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Kannada folktale Kerege Hara

This is a Kannada folktale known as ‘Kerege Hara’, which is popular in the north-Karnataka region. This story is comprised of glorification of the sacrifice of a woman to the lake for the sake of the village.

In a village called Kallanakere, the head of the village Mallanagouda had dug a tank for the sake of the villagers. But even after some time, the tank remained dry. Then they sought advice from an astrologer to figure out the cause for this. He assured that the tank would be filled with water if a human being surrendered to the goddess Ganga. But everyone was reluctant to go as a sacrifice for the water. Then it was decided that Bhagirathi, the younger daughter-in-law of the headman to be sent as a bate for the goddess. They kept this a secret from her initially. But when she came to know about her being sacrificed to the water, she felt sad but did not resist.

Before leaving for the water, she sought her mother-in-law’s permission and left for her parents’ abode. Looking at her dull face with eyes filled with tears, which were usually filled with delight, Bhagirathi’s father, mother and sister asked the reason for her grief. She was disinclined to reveal the truth, and indirectly conveyed everything to them, saying that she was going to be sent away from her husband’s house. Believing this to be true, they offered one or the other thing to console her, but never understood her dilemma. Then she rushed to her close friend and wept intensely, conveying everything to her. She then went back to her house, as promised to her mother-in-law. Then the ritual for her surrender began. Everyone was supposed to take a bath in the river. But the other daughters-in-law of the headman didn’t, fearing that they would be devoured by the goddess Ganga. But Bhagirathi took a bath as was expected. Then she was supposed to go into the tank with a golden bowl, as a sacrifice. But, amid these rituals, they had forgotten to bring that bowl from the house. Even to this, nobody agreed to and Bhagirathi herself went and came back with the bowl.

Then she went near the tank with the golden bowl in her hand. She entered the tank and started climbing the steps one by one. By the time she climbed the last step, she was drowned by the flowing water, and goddess Ganga had swallowed her as food.

When Bhagirathi’s husband Mahadevaraya returned from a far-off place, he was informed of his wife’s sacrifice for the tank. He rushed towards the river. Grieving the death of his beloved empress, he too flew into the river and gave up his life as well.

Thus, a woman was given to water as food. Therefore the story is known as kerege haara, since in Kannada ahara means food.