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Tamil folktale

“Folklore is a broad word encompassing the linguistic, spiritual, and material parts of any culture that are passed down verbally, via observation, or by imitation.” (Eslit)

The oldest type of Indian religion is to worship of “family god.” In the Tamil language “Kulatheivam”. The “term kuladevata is formed from two words: kula, which means clan, and devata, which means god”(“Kuladevata”) and refers to the ancestral deities revered by certain clans. For centuries, our forefathers and families have that deity. Most Hindus have a firm belief that these family gods protect them from any difficulties and hindrances. Male kuladevatas may be referred to as kuladevas, while female kuladevatas are referred to as kuladevi. They “can also be formless” (Sri Poovadaikari Veeran Temple.). People who have moved away continue to go to the ancestral village/town and pay their respects through offerings (animal sacrifices/donations/charity/breaking coconuts) and feasting (called Pongal – which is both the name of the Thanksgiving celebration and a rice dish). Nothing can be done without family god blessing; people belives that even the Istha Deivam and guru are sometimes unable to assist us.

The Folktale : In the past times, there was a trader in the village of Iyyampalayam whose name is Veluappa, he was married to two women named Veena and Vaani. The younger had no kids of his own but the elder had a daughter named Santhi. Her father was a trader who had to travel to various locations to market, so he used to travel with bullock carts and guards for more than six months. Years passed, Veena felt sick and died while her daughter Shanthi was a toddler. So, her stepmother Vaani raised her, yet she did not like Shanthi (the only female kid in the household), and at the same she tried to impress her husband. Veluappa once had to spend seven months away, So, he insists his wife take care and cherish his daughter. Stepmother silently consented to do so because she knows that Santhi is his tiny adored kid. Now it is Vaani’s turn, she is relieved that she had the opportunity to abuse Santhi as extensively as she can. She could even have a plan to murder her if she so desired. Santhi, how unfortunate! Her stepmother began to criticize her shortly as her father left the small town. She had beat her up and make her cry. It is the story of Santhi, a little girl who is tortured and eventually killed by her stepmother while her father is away. Santhi was buried in the garden, after several decades still the ten-year-old Santhi is considered a deity and prayed by all the people in Iyyampalayam village.

Prayer/worship method for Invisible Daughters

Villagers begin to praying on any of the Fridays because the members of the family considered it a lucky day for both the male and female deities.

• Chant generic mantras such as "You are our family deity." Only you can lead and protect our family from any dangers." Finally, perform arti with lit camphor and prostrate in front of it.
• After every day having bath, deliver a spoken prayer to their family god and prostrate before it.
• Arrange a few flowers on the statue and confidently say prayers.
• After each week, place a rupee coin or as much money as you can in a hundi.
• After each week, place money as you can in a hundi placed near the idol of your mysterious family god.
• After each year, take the money from the hundi and present it into the hundi at any temple near your house, asking that the money was intended for their mysterious family god.
• Once you begin praying to your unknown family god in this manner, the sin of neglecting pleas to your family deity will be removed. Your mysterious deity will undoubtedly accept you.
• It is claimed that once you begin this activity and give prayers to your family god with full confidence and sincerity, they will arrive and start dwelling in the idol to guide and defend you.
• As you continue to provide sincere prayer, at some point when you are meant to know the mysterious family god, they will reveal their name to you either in a vision or through someone in an unintentional manner.
• As you continue to pray to it as your family deity, you will see that your troubles and confusion gradually fade away.
• You must maintain your honest prayer with complete trust, even if it takes years. Whether or not you learn about your family god, once you begin this type of prayer, feel that your requests will be received by your unknown deity.

Two elderly women by the names of Gandhimathi and Bagyam were the narrators of this tale in Tamil Language.

(Image Source: The author)

References

Eslit, Edgar. Folk Literature. 2013. ResearchGate, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19295.15527.
“Kuladevata.” Wikipedia, 14 Apr. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kuladevata&oldid=1149773985.
Sri Poovadaikari Veeran Temple.https://www.facebook.com/sripoovadaikariveerantemple/posts/ pfbid0jhFw7rfqo1xdjaKzXkStJLBY1ES8rcbn59thnzmhu43Xx2gv1t4iuQfwVRsg9i4Ql. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.