Rajakambalam Nayakars of Thottiyapatty are spiritual and maintain the cultural heritage

Rajakambalam woman

Rajakambalam Nayakars of Thottiyapatty are spiritual and maintain the

Rajakambalam of Thottiyapatty

cultural heritage. They currently do not practice hunting but enact the traditions in front of the temple. The hunting dogs are reared by the Rajakambalam Nayakars of Thottiyapatty.Due to the prevention of wild life prevention, the Kambalathu naickars stop hunting but pray their God with the hunting enactment. The Rajakambalam Nayakars are also the devotees of Lord Siva celebrating Sivarathiri remembering Suswara.The Rajakambalam Nayakars is a partiallyTelugu speaking Tamil community of Tamilnadu. Kambalathu Nayakar were a Tribal

Playing child of Thottiyapatty

community (telugu speaking) in Bellary during the Vijayanagar empire. They came in to conquer Madurai with Vishwanadha Nayakar. Vijayanagar empire sent them with Viswanadha Nayakar because they used tantric method in war.

Hunting prayer performed in temple

Their occupation was basically rearing sheeps and cattle, hunting and agriculture. They were purely hill tribes. They were a unique culture and never mingled with the other communities.Kambalathu Nayakars being honest and trustworthy were recommended by Thirumalai nayakar's chief minister for protecting the borders by giving them palayams (ruling area). This cheif minister played a major part in developing the Nayakar culture in south by developing nayakar sculptures in temples for eg Periyakoil in Thanjavur and Thirumalai.Using these Palayams Kambalathu Nayakars developed the water and irrigation facilities for the people. These facilities are still used today. Thevarattam is the dance for Rajakambalam Nayakars community , they are the descendents of

Hunting dogs taken out on Sivarathiri day

vijayanagara, madurai nayakars so this king dance perform by this community, still in all functions this dance is performed. ChinnaKalai of Thottiyapatty of Rajakambalam mentioned that the going for hunting prevails as rituals although they do not kill any animals. ChinnaKalai narrated “Rajakambalam Nayakars were a resourceful people who respected nature and used every part of the animal after a hunt. Ancient techniques led to a highly unique set of hunting traditions among the Rajakambalam Nayakars community.Rajakambalam Nayakars incorporated religious rituals into their hunting traditions. There was a form of purification to please the spirits. The two great gods of hunting were fire and water. After killing an animal, Rajakambalam Nayakar hunters would ask the gods' forgiveness for taking the

Rajakambalam kids follow the traditions of Thottiyapatty

animal's life. Religious beliefs led Rajakambalam Nayakar hunters to observe certain taboos to avoid when hunting. For example, wolves, eagles and rattlesnakes were considered sacred and not to be killed. Rajakambalam Nayakar also worship Sivarathiri. Sivaratri, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is celebrated on the moonless night of the month, which is the fourteenth day in the dark half. Owing to a special planetary conjunction, spiritual practices done on this day are considered to be especially auspicious and beneficial. One popular story from the Puranas goes like this: There was once a poor hunter. His name was Suswara. He lived with his wife and child in a small hut. Theirs was a hand-to-mouth existence. Suswara would go to the forest and hunt whatever game came his way, and thus feed his family. One particular day, he caught many small animals and birds, which he put into a sack. Encouraged by the catch, he wandered deeper into the forest in search of

Tree Nursery Raising for trees and wood lots creation in Thottiyapatty

more game. Soon darkness set in and he turned to go home. He was a little worried as the forest was infested with dangerous animals. He did not like the idea of spending the night there. Soon it became very dark. Unable to find his way back, Suswara climbed a tree to be safe from the wild animals. Attracted by his scent, animals came lurking under the tree. Hoping to scare them away, Suswara plucked some twigs from the tree and threw them at the animals, but

Sweet potato cultivation and harvesting in Thottiyapatty

to no avail. Throughout the night the animals kept prowling beneath the tree. Suswara was unable to get even a wink of sleep. He kept vigil throughout the night. He plucked leaves from the tree, which happened to be a vilva tree, and dropped them on the ground. Unknown to Suswara, there was a Shivalinga at the foot of the tree; and so, although he was unaware of it, by dropping the sacred Vilva leaves, Suswara was making a sacred offering to the Shivalinga. That night happened to be Shivaratri. So the hunter had unknowingly kept a night-long vigil and worshipped Shiva. Just as the hunter sought to kill wild animals, the spiritual seeker tries to overcome lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle is the mind where all these negativities roam about. This indicates the purity of intent and speech, which, in turn, imply a level of mental purity”.Chinnakaalai conculded-Govin