Tribal, trials and tribulations: The tribals of Wayanad have their own versions of the Ramayana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s spiritual trip to the south to visit temples that have deep connections to the Ramayana has also heightened interest in a special version of the epic shared by the tribals of Kerala’s Wayanad district.

Wayanad has a tribal culture deeply rooted in Ramayana lore. The region has the highest tribal population in Kerala – 18 percent of the people in the district are tribals.

Wayanadana Ramayanam is an oral traditional version based on two states: Wayanad in Kerala and Kodagu in neighboring Karnataka.

Those who have heard this beautiful tribal version say that his unique narration will not only connect you with the lives of the tribals, their trials and tribulations, but also the lives that Rama and Sita and the other characters live as no one else would. Marginalized communities will.

Over several centuries, generations have created their own versions of the Ramayana that have been distributed orally, differing from Valmiki’s epic.

So how different is it from Valmiki Ramayana?

Characters from Valmiki Ramayana like Rama, Sita and others also appear in Vayanadana Ramayana. In an oral version, the tribal gods and goddesses of Wayanad are also characters who are part of this Ramayana, explains Malayalam scholar Dr. Aziz Tharuvana, who has researched and written a detailed book titled Wayanadana Ramanayanam.

Tharuvana, who is an assistant professor at Farooq College, Kozhikode, has spent a large part of his career researching this specific tribal version of the Indian epic.

For example, the Adiya Ramayana (the oral version of the text that is prevalent among the Adiya tribe of Wayanad) features popular characters from local legends and folklore, such as Valliyoorkavu Bhagavathi, Pulapalli Bhagavathi, Pakkatheyyam, Tirunelli Perumal, Siddhappan, Nenjappan, and Mathappadeva. Similarly, the Chetti Ramayana (the text used by Vainadan Chetti) has characters like Athirukalan, Arupuli, Kandan Puli, Dammadam, Karikalan and Thamburatti, he points out.

Tharuvana emphasizes that the uniqueness of both oral and written Ramayana versions in India and other Asian countries lies in their close integration with local cultures.

“The stories of the Ramayana that have passed through different regions carry in their retellings the unique characteristics of those places and cultures. Essentially, diverse castes, religions and local communities have personalized the Ramayana. In the Ramayanas of Wayanad, local cultural, social and environmental influences play a major role,” he explains.

One of the most distinctive tribal versions of the Ramayana is the Adiya Ramayana. Here Sita is a woman who hails from Pulappally in Wayanad and belongs to the Adiya tribe. Lanka is not a state across the sea but is located near a river.

“There is a Valmiki pilgrimage site near Pulpally. This is also the place where Sita is believed to have disappeared beneath the earth. At the end of the story, Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman and other tribal gods go to Iruppu, a village in Karnataka, where there is now a temple dedicated to Sita. And all the other characters like Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman are inferior in comparison to the Adiya tribal deities like Siddappa, Nenjappa and Mathappa,” Tharuvana told News18.

Another notable difference in Aadiya Ramayana is the introduction of new episodes which are not found in other versions. For example, there is a unique scene where the tribal chief ties Ram and Lakshman to a tree and questions Ram about abandoning pregnant Sita. This interrogation is a narrative that is specific to the Adhiya Ramayana.

Adiya Ramayana stands out as the only version without the war scene, breaking away from the usual narrative.

Tharuvana also believes that Aadiya Ramayana highlights social issues specific to the tribe. Lack of personal property is a significant concern among the Adivasis.

The Wayanad tribal versions of the Ramayana also contain examples of how Sita served kaapi (coffee) to Rama or how Hanuman set fire to Lanka using kerosene. These depictions show how the tribals have incorporated their daily activities and environment into their version of the epic.

Researchers who are working with tribals, who are part of the spread of their oral tradition of the Ramayana story, report that more than 30 places in Wayanad district are named after “tribal versions” of the epic. The tribals believe that Valmiki’s ashram was located at Ashram Koli. Other place names around Wayanad are Yogimula, Rampally, Sita Mound, Poothadi and Churupura.

As legend has it, Kannunneer Puzha (River of Tears), a large water body, is the place where Sita sat crying after her exile. Today, it is a river that flows as a tributary of the Kabini River, which originates in Karnataka and is also known as Kannarama Puzha.

Another example, says Tharuvana, is the legend associated with Jadayattakkavu near the town of Pulappalli. The tribals of the area believe that it was here that Sita’s locks touched the earth. Jadayatta Kavu is also the site of the famous Pulappalli Sita Devi Lava Kusa Temple.

The researcher said, “They believe that when Sita was sinking into the earth, Lord Rama held her hair…hence she is known here as Chedattillamma (‘jada/cheda’ means hair, dough, ‘to move’) ‘).”

Ponkuzhi is the place where tribals believe Rama sent Sita into exile after he banished her from the kingdom. And the Ambukuthi hills in Ambalavayal are said to be the place where Rama and Lakshmana fought the demon Thadaka.

Professor Tharuvana also points out how there are other instances in the oral Vayanadan Ramanayam where it is believed that Lord Rama, under the guidance of sages, prayed at the Thirunelli temple to achieve victory over Ravana.

“Another legend has it that Lord Rama, along with Lakshmana, Bharata and others, performed the last rites of his father King Dasharatha in the Papanashini river. Another legend claims that when Parashurama learned that his father had been murdered, he cremated him at Thirunelli. It is not only the characters but also the natural phenomena and landscapes that were planted in the setting of Wayanad,” he added.

Just as the sacred river Ganga flows through Kashi, the river Papanashini flows through Thiruneli, known as the Kashi of the South.

The Chetti Ramayana, another tribal tale of the Wayanadana Chettis, refers to Wayanad as Panchavati in the Ramayana.

Hailing from Coimbatore and nearby Tamil Nadu, including the Nilgiris, the Wayanadhan Chettys, unlike the tribal communities, are literate and have a deep connection with temple culture and literature.

Tharuvana explains how the traditional deities of the Wayanadana Chetti community, such as Athirukalan, Arupuli, Kandan Puli, Bammathan, Kaikkolan and Thampuratti, play important roles in the narrative.

These forest goddesses inform Rama and Lakshmana that the horse of Ashwamedha Yagya has been controlled by Luv and Kusha. The uniqueness of Chetti Ramayana lies in its compelling and interesting presentation of a story that took place centuries ago.

According to another version, Wayanad was once an open field for demons, which created fear among everyone. These demons used to kidnap young girls and take them to the dense forest. Rama’s son Kusa is said to have saved Chandika Devi, the daughter of Erumapalli Chetty, from demons, after which the final marriage took place between Chandika Devi and Kusa. With Hanuman’s intervention, Kush’s brother Luv was later married to Chandika Devi’s sister Sunitha Devi.

The imprint of Ramayana on Wayanad is so deep that the District Tourism Promotion Council is actively promoting the Ramayana Trail to attract visitors.