The Kodavas, an ethnic community hailing from Karnataka’s Kodagu / Coorg region are noted for their martial traditions, affinity with nature and ancestor worship.
A Window to the Past
After years of research Prof Ponjanda S. Appaia, has posed a plausible theory that the Kodagu people have their origins in warring Brazani tribes from the Kurdish region of present-day Turkey, Iran and Iraq. They arrived in India as part of Alexander’s invading troops in the pre-Islamic era, around 320 BC. Though eventually Alexander turned back home many of his soldiers, hailing from different communities, were too tired to follow him and opted to stay back in India. One stream of the defunct army headed north, while another headed in the southerly direction, surviving as mercenaries with the kingdoms they encountered en route. Just 12 families are said to have survived this march for rehabilitation, which ended in the 3rd century CE near Baithoor in the Western Ghats, in the region of present-day Kerala. The hilly area was similar to that of the settlements back in the Kurdish regions of their original homeland.
Community Matters
Over time they moved deeper inland and shared the land between the growing number of families, and established what is known as the Okka system, which incorporates kinship, property, and tradition, in a way of life that is quite distinct from those of their neighbouring communities. The central axis on which the community revolves, the Okka system, is a unique patrilineal, patrilocal joint family system. This is reflected in their customs, traditions, religious beliefs, dress and food habits. The Okka collectively owns ancestral property, which is managed by the community and is restricted from being transferred outside the Okka.
Ancient Rituals
In Kodava households, the sacred lamp, which faces east, is an integral part of family rituals. An age-old hallowed ritual is praying to and lighting this lamp at dawn and dusk. During a wedding, the ceremonial rituals are presided over by family elders and not by a priest. The central witnesses to these proceedings are the sacred lamp of the household and a picture of the Goddess Kaveri. A dance ritual, the Ganga Pooja Dance, is conducted after the wedding rituals. There are some fixed dress codes for the groom. This includes the unique piche kathi, a dagger, held in a thodang, which is a metal clasp worn by the groom. He also carries a wooden staff called a gejje thande during the ceremonies. A mangal sutra- like jewel, known as Pathak is a symbolic addition to the bride’s, unique wedding attire. When a son is born or there is a death in the family it’s traditional to mark the occasion by one gunshot for the former and two for the latter.
Kodagu society is still structured around the tradition of clans (mane peda or clan names carried down from generation to generation) rather than any caste or religion. Kaimadas are shrines dedicated to their ancestors, Jamma lands are the ancestral lands with hereditary tenure and ainmane or ancestral homes, are the mainstay of social interfaces of the Kodavas. The ancestral homes are the cultural and ritual bedrock of the Okka. Gender equality is an important feature of Kodava social mores.
A Martial Legacy
The martial prowess of the Kodavas is well reputed to this day. They have a long and ancient history of valour and ingenuity in protecting their community and lands from enemies. The Coorg Regiment remains one of the Indian Army’s most decorated regiments. General Cariappa, a Coorgi, was the first Chief of the Indian Army. Another icon of note in the community was General K.S. Thimmaiah. The festival of Kailapodh involves the worship of their weapons, underpinning the intrinsic role of martial skills in Kodava culture. The recounting of tales of valour and heroic deeds through the ages is another important aspect of social and military customs.
Culinary Classic
Pig sticking has always been a very popular hunting sport amongst the British. The colonist’s had plenty of opportunities to indulge in the sport in the hilly enclaves of Coorg; this was thanks to the wild boars, formidable hefty beasts, who took to raiding their coffee plantations, providing the planters a perfectly valid excuse to do so. Not many people are aware that the inspiration for the classic Kodava Pork Curry, also known as Kodava Pandi Curry, stems from this tradition.
An emblematic culinary tradition of the Kodava community, the dish is prepared on many celebratory occasions. Coax out a family recipe from a Kodava host when you next visit and share this rich and robust, slow cooked curry, immersed with aromatic spices grown in the region itself, with a gathering of family and friends when you return home. Do remember to pick up a bottle of kachampuli, a balsamic vinegar-like local ingredient (made from the fruit of the Panapuli tree), which gives the curry its unique kick. Team the dish with rice dumplings or flatbreads (roti)— and of course brandy… traditionally an idyllic combination, say, for a harvest festival. Coorg’s hunting days may be over, but the lady of the house can still rely on home- reared pigs to do a splendid job of it.
The Kodavas contribute a unique beauty to India’s vibrant tapestry of culture and community. Visitors exploring the Coorg region come away truly rewarded by this jewel of many hues.