Devil is in the Details
Times of India | 21 hours ago | 23-10-2022 | 04:33 am
Times of India
21 hours ago | 23-10-2022 | 04:33 am
It’s hard to fall asleep the night before Diwali in Goa. Elderly to infants, even the sick, are subjected to loud music, ruckus dancing and drinking around a giant effigy of the mythological demon Narkasur. This practice is unparalleled across the country.Competitions are held to judge the best Narkasur effigy in several towns, with the contest name altered recently to ‘Narkasur vadh’ to pacify traditionalists.As years go by, however, the crowds thronging the streets to view the Narkasur with its blinding lights, deafening sounds, and sometimes mechanical movements, have only gone up as has the number of demon effigies which are often sponsored by politicos and businessmen, small and big.Researcher and professor of history at Shri Mallikarjun College, Canacona, Rohit Phalgaonkar, says that traditionally the observances on Narakchaturdashi day were entirely different in Goa’s villages. “Earlier, in villages, a large wicker basket was turned into Narkasur. This practice was seen in some villages until the 1990s. The basket had a flat base with two holes made for legs and the top was an inverted cone, which was turned into the Narkasur’s face using paper. A young man would stand inside the basket and take it from one point of the village to another and then the boys would burn this effigy,” says Phalgaonkar, of the eco-friendly materials used.The same cannot be said of the Narkasur of today. The bamboo and paper Narkasur was not more than 2 to 2.5m tall, he says. “Today, the Narkasur effigies are made to appear like demons from Marvel, with no resemblance to any traditional depiction,” he adds.But the making of Narkasur effigies itself is a concept which took shape post Goa’s Liberation, says folklore researcher Pandurang Phaldesai.“Narkasur competitions started much later. During the Portuguese colonial rule, there were many restrictions and so, post-Liberation, such revelry began out of enthusiasm. Goans adopt new observances quickly, like Bhau Beej and Raksha Bandhan too are adopted practices for Goans. As for Narkasur effigies, it first began at the waddo level, where they were made using old clothes and burnt to signify end of the bad or evil,” says Phaldesai.The effigy processions came much later—around the late 60s or early 70s. “In other states, they burn old things during Dussehra. Only in Uttar Pradesh, Lanka Dahan is enacted on the day before Diwali. But in most other areas there is no such burning practice on Narakchaturdashi,” says Phaldesai.It is not known for sure why Narkasur effigy-making became such a craze only in Goa. Phaldesai has a theory, “Earlier, different villages held bhajan saptah during which there was a tradition of carrying images from which the idea of effigy could have emerged.”As per the mythological tale, after great penance, Narakasura attained a boon from Lord Brahma that only the demon’s mother could kill him. And so, Narakasura unleashed his evil, finally targeting Swargalok or abode of the gods, which even had Lord Indra fleeing.It is Lord Krishna, who had to take it up upon himself to put an end to the demon. Going by some accounts, it is Lord Krishna’s wife Satyabhama who eventually killed Narakasura. This was possible because she was an incarnation of Bhoodevi, the mother of Narakasura, and therefore could kill the demon.“One year there was a discussion whether it is the Krishna effigy or the Narkasur effigy which should get the prize in the competition. Then the competition name was changed to ‘Narkasur vadh competition’. However, the entire observance of Narakchaturdashi has lost its significance. Now people take pride and pleasure in looking at the demon, while it was meant to be evil and, hence, burnt. The effigy of Krishna is barely visible before the giant Narkasur,” says Phalgaonkar.The growing popularity of Narkasur is outshining the importance of Diwali. “The effigy is meant to be burnt before the break of dawn. But now they are burnt early Diwali morning, reducing the significance of the festival,” says Phalgaonkar.“Diwali is ultimately the celebration of light. The skylamps are meant to show the way and we should not lose focus of this,” says Phaldesai.
