In Karnataka, Residents Of Veerappan's Village Celebrate Mari Habba Festival

Koose Munusamy Veerappan was an Indian poacher, smuggler, domestic terrorist and bandit who created a reign of terror in Indians for over three decades. He kidnapped major politicians for ransom. He was active in the scrub lands and forests in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Veerappan who was a big headache for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state hailed from the rural Gopinatham village in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, situated at the border of Tamil Nadu. Residents of this village recently celebrated the Mari Habba festival with great enthusiasm accompanied by various rituals and festivities.

During the three-day Mari Habba, residents of Gopinatham village engage in rituals and organise a fair to honour Goddess Maramma. One notable tradition during the festival is the act of devotees piercing their mouths with strings (harake) as a form of homage to the goddess. This act of sacrifice believed to demonstrate devotion and seek blessings, holds significant cultural importance.

This year, the harake bearers pierced their backs like hooks and hung on the crane to showcase their devotion to Goddess Maramma. They marched around the village with a stick pierced in his back. Many of those who carry harake pierce an iron rod of about three to four meters in length is passed across both the cheeks, resembling a lock. The Mariamman festival in Gopinatham witnessed breathtaking scenes and a strange ritual called Mai Jum.

The villagers who celebrated the death of Veerappan with firecrackers are big devotees of the Goddess Mariamman. Deputy Conservator Forest Officer P Srinivas played a major role in nabbing Veerappan. During his time of negotiation with Veerappan, P Srinivas built a temple for the Goddess Mariamman at the cost of Rs 3 lakh raised through contributions.

The villagers have been worshipping the portrait of P Srinivas in the Mariamma temple after he was killed by Veerappan. They have also built a statue of Srinivas to remember his contributions to keeping the village safe. The Mariamman festival is held every year in the Mariamman temple built by Srinivas.