Urban Legend: In kavals of Molakalmuru Myasa Bedas' way of life vapourised!

Chitradurga: The ancient abodes of the tribal are facing invasion at Molakalmuru taluk in Chitradurga district. The vast grasslands where cattle grazers from time immemorial had led a quiet life of seclusion, are set to be nuked-by a Science City or a giant military-industrial complex which the Central government has planned. Even their gods are set to become extinct because of the 'invasion' of the idol god. The Science City is being built by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC ), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The grasslands of about 80 tribal hamlets living around Ullarthi Kaval, Khudapura Kaval and Varavu Kaval are being utilised for the purpose. At stake is a way of living which has remained basic and pristine over the centuries. And with this rude intrusion, the Myasa Beda' tribe who rear bulls, cows and sheep and worship them as gods, may disappear from the face of the Earth forever.

Ninety-year-old Boraiah, is a disappointed man as he ponders over his plight in Chikkakumathi, a tiny village in Molakalmuru. Sitting under a neem tree outside the village and looking at the 'devara ettugalu' or holy bulls, he says, "Maybe I'm the last Kilari." Kilari is a holy title given to a Myasa Beda tribal who rears
cattle. Anthropologists say that Chikkakumathi and Kumathi are unique places which witnessed the evolution of the human race with huge-sized, stone anthropomorphic figures and megalithic stone tombs, not see elsewhere, found here.

This is not a tribe that can be ignored. They claim their Myasa Mandala extended from Anegundi, the cradle of the Vijayanagar empire near Hampi to Mysuru. Today, they can be found in hamlets in Molakalmuru, Challakere and Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga, Jagalur in Davanagere, Kudligi, Sandur and Kamalapura villages in Hosapete taluk in Ballari.

The hunter and cattle rearing grazing community follows the pastoral culture. Historians say the word 'Myasa' is derived from the Telugu/Kannada word, 'Meyisuva' which means cattle rearing while others quote copper inscriptions from the Vijayanagar era to claim that Myasa was a name given by the kings of Vijayanagar who deployed muscled Myasa men as 'khasa misalu pade' or their reserve force.

The tribe has sub-sects like those who rear buffalos (Yanamalavaru) those who rear bulls ( Eddalaru), men who grow flowers (Pulavaru) and men who fish (Malalavaru). Myasas do not eat fowls or drink alcohol and are so strict that they will not even sit on mats made of leaves of the date-palm, the tree which provides toddy in the region.

Kampala Devaru is the prime deity of the tribe. They also worship Shanku, Surya Nandana Alagu (dagger) and Kori Nishane (flag), keeping all these in a wooden box and believe they were gifted to the community by Lord Vishnu after he fell in love with a young tribal woman, 'Chanchu Lakshmi' and got married to her. The semi-nomadic tribe takes the godly articles with them wherever they move, in the box and install it in a hut called 'Gubba or Gudlu' where they settle.

In recent years, to protect them from fire, wind and rain, the box containing holy articles has been shifted to a temple-like structure. The community even has its own priests called 'Mundasu Dasaru'.

What has caused intense churning among the tribals is the move by a rich, upper caste businessman of Molakalmuru town to hold a five-day religious ceremony from August 23 to 27 as per Vaidik culture. He has invited Brahmin priests to Kampala Devara temple to install Mahavishnu's idol and for that, the shrine is being decorated and the temple floor refurnished with marble tiles.

Revanna, chief priest of Kampala Devaru temple, fears the installation of the idol of 'Sheshashayana Mahavishnu' will lead to his ouster and he will be replaced by Brahmin priests. "Already, our 'devara pettige' or box containing godly-articles has been pushed to a corner to make way for the idol god. I am sure our prime deity will be reduced to a secondary deity once idol worship starts", says Revanna.

This has also led to an unseemly conflict in the community. "When I and a few priests opposed the installation of the idol god, people started asking us why we wear shirts and lungis when the tribe's priests are supposed to wear only a white turban, shawl and shorts. They justify the move saying that when our god has moved to a building from a grass-made Gubba, why can't we accept an idol god?"

There is even talk that the installation of the idol god has something to do with the growing conversion of Myasa tribals to Christianity by missionaries. In the last decade, missionaries have set up churches in many tribal villages in Molakalmuru, Challakere and Kudligi.

"A large number of tribals go to church every Sunday as they seem to be attracted by the so-called 'miracles' done by Christian priests to cure diseases", says Prasad, a tribal youth from Chickajogihalli where thousands of tribals go for Sunday prayers without a miss.

People, who favour the idol gods, blame Christian priests for exploiting the illiteracy, hunger and ailments of their tribe to get them converted to Christianity. "People have even stopped naming their kids after our gods and cultural heroes. They are using Christian names", says Boranna. A few educated Myasa Beda tribals are trying to find a solution to pacify those who favour idol installation and those against it.

"I feel that conversion to Christianity and the acceptance of a non-tribal idol god will finish off the Myasa Beda culture. Once their gods vanish, the tribe is sure to lose its unique features and culture", says Virupaksha Poojarahalli, history professor at Hampi Kannada university who has studied the tribe in detail.

Amid this battle over the gods came a major jolt with the government allotting about 1,000 acres of Amruth Kaval grazing land in Molakalmuru for the Science City. This project has taken away the grasslands of about 80 tribal hamlets while some have lost their holy cattle too.

With their gods under threat and their grazing land fast declining, will the tribals ever recover from this double blow? "When the fields disappear, we also lose our cattle and our pastoral rituals. Our tribal deities are making way for idol gods. This is definitely the end of the Myasa Beda tribal culture", fears Shivappa Nayaka, an elder member of the tribe in Jagalur.

In the fields of Molakalmuru, the tribal lament is ringing loud. The old has to give way to the new, no doubt but should this be at the cost of our priceless, tribal heritage?