By John B Monteiro
Mangaluru, Mar 1: With the Pura Pravesha of the new Raja, or Matadipati, Yogi Sri Nirmalnathji, at Kottara Chowk on February 26, 2016 and his scheduled take-over of the Math administration from the incumbent Raja, Sri Sandhyanathji, on March 7, the Yogi (Jogi) Math is coming into rare public focus. The Jogi Math complex, off the Circuit House-Nanthur bypass road, is presently swarming with hundreds of swamis in their saffron attire yapping away in their North Indian Hindi. They had accompanied the new Raja on his 1100 km walking journey from Nashik to Mangaluru, and are now awaiting the new Raja, also called Arasu, taking over the reigns of the Math in a ceremony known as called Paryaya raja Pattabhisheka.The delegation (called Zhundi), which accompanied the prospective Raja has Hata Yogis and professionals including three engineers, two doctors and 19 postgraduates. Yogi Rajendranath, who is part of the Zhundi, has been practising Hata Yoga for the past 15 years in standing posture.
The designated Raja, like Sri Nirmalnathji, brings with him patradevata which is first temporarily installed in the Math. After the arrival of the party from Nashik, within 10 to 15 days, on Mahshivaratri, the new Raja is enthroned. The patradevata is also installed in its permanent place. On this enthronement at Kadali (Kadri), the incumbent Raja performs visarjani pooja and jalasamadhi.
But for some marginal additions of ground-floor structures and renovations in recent years, the1000-year-old Jogi Math complex, based at the southern edge and atop Kadri Hill, acessible by the hill-top bypass road, and also by a steep staircase, now concreted, leading from the Kadri Sri Manjunatha Temple complex at the base of the hill, has had a very low profile existence. The Raja has a role, beyond the Math administration, mainly in two religious rituals in the city – one samudrapuja for the welfare and prosperity of fishing folks and the second at the annual festival of Kadri temple. The latter involves a horse ride and the Math had stables for its own captive horses. Now the horses are dead and gone and the stables, and also sheds for cows, which were located at the left wing of the main Math as one faced it, have been razed down to make place for offices and Seva Centre.
Horses and horse carriages were part of the Mangaluru scene up to the middle of last century when the auto-rickshaws and automobiles made their inroads and drove the horse carriages off the road. But, before we come to the horses and their role in rituals, a bit of background on the Jogi Math in Mangaluru is in order.
Jogi Math on Kadri Hill is one of the most important Maths of Jogi or Nath sect that is spread from Nepal to Kanyakumari. According to a scholarly book by George Weston Briggs, titled Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis, the followers of Gorakhnath are known as Yogi, as Gorakhnathi and as Darsani, but most distinctly as Kanphata. The first of these names refers to their traditional practice of Hata Yoga, second to the name of their reputed founder, the third to the huge ear-rings which are one of their distinctive marks and the fourth to their unique practice of having the cartilage of their ears split for the insertion of the ear-rings.
It may be noted that the use of the word Kadali (later corrupted to Kadri) has its own background. The word Kadali may evoke the image of a variety of bananas. But, the other significance of the word is that it refers to the middle of a forest associated with, or suitable for, observing tapashya. Mangalore’s Kadali is associated with great saints of the Nath sect. It is in the Kadalivana or Muktivana, Shiva, in his avatar as Manjunatha, blessed the Nath sect founder Macchendaranathji and his disciple, Gorakhnathji, and indicated the way to mukti through the yogic route. The place has the samadhis of many gurus of the sect.
Against this background, it is difficult to believe that Mangalore city proper has not one horse today. Time was when a town’s importance was measured by the number of horses it hosted, specially in the American Wild West. Thus came the expression "One-Horse Town." Mangalore is now literally no-horse city.
Once Arab traders brought horses to Mangalore by the sea-route, for the petty kings and chieftains of Tulu Nadu, and camped near the present railway station and the place came to be called Kaprigudda – after the dark stable hands that brought the horses and camped there. Kudroli also derives its name from horses stabled there.
The role of horse on Kadri Temple Utsav goes back to over one thousand years when the founder of Jogi Panth, Matsendranathji, built the Jogi Math on top of the Kadri Hill. The horse was owned, stabled and looked after by the Jogi Math. The annual Utsav at the Shri Manjunatha Temple at Kadri starts with the flag hoisting on Makara Sankranthi. On the eighth day Brahmarathotsava (Car festival) takes place. At 7 PM, the Ratha is given a start signal by the Arasu or Raja of Jogi Math, who rides on a decorated horse, saying "Avo beta, Manjunatha" (Come son, Manjunatha). Then the Ratha is pulled one round of the courtyard surrounding the main temple complex. With this, the role of the horse ends. Throughout the year the horse was left free to forage on Kadri Hill and return to its stable in the Jogi Math complex.
Mangaluru's last horse Chetan
A Math devotee secured a horse from Shivamogga. Named Shanker, it served for about 25 years until it died of old age. Two horses secured from Bangaluru died shortly after coming to Mangaluru – one in an accident and the other due to illness. The third horse, Chetan, was in service till it died in December 2006 of serious wounds. As the Jogi Math authorities were not keen on rearing a captive horse for the one-hour annual ceremony, Manguluru hosts no horse since the death of Chetan. No account of Jogi Raja, involvement in the Kadri temple’s annual festivities can be complete without reference to Kaibattal which is a valley lying to the south-east of Kadri Sri Manjunatha temple. It can be accessed through Commander George Martis Road, branching north from the Kadri- Mallikatte Road or through a series of footpaths near Kadri Toll Gate. There is also access from Nanthur bus stand. It is the starting of a valley which extended to Gurpur River and was once host to paddy fields, coconut and areca nut groves.
The Kaibattal story is linked to the main Kadri temple and Jogi Math. One of the public duties of the Raja of Jogi Math is to ride a decorated horse from the Math to the courtyard of Kadri Manjunatha Temple and order the commencement of the ratha pulling by declaring “Avo Beta Manjunatha”.
This traditional honour bestowed on the Raja was increasingly resented by Kadri temple priests (Tantries). One year they prevailed upon the temple management not invite the Raja to signal the start of the ratha. On the ratha yathra day, the crowd was asked to pull the ropes. However much they tried, the ratha wouldn’t budge. Then a management delegation went uphill to the Math and asked pardon of the Raja and begged him to perform his traditional role. When the Raja gave his traditional call for the ratha to move, it moved smoothly to take a round of the courtyard.
This was a slap in the face of the chief tantri who, out of anger and frustration, threw away the plate (battal) in which pooja materials are carried. The area in which the swung battal landed came to be called Kaibattal. Today the paddy fields and cocanut groves have yielded place to bungalows and high-rises, many of their residents not knowing why it is called Kaibattal.
Tail-piece
Mangaluru - No-horse City?
After the death of Chetan, Mangalore had two darshans of horses.
Some Mangalureans had an apparition of a horse carriage on the evening of April 6, 2008 when Mrinal, daughter of Dr Subir and Loretta Rebello, landed at the Bendore Church to wed Andrew, son of the late Dr Charles and Philomena Peris. There was nostalgia among the old and novelty for others. The guests and bystanders fixed their eyes on the horse carriage and its driver. One of the questions children asked the driver was if the horse bites. The horse, cart and cart-man had been carted out from Mysuru for a three-day outing in a tempo at a reported cost of Rs 25,000.The horse carriage was used to convey the bride from her residence at Kadri and drive the nuptial couple to the reception venue at Ladies Club grounds on Light House Hill.
More recently, Avinand Achanahally, a final year MSW student studying in School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Jeppu, son of a planter near Sakleshpur, rode to attend his classes on a 7-year-old horse – Sikandar – bought for Rs 70,000 from Mysore. He was keen on riding a fully white horse, bought for Rs 150,000. But, the horse died before it could be brought to Mangaluru.
Now, while the city has no horses, people can have horse (and Camel) rides on Panambur and Thannirbhavi beaches. There is also a Horse Riders Club at Someshwer.
Veteran journalist and author, John B Monteiro now concentrates on Editorial Consultancy, having recently edited the autobiography of a senior advocate, history and souvenir to mark the centenary of Catholic Association of South Kanara and currently working on the history/souvenir to mark the platinum jubilee of Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry.