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KULADEVATA: (TUTELORY GODS) EVERY PERSON WEARING “YAJNOPAVITA” (SACRED THREAD) COMPULSORILY HAVE ONE OF THE GODS TO BELIEVE AND WORSHIP TO REMEMBER FOR ALL OCCASIONS IS KULADEVATA. KULADEVATA IS THAT GOD WHO HAS BEEN BELIEVED AND WORSHIPPED FROM THE TIME IMMORIAL BY OUR ELDERS. THE KULADEVATA (FAMILY GOD) IS THE ONE WHO PROTECTS ALL OF US AND BELONGS TO EVERY ONE IN THE FAMILLY. KULADEVATAS ARE WORSHIPPED WITHIN A SMALL CIRCLE AND THOSE TEMPLES AND FOLLOWERS ARE LIMITED TO THE SIZE OF THE FAMILIES THOSE WORSHIP THAT GOD. AT THE TIME OF ALLIANCE, MARRIAGE, BHRAMHOMAPDESHAM, NAMING CEREMONY OF CHILD, NAANDI, AND SUCH OTHER RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL RITUALS. WE WORSHOP OUR KULADEVATA. SUBSEQUENTLLY OTHER COMMUNITIES RESIDING IN THE AREA WHERE THE KULADEVATA IS SITUATED ALSO FOLLOWED THE SYSTEM OF BELIEVING AND WORSHIPPING KULADEVATA. IN GOA, AND IN NORTH KANARA ALL HINDU COMMUNITIES HAVE KULADEVATA SAME AS THAT OF GOWD SARASWAT BRAHMINS WHERE THEY ARE DEVOTED TO THAT GOD/GODESS, PRAY FOR BLESSINGS, SUBMIT THEIR OFFERINGS (KANIK) ON FULFILLING THEIR DESIRES.
OUR KULADEVATHAS: ALL SOUTH BASED GSBs HAVE COME FROM BENGAL (GOWDA DESH), DWARAKA (DEVAKI KRISHNA) AND SOME PARTS OF UTTER PRADESH AND BIHAR (TRIHOTRA PURA/DARBHANG) THE NAMES ARE LIKE 1. MAHALASA 2. DAMODAR 3. NAGESH 4. DEVAKI KRISHNA 5. SHANTHA DURGA 6. KUNDODHARI 7. SAPTA KOTESHWAR 8. RAVALNATH 9.MANGESH 10 MAHA MAYA 10 GANAPATHY ETC ALL THE KULADEVATHAS WERE BROUGHT IN THE FORM OF LINGA OR STONE PIECE BY TRANSFERRING THE PRANA PRATISHTA FROM THE ORIGINAL SHRINE. IDOLS WERE MADE IN GOA.
ALL OUR KULADEVATHAS ARE COMBINATION OF “SHIVA-SHAKTI” ALONG WITH OTHER GODS. THEY ARE ALWAYS FIVE - PANJISTA DEVATHAS (INCLUDES GODS + GODESSES + SPIRITS). THAT IS THE REASON KULADEVATHA IS ALWAYS A “PROTECTOR” WHETHER YOU WORSHIP OR NOT. THEY ARE INBORN AND INSEPERABLE IN ONE’S LIFE-TIME.
ISTA DEVATA: THE GOD OF WORSHIP OF AN INDIVIDUAL AT HIS PERSONAL LIKING OR LEVEL.
ISTA DEVATA VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON IN THE FAMILY LIKE GANESH, SARASWATI, VENKATESWARA, MAHALINGESWAR, LAXMI, HANUMAN, SRI RAM ETC BASED ON HIS OWN REASONING AND FAITH.– PROBABLY BY WORSHIPPING THAT GOD, ONE’S WISHES ARE FUFILLED.
HISTORY OF KULADEVATHA MIGRATION TO GOA
IN TRETAYUGA LORD & SAGE PARASHURAM AFTER HANDING OVER THE ENTIRE BHARATHA DESH TO SAGE KASHYAP, HE OCCUPIES THE LAND SOUTH TO VINDHYACHAL FROM THE SAMUDRA RAJA (LORD OF SEAS). HE CARVED SAPTA KONKAN ( PRESENT SOUTH INDIA) 1. KARALA (KERALA) 2. KONG (TAMIL NADU), 3. TELANG (ANDHRA), 4. KARNATAKI (KARNATAKA) 5. MAHARASHTR (MAHARASHTRA), 6. GURJAR (GUJARAT) 7. GOMANTAK (GOA AS A CAPITAL.) TO PERORM YAJNA, YAGA, DHARMA KARMAS, PITRA KARYA, BRAHMAN BHOJANA.LORD PARASHURAM CALLED GOWDA SARASWAT BRAHMINS (G.S.B) FROM GOWDA DESH –BENGAL BELONGING TO 10 GOTHRAS. THESE 10 GOTHRA BRAHMINS (DASHA GOTRI BRAHMINS) – NAMELY – BHARADWAJA, KAUSIKA (KAMSA), VATSA, KAUNDINYA, KASHYAPA, VASISHTA, JAMADAGNI, VISWAMITRA, GAUTAMA AND ANTHRI. THEY, WHILE MIGRATING FROM BENGAL TO GOA BROUGHT ALONG WITH THEM THE “KULADEVATHAS”. THUS ALL KULADEVATHAS WERE SITUATED IN AND AROUND GOA & IN THE KONKAN BELT. THEY STAYED IN THEESWADI (30 GRAMAS) AND IN SAASHASTI (66 GRAMAS) TOTALLY CALLED BY THE LOCALS AS “SHENVI”S (SHENNAV – 96). THEY WERE ALL SCHOLORS ORIGINALLY COMING FROM THE BANKS OF RIVER SARASWATI. THEY WERE ALL TRAINED BY SAGE SARASWAT – THE SON OF GODESS SARASWATI & SAGE DADHICH.
PORTUGESE INVASION: IN 1510, THE PORTUGESE ARMY TOOK OVER GOA FROM ADIL SHAHA AND BUTCHERED MUSLIMS PROTECTING BRAHMINS AND HINDUS. SLOWLY THE UGLY PLANS RAISED THEIR HEADS LEADING TO RELIGION CONVERSION. PORTUGESE WANTED BRAHMINS TO CONVERT INTO CHRISTANITY ( THEN OTHERS WILL FOLLOW SUITE EASILY). THEIR ATTENTION FELL ON GSB TEMPLES TO PLUNDER THE GOLD, SILVER AND VALUABLE NAVARATNAS. THEY FOUND THAT BRAHMINS WERE SOFT TARGETS WITH THEIR FEMALE FOLK. HENCE THEY BROUGHT DRACONIAN LAW TO TAKE OVER THE PERSONAL PROPERTIES OF HINDUS AND CONVERTED THEM INTO CHRISTANITY ON ONE REASON OR THE OTHER. THE WORST THING THEY DID WAS, LOOTED THE WORSHIPABLE IDOLS OF KULADEVATAS BOTH BRONZE AND STONE. THEY DAMAGED AND FIXED TO THE PUBLIC LATRINES. BRASS, BRONZE, SILVER IDOLS WERE CONVERTED INTO CANDLE STANDS IN THE CHURCHES (LIKE LAXMI IDOL WERE CARRYING CANDLE IN HER HANDS, HANUMAN GANESH ETC WERE FIXED TO THE CHURCH DOORS FLOORS SO THAT CHRISTIAN DEVOTEES CAN CROSS OVER. AND MANY MORE.
HIREGUTTI RAVALNATH HAS THE FOLLOWING OF SIX GOTHRIS – KASHYAP, BHAARADWAJ, KAUNDINYA, ATRI AND KAMSHA (VISHWAMITRA). THEY ARE PRABHUS, KAMATHS, NAYAKS, MALLYAS, SHANBOGUES
MIGRATION OF KULADEVATAS
IN 1967, OUR ELDERS AT THAT TIME THOUGHT OF LEAVING GOA ALONG WITH KULADEVATA, FAMILY MEMBERS AND MOVEABLE ASSETS IN BOATS. THEY LEFT IN THE NIGHT QUIETELY DOWN SOUTH AND UP NORTH. MANY KULADEVATAS HAVE BEEN SHIFTED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL STATIONS. SOME OF THEM WERE PACKED AND HIDDEN IN THE FOREST AND SUCH OTHER SECRET PLACES.
DEVAKI KRISHNA MAHALAXMI RAVALNTH GOA IS A STATE WHERE MANY TINY ISLANDS ARE EXISTING AND PEOPLE USED TO FERRY CROSS IN BOATS. SRI DEVAKI KRISHNA RAVALANATH TEMLPLE WAS SITUATED IN AN ISLAND BY NAME ‘CHOODA MANI/CHODNA/CHORA VILLAGE’ WHICH WAS NEAR TO TISWADI WHERE THE PORTUGESE ARMY AND ADMINISTRATION WAS NEARBY. SOME OF THE KULADEVATAS WERE SHIFTED NEAR A PLACE BY NAME “PHONDA” AJACENT TO “SONDE DYNASTY” SO THAT THEY CAN QUICKLLY MOVE TO THAT SAFE PLACE. WHEREAS OUR ELDERS THOUGHT IT IS BEST TO LEAVE GOA. THEY TOOK SMALL BOATS AND THE IDOLS + RELATED PRODUCTS WERE CARRIED AND QUITELY MOVED IN THE BACK WATERS. THEY REACHED “TADADI BUNDER”, AND ENTERED INTO THE INNER WATERS OF RIVER ‘AGHANASHINI”. ONE BOAT WITH DEVAKI KRISHNA, BHOOMIKA, DADUSAKAAL, MALLINATH, GANAPATHY TOUCHED THE PLACE CALLED AS “KAAGAL”. TOOK ALL THE THINGS TO A HILL-TOP PLACE COVERED WITH DENSE FOREST AND INSTALLED ALL THESE IDOLS TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER. WHEREAS THE OTHER BOAT CARRYING MAHALAXMI & RAVALNATH REACHED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER AGHANASHINI JUST 4 KMS APART. THEY IDENTIFIED THE PLACE AS HIREGUTTI AND INSTALLED MAHALAXMI (A BRONZE IDOL OF STANDING MAHA LAXMI IN A COILED SERPENT (ADI SHESHA) AND STONE IDOL SITTING RAVALNATH ON A HORSE. BOTH THE TEMPLES BELONG TO THE SAME “MANDAN” – CIRCLE. THEY ARE ONE BUT SITUATED IN TWO PLACES.
HENCE “DEVAKI KRISHNA” TEMPLE IS IN KAAGAL AND MAHA LAXMI RAVALNATH TEMPLE IN HIREGUTTI. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL IDOLS OF GOD AND GODESSES. OR IN OTHERWORDS IT IS SAID AS ‘MOOLA PRATIMA/BIMB”.
OUR ELDERS WERE INTELLIGENT TO CONVERT THE PRANA PRATISHTA FROM SCRUPTURED IDOLS IN TO ORDINARY STONE PLATES AND BROUGHT THEM SAFELY SO THAT THE ENEMY MAY SEIZE THE IDOLS AND DAMAGE THEM. THE ORIGINAL “PRANA” IN THE FORM OF ORDINARY STONE IS NOT NOTICED BY THEM AS GOD. ONE SUCH STONE IS IN HIREGUTTI KNOWN AS “SWARNA LAXMI” KEPT ALONG WITH LAXMI BRONZE IDOL.
ONE BOAT CARRYING THE IDOLS REACHED KUMTA AND INSTALLED AT HERVATTA. THE DEVAKI KRISHNA, RAVALNATH, BHOOMIKA AND OTHER GOD IDOLS ARE IN ONE PLATFORM ALSO CALLED AS “APSIYA RAVALNTH”
OTHER KULADEVATA’S ALSO MOVED TO NORTH KANARA / KARWAR SIDE LIKE, 1. KATYAYINI BANESHWAR (AAVARSA), 2. LAXMINARAYAN MAHAMAYA (ANKOLA) 3. NAVA DURGA (ANKOLA), 4. KUNDHODHARI (ANKOLA) 5. SHANTHERI KAMAKSHI RAMANATHI (KUMTA) 6. MAHALASA (KUMTA) 7. GANAPATH- MAHAMAYA (SHIRALE). ETC
MOOLA PURUSHAS EVERY KULADEVATA HAVE FOLLOWINGS BY DEVOTEES FROM ALL COMMUNITIES FROM BRAHMINS TO THE NON BRAHMINS OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS LIKE WASHERMEN, FISHERMEN, BARBERS, AGRICULTURISTS ETC.
MOOLA PURUSHAS ARE BRAHMIN PERSON ATTAINED THE SPIRITUAL STATUS GIVEN BY THE KULADEVATA FOR THEIR ARDENT DEVOTION. THE FIRST PERSON OF A GOTHRA WHO STARTED WORSHIPPING THE KULADEVATA IS GIVEN THIS STATUS. SUCH SOULS ARE INSTALLED IN THE LINGA FORM AND PLACED OUTSIDE THE GARBHA GRIHA. THEY TURN INTO ORACLES (DARSHAN/BHARU) AMONG THEIR DESIDENTS GOES BY “GOTHRA PURUSHA”. AT THE TIME OF “KAVALA PRASAD OR KULAVE’S PRASADD” IF THERE IS AN ORACLE OF A GIVEN GOTHRA, THE PRASAD WILL BE HANDEDOVER BY THE SAID ORACLE TO THOSE FOLLOWERS (GOTHRIS)
TEMPLE ORACLES: (DEV DARSHAN/BHAR) THE SPIRIT ENTERING IN AN INDIVIDUAL AND ABLE TO THE PAST, FUTURE, CAUSE AND ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON DHARMADHARIT WAY. IT CAN BE KALA BHAIRAV, NAGA KANIA, VEER BHADRA ETC. ANOTHER TYPE IN WHICH THE MAN TURNED SPIRITS CALLED AS PURUSHAS. THESE PURUSHAS ARE CALLED AS “GRAM PURUSH, VAATE PURUSH, SIMHA PURUSH, MHAL PURUSH” ETC. THERE IS SPECIFIC REASONS FOR THAT. DURING THE TIME ORACLE, THE PROBLEMS FACED BY A KULAVI IS RESOLVED. SOLUTIONS ARE GIVEN KNOWN AS “NIRUP” PROTECTING THE INDIVIDUAL AND HIS FAMILY. THE DISPUTES BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE OR TWO GROUPS OF FAMILIES ETC ARE RESOLVED IN AN ORACLE WHICH IS FINAL AND BINDING.
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