BANI
FESTIVAL - ART & CULTURE
News:
Three dead during ‘Banni’
festival at Devaragattu in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district
What's
in the news?
●
Recently,
three people lost their lives and more than a hundred were injured in the
traditional Banni festival.
About
Bani festival:
●
Location: Andhra Pradesh.
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It is
celebrated on the night of the Dussehra
celebration (Vijaya Dasami) every year.
●
It is
a traditional stick-fight.
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The
objective of this event was to snatch
the idols from God’s team, leading to a fierce battle known as the Banni
Fight.
●
Historical significance: This festival was celebrated by people
under the Vijayanagara Empire.
○ At
that time, it was even more dangerous;
axes and spears were used for the fight.
●
It is
celebrated on account of the victory of Lord
Mala Malleswara Swamy and Goddess Parvati over demonish Mani and Mallasura,
who troubled the people in the Devaragattu region.
Process
of ritual:
●
The
villages in Kurnool divide themselves
into groups and take part in a ritualistic stick fight.
●
After
performing prayers and ‘kalyanam’ at
the temple, devotees carry the deities inside a thick cloth bag on the
shoulders down the hill.
●
A few
of the devotees create a ring of security around the idols.
●
As
they come down, thousands of lathi-wielding people from the rival group, make a
bid to stop the procession from going forward and a bloody battle breaks out.
●
The stick fight between both the groups
continues down the hill while these villagers who are generally farmers,
walk in a procession with their shirts drenched in blood!
●
The procession continues till dawn with
various artistic performances by artists, dancers, singers and composers
happening alongside eventually creating a phenomenal journey.
●
After
the procession reaches down, puja is performed and the temple priest slits his
thigh to offer a fistful of blood to the
deity.
●
Another
fierce round of stick fight takes place and the deity of the Lord is then
placed at Simhasana katta marking the
end of the Bani festival.