[unk9ja]

The Panemangaluru Bhoota Kola took place yesterday. Few pictures of the same as shared by my nephew.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

The Panemangaluru Bhoota Kola took place yesterday. Few pictures of the same as shared by my nephew.

Thanks for sharing it Uday

We need to get as much information on these slowly dying Art Forms in to the digital space

They will be immensely useful for the generations to come

Best Regards & Drive Safe

[Samurai]

Boota Kola fans should not miss the movie Kantara, please look at my review here.

[thirugata]

Adding some of the photos and video from archive about Kola.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/k_rao/...57625719951845

https://youtu.be/nvaqQ1r0aTQ

https://youtu.be/JILO1TvfTok

https://youtu.be/_sram6oRdjs

[Samurai]

I never thought Bhoota Kola will suddenly become so famous, that too become of a movie.

I already foresee two things...
1) The songs of Kantara will be played in every Bhoota Kola in future.
2) Every Bhoota kola will see plenty of additional visitors from far places. Locals are already getting requests from the friends from outside on upcoming Kola details.

Here is a new YT video already with Kantara song track. The daiva with black face paint is Guliga (as in Kantara Climax), it is the one jumping at the audience. BTW, you don't refer to daiva as he or she.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s67YO_yap_M

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Here is a new YT video already with Kantara song track.

Hombale films has released an 'official' lyrical video of Varaha Roopam song. For visuals, this video has actual Bhoota Kola performances in Full HD (interspersed with movie clips):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH_RYRwVrVM

[mac187]

After Ulidavaru Kandanthe, this movie activated my core memory. I spent 4 years in m'lore during my high school and PU (11th & 12th). Learnt Tulu and Konkani in those 4 years and made friends for lifetime there. I also found my life partner there, we speak Tulu at home.

I recently moved to Dallas and didn't want to miss watching this in a theater. The movie was supposed to be moved out in the next week and I was ruining my luck. Next thing I see the movie is back on and I wasn't able to get tickets for 3rd weekend. Its still running strong after 28 days, its now showing in more languages. All from the word of mouth.

I saw Kola once during my stay in m'lore when I was invited by a school friend, their family have been doing it for generations. The first few scenes transported me back there. It was unreal.

Great job by Rishab Shetty and team. Theater experience is a must.

[Samurai]

With too much exposure, comes ignorant commentary from misinformed writers...

Here is one such example: https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-...le66124396.ece

It starts with the wrong assumption:

The bone of contention, specifically, was the film’s emphatic use of the Bhoota Kola, a performative ritual prevalent among the Adivasi or indigenous communities in the coastal region of southern Karnataka. In particular, Shetty’s overlaying of Bhoota Kola performances with the Sanskrit hymn “Varaha Roopam”, whose lines invoke the third avatar of Vishnu, has been seen as an “appropriation” of Adivasi rituals.

First of all, it is not an Adivasi ritual. That would make both Rishabh Shetty and I into Adivasi or tribal, which we are not. Most of our ancestral family homes have Panjurli Sthana right inside the house. This is the case for me from mom's and dad's side of family.

If Rishabh Shetty presents his family deity in a movie, how is that an appropriation? I have been posting about my family Kola event on this thread since 2008. Appropriation again?

At one point, he gorges on puffed rice offered in pacification. In the midst of this vortex of gestures, this sublime silliness, the audience is suspended in a mixture of fright, admiration, and nervous laughter.

Daiva eating puffed rice is part of every Kola, I have posted pics of that before. If this writer thinks it is sublime silliness, he is basically mocking the "Adivasi" traditions.

Researching before writing media articles has become a lost art.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Boota Kola fans should not miss the movie Kantara, please look at my review here.

Thanks Sharat. Watched it and enjoyed it.

Now we will have a procession of such films. Theyyam based film has been already announced with "Kathvannor Veeran" theme. (Kathivannur Veeran has a Murnad (Virajpet ,Coorg) connection as well

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathiv...od%20districts.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by Samurai

With too much exposure, comes ignorant commentary from misinformed writers...

Here is one such example: https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-...le66124396.ece

Researching before writing media articles has become a lost art.

These pieces are deliberately written to provoke one against the other. Even if such "wars" are not happening these type of pieces will start it.

I got jam, you got bread. But today's world is all about arguing "My jam is waaay better than your bread" when you and I could actually enjoy bread-and-jam by sharing. All cultures of this nation belong to us collectively and we have a responsibility towards them (no not the anglicized version of the country that came into being in 1947 but the one that has existed as a civilization for millennia) and culture changes or evolve depending on how the custodians of such cultures - we - change or evolve. Like how a husband and wife become a bit like each other over the course of a matrimony, cultures get influenced by each other over time.

If one believes in a culture, they should invest their emotions and time in it - not gassing on digital media. How about serving neer-majjige at a Kambala event to start with to the tired participants or kalagachu to the emmes to do one's bit to further a culture rather an article on media?

[Samurai]

This month my father's family held the annual Kola in their village. Since we follow matrilineal tradition, I have no role or responsibility in father's side Kola. After the death of my father, the family leadership went to his sister's son. This time the local TV channel covered the entire event and put it up on their YT channel. It is a 10 hours long video, so try to see it all. Or just skip to parts with action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEIYFXZRWAM

[Ratnotd]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

I attended a Bhootha Kola yesterday in Panemangaluru. Here is a teaser. I will follow this up with more in the coming days.

Attachment 1842033

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Hi, I am a grad (PhD) student stateside, and on my upcoming trip to India in December, 2023, I wish to witness (and photograph/document) Bhuta Kola and Theyyam in coastal Karnataka (Udupi/Mangaluru) and North Kerala (specifically Kannur), respectively. I have a penchant for photographing india's rich performing arts and rituals, having covered Chhau, Baul and Durga Puja in Eastern india and Ganga Arti on the ghats of Varanasi in Northern India before.

I wanted some leads so that I may be able to reach out and make some concrete plans around the performances. Leads on Theyyam seem to be more readily available, thanks to the intuitive Kerala Tourism website, but leads on Bhuta Kola seem to be non-existent. Also, the Kerala tourism website covers prominent temples IMHO (could be wrong) in their Theyyam calendar, but I'd be happy to attend Theyyam rituals in smaller kavus, if possible.

[rakutty]

Very happy to see this post here. I have been attending the annual Theyyam at our family temple for the last 40+ years in my village in Kannur, Kerala, even when I was outside India this was an event we always came back for.

As few people have mentioned , lot of similarities to Theyyam. We follow the matriarchal society (carry mothers family name and not fathers family name ) so the festivity is conducted by us. The dates fall somewhere between Jan 30-Feb 3 based on the lunar calendar

Last few years friends have been joining as Kannur has got an airport connectivity and many good resorts.

Few snaps from last years celebrations:

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Ratnotd

Leads on Theyyam seem to be more readily available, thanks to the intuitive Kerala Tourism website, but leads on Bhuta Kola seem to be non-existent. Also, the Kerala tourism website covers prominent temples IMHO (could be wrong) in their Theyyam calendar, but I'd be happy to attend Theyyam rituals in smaller kavus, if possible.

Ah, that is because we don't think of Boota Kola as a tourist attraction.

There are two kinds of Kolas, family (kutumbha) event and village (grama) event. Family events are not announced in the local newspaper. Only the neighbors and family get to attend. The opening post of this thread refers to such a family event. But grama events are usually announced in the local newspaper and even fliers are distributed. So, one has to read Udayavani on a daily basis to scan for upcoming grama events. The event I mentioned here, is a grama event which happens on March 15th every year.

If you tell us exactly what days of December you are around, I can ask around and find some event for you.