Urban Legend: Behind the scenes - The Karaga carrier

Legend has it that during the last days of the Pandavas of Mahabharata, when they were shown a glimpse of naraka (hell), they saw that one last Asura (demon) was still alive and had to be slain. Draupadi, the Pandavas’ wife, takes the form of Shakti Devi, creates an army of soldiers called Veerakumaras and sets out to slay the demon, Tripurasura.

Mission accomplished, when Draupadi decides to go back to her original form, the Veerakumaras beseech her to stay with them as Shakti Devi. Draupadi refuses, but promises to return to them for three days every year, beginning on the first full-moon night of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu calendar. It’s this return of Draupadi that Karaga signifies.

He is still more than a week away from donning the yellow saree, jewelry and a woman's make-up for the Big Day -- April 22. That day, he will carry on his head the weight of a long-standing tradition. Meet Lakshmeesha, the Karaga Kartha (carrier).

This year will, in fact, be his third time. But ask him what he feels about donning a woman's attire, and the eyes of the 48-year-old carpenter flash, but just for a moment. When he speaks, it's only to say reverently that for him, it is an honour to have been the chosen one to carry on his community's sacred tradition. Karaga is, indeed, a sacred festival for Lakshmeesha's Thigala community. They are Veerakumaras, the soldiers of Shakti Devi Draupadi.

We met Lakshmeesha at the Dharmaraya temple in Thigalarapete in Bengaluru's pete area, at the start of a nine-day period ahead of Karaga that he must spend inside the temple dedicated to Yudhishtira, away from home and family, making himself ready in spirit and body to take on the form symbolic of Draupadi.

That nine-day period itself comes at the end of a two-month period during which the Karaga carrier, much like the Aiyyappa devotees who go on the Sabarimala pilgrimage, must lead a pious, celibate life. It's a difficult conversation for both us and him, because he is not sure whether tradition allows him to reveal what he goes through physically and mentally in the run-up to Karaga.

Karaga begins with a flag-hoisting ceremony on the night of Saptami, the seventh day of the bright half of Chaitra. The eight-day period starting then, Lakshmeesha explains, is filled with rituals. Thirtha Snana (holy bath) for Shuddhi (cleansing), Shanthi (peace) is a must before he can receive Adishakti Draupadi as she returns to Earth. On each of the eight days, the Karaga carrier has to take a holy dip in one of eight lakes that bounded old Bengaluru's pete area -- it's another matter that these lakes have shrunk into mere wells -- and walk back to the temple.

The bathing ritual takes him to Uppuneeru Kunte (salt water tank) in Cubbon Park, the Sampangiramanagara tank (today's Kanteerava Stadium), Hoovina Thota, near Annamma temple in Majestic, Jalakanteshwara temple in Gavipura Guttahalli, Mariswamappa Math in Kalasipalya, Muneshwara temple in Kalasipalya, and back to Uppuneeru kunte. He also performs pooja to the Goddess to keep away evil forces.

What is Karaga?
Ka—ra—ga is actually acronym for: KA — Kaiyalli muttade (without touching by hand)
RA — Rundadalli Darisi — (bearing it on the head)
GA — Gatisuvudu — (to walk).
Throughout, as he winds up and down the path of old Bengaluru's pete area and finally returns to Dharmaraya Temple, Lakshmeesha has to balance the Karaga on his head without touching it by hand!

On the eve of full moon day, "The Manihars -- the bangle-sellers -- come, and I put on the bangles. By about 11 pm, I will have transformed into a woman, wearing the yellow saree and jewelry," Lakshmeesha says.

'Hasi Karaga' is made from the sediment of Sampangiramnagara Tank. Later in the night, it is installed in a mantapam. While in deep meditation in waist deep water in the tank, the Karaga Kartha suddenly feels a weight on his head. He walks back to the temple "holding it like a baby", and places it next to the idol of Dharmaraya Swamy. But just before he does so, he officiates as the priest conducting the marriage of Arjuna to Draupadi.

At this time, the 'hasi karaga' is now officially the Karaga pyramid. And the Karaga Kartha has empowered himself to carry the flower-bedecked pyramid that is said to weigh about 4-5 kilos. As the priests of the temple chant mantras through the night, the Karaga procession begins by 4 am on full-moon day, accompanied by dozens of Veerakumaras and watched by thousands, and ends about three hours later at the Dharmaraya Temple.

"I have carried the Karaga twice before. I feel the sea of people around me, I can even hear their chants and all the noise, but somehow I don't see them!" His mind is completely on Shakti Devi Draupadi.