in Muttappan's temple may sound blasphemous for devotees of regular temples with conventional belief systems. But not for the devotees of Muttappan, who believe that Muttappan advocated humanism in a era when human values is on a decline.
The belief system and practices of Muttappan's devotees reflect the values its founder had advocated in a society dominated by a particular caste who believe they control the rights of worship and faith of the believing laity. While the rebel in Muttappan has shown that anybody irrespective of caste and their own way of life can believe and worship God if they have faith for the same.
Manoj G.Varghese, Bangalore, India