Home > Indian History > History of India > Worship of Shakti in Dravidians
Worship of Shakti in Dravidians
Worship of Shakti among the Dravidians is a symbol of reverence to all female Dravidian deities. Most of the Dravidian deities are considered to be incarnations of Goddess Parvati.

Share this Article:

Worship of Shakti among the Dravidians is offered to those Goddesses who have not been incarnated and have no fixed temple or image as such. They are fierce. The Shakti ceremonies in the Dravidian worship are totally different from the Shakti puja of the Tantras. These ceremonies are more terrifying than the Shakti ceremonies found in Hinduism. The worship of these deities is propitiation in order to prevent their doing some evil.

While the village deity is worshipped it is feared that Shaktis will be watching and out of jealousy may do some harm. In order to prevent such consequences the Shaktis are propitiated at midnight. This is done after the day when the sacrificial buffalo was killed. An outsider is brought to the place where the sacrifice is done. His body is smeared with blood from the beheaded buffalo, winds the intestines around his neck, and takes the liver in his mouth. A pot that contains food is soaked in blood that is placed in his hands. This is accompanied by men armed with sticks and old swords and then proceeds towards the village boundaries.

As this procession moves the inmates remain in deathlike stillness for fear of the Shaktis and evil spirits which are hovering over the procession. The men shout and flourish their swords and sticks to keep off these spirits. The man who carries the bloody offering is held up by ropes and even then often falls to the ground, saying that he sees the spirits. When he falls, limes are cut in two halves and are thrown into the air and lambs are sacrificed on the spot. The man recovers from his pretended collapse and the procession moves forward. After arriving at the village boundary, the bloody rice is left as an offering and the man who carried it divests himself of his bloody trappings. Often he is carried to the temple of the village goddess where water is poured over him to revive him. The bloody rice is scattered to keep out the Shaktis.

At times Shaktis are worshipped individually. The gruesome ceremonies are aimed at pacifying the anger of the Shakti. Among these Kati Ankamma is a major deity. She is the Shakti of the place where the dead are buried. It is believed that she lives on corpses. She also sets fire to houses and finds pleasure in killing cattle. The worship is done by one or two households in union. This is done when there has been some unusual trouble which may be attributed to Kati Ankamma. The household gods are taken to the water in the evening and it is kept submerged all night. The pujari comes next day with the musicians as well as with the people who are possessed by demons. After removing the gods from the water they burn incense and sacrifice a sheep.

The next day the worship of Kati Ankamma begins, and is of short duration, for it is not pleasant enough to be extended any longer than is actually necessary. The Madiga story-teller goes to the burial ground accompanied by the people in whose interest the worship is conducted, together with a crowd from the village. The story-teller disguises him as a woman, for he has no desire to be recognized by any of the other deities as the one who did honour to the Shakti. He takes earth and with the help of cotton makes it stick together without much delay, he makes a rude image.

Donga Shakti is one of the Shaktis. The word Donga means thief. It is considered that skilfully she comes and kills the cattle for her own benefit and accounts for her name. She is worshipped at night as she is believed to be an enemy to gods and men. Worshipping her is considered as the last resort. The ceremonies take place in the night and it is over before daylight. Women do not stay near by. Only brave men are present.

Nadividhi Shakti is another form of Shakti. Nadvidhi means ` the middle street.` It is believed that she comes into the very centre of the village to ruin. A goat is sacrificed which is an offering and charms are performed until it is thought the Shakti has consented to enter the image. The household gods are propitiated while worshipping the Shakti. Then there is the buffalo sacrifice and a large number of sheep and goats are also killed. Blood is sprinkled over her. In the early morning after the day of sacrifice the potter places the image in a basket after another goat has been sacrificed. The potter carries the basket and a few men escort them.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.