MAILARA
Mailara (ಮೈಲಾರ) is a small village on the banks
of the Tungabhadra River in Hadagali talluk, Bellary district. This is a well
known piligrimage center famous for the Shivamallari temple. The icon is a
Shivalinga made of clay. References to this God are found in a fifteenth
century work, named ‘mallAri mahAtmye’. This temple and its history is an
example for the phenomenon of appropriating a local deity and raising it to a
higher state by building myths and legends arround it.
Mailaralinga known by
different names such as Khandoba, Marthanda Bhairava and Mallari is worshipped
in South Maharashtra, North Karnataka, Andhrapradesh and MaLva. He was a
village deity with ‘mALaci’ (Mhalasaadevi) as his wife. He was worshipped
mainly by people belonging to the communities of shepherds, (kuruba)
upparas(Salt making community and other
Hindus. The priests of Mailaralinga usually belong to the kuruba community and
they are referred to as ‘gorava’, ‘goravayyaalu’ and Vaggayyaiahs. Mailaralinga
temples exist all over Karnataka, the main one being the temple on a hill
(DevaraguDDa) in the Ranibennur talluk of Haveri district. The other places are
Hire Mailara, Gutturu Mailara, rekkaalgonDa Mailara, yaadagiri Mailaara,
muDukutore, mailaara etc.
Gradually, a legend was built arround the
deity and he was elevated to the level of an avatar of Shiva. According to the
local legends two demons called Mani and Malla were pestering the public and
moved by their prayers Shiva created tuppada maaLamma a goddess to slay the
demons. She could not accomplsh the task and Shiva himself had to take birth as
a gorava and slay them. He assumes the name ‘mallaari’ (An enemy of Malla) and
marries tuppada maaLamma in due course.
This slaying of the
demons is celebrated annually in the month of February. Thousands of devotees
gather there and many ‘miracles’ and acts of physical courage are performed.
The Godess MaaLaci appears on one of the devotees and utters a sentence
anticipating future events.(kaaraNika) The devotees also enact a pantomime
acting as dogs. Five different miracles are performed. Goravas take a leadng
role in all these activities. A folk epic entitled ‘Mailaralingana Kaavya’ is
recited. Goravas religious proffessional singers enact their ritual dance with
the accompaniment of Damaruga and PiLLangOvi. This performance goes on through
out the night and celebrated during Shivaratri festival. The annual fair at
Mailara in Bellary district is a minor variant of this theme.