சுடலை மாடன்

The lone deity Sudalai Maadan standing tall beneath a Palm tree is a
common scene in and around the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
He is the guardian and protector for the farmers and peasants
cutting across caste, creed and status. Every village has a
Sudalai Madan temple and sometimes more than one, though without any building around him.

Sudalai Maadan hates a building around him. He stands with his
younger brother all alone in the woods. He is offered Kodai(Festival)
every year during the month of Aadi (July-August).
Depending on the popularity of the Sudalai, the number of animal offering can
vary. Near Vijayanarayanam, as a boy I have seen hundreds of Goats, pigs
chicken, cocks etc., slaughtered to appease the Sudalai. The Chaamiyaadi soaks the banana in the bubbling blood and eats it just like that. One should have guts to watch that! Watching this as a small boy I did not get sleep for several days along with the fever. Thanks to my elder brother who took me with him. Too much of violence seems to be occupying these festivals but that was how the life was in those days. Little primitive though!

Sudalai Maadan enjoys a two days festival with grand Kaniyaan Koothu. Men draped in saris dance to the drum beat in a very unique style. Drums are accompanied with age old Kombu, Parai, Melam etc., My mom says that the Kaniyaan is not an Eunuch but a perfect male who works in the farms during the monsoon and does these stuff during the festival alone. He has a tough task as well. He has to observe some rituals for months and prepare for the festival. His blood is dropped in 21 banana leaves for the Chaamiyaadi to lick them before his dance.

The best part is his journey to the Graveyard where he has to pick up some bones and display it to the crowd on his return. I have heard among the crowd a disbelief on the credibility of the Chaamiyaadi if he fails to bring some buried remnants from the graveyard. He also offers solution to the mass’s
problems and give them hope. He acts as an astrologer. His attire is the best. A
black shorts kind of waist cloth rolls till the knees and has several bells hung around the waist and legs. With a torch in the hand his looks invite fear and reverence. Chinnathaayi movie in Tamil language has done a decent job in portraying Sudalai character.

Post the graveyard visit starts entertainment for the young men and elderly by the Karakaattakari and Kattiyakaaran. Karakaattakaari is a woman who balances a decorated pot on the head and dances for the fast beat. Kattiyakaaran is the modern day compere. With a sexy make-up and sexually
inviting gestures the Karakaattakaari receives rupee notes pinned on her jacket by even the old and young alike. The Kattiyakaaran, delivers double meaning
dialogues to kick-up the men's mind.

Due to the conversion of Dravidians to Brahminical Hinduism and Christianity, Sudalaimadan is not attractive to many southern Tamils as he used to be. Moreover Sudalai madan in most places was a family diety rather than a village one. Along with the families Sudalai's fortune also comes down in many cases. Above all the Real Estate hype has forced the locals to desecrate the Sudalai, Ooiykaatu Sami, Isaki etc., Still I could see some temples conducting the festival on an yearly basis with some foreign aid or those migrated to cities coming back to cherish their nostalgia on their birth places.