Worshipping of daivas or spirits is at the heart of Tulunadu culture. Despite the passage of time and the introduction of the modern lifestyle, there lies an unwavering faith in these local deities amongst many. Dr. Lakshmi G. Prasad’s book, ‘Karavaliya 1001 Daivagalu’ embodies the very spirit of this fascinating culture.
‘Karavaliya 1001 Daivagalu’ (Karavali’s 1001 Deities) presents readers with an exhaustive list of the local spirits, deities and demigods along the coastal belt. The book also provides more information on each deity and includes pictures of the different daivas. “The book includes daivas from Karwar to Coorg to Kannur. Since 60% of the daivas are from Tulunadu, I decided to use ‘Karavali’ in the book title, “Dr. Lakshmi G. Prasad, the author, said. Dr Lakshmi G. Prasad is a lecturer in Kannada at the Government Pre-University College in Byatarayanapura, Bengaluru. Dr Prasad has captured most of the photographs by herself.
Through the course of extensive research, Dr. Prasad has identified 2240 deities, many of which were unidentified and not found on record. Growing up in the village of Koliyoor in Kasaragod District, Kerala, Dr Prasad witnessed several Bhuta Kolas. Heavily interested in folklore, janapadas, and spirits, she leaned towards studying more about it while pursuing her M. Phil. “I came across two local deities from my hometown. But not many people knew much about these deities. Even my family members did not possess too much information about them. The books that I referred too did not include these local deities. This piqued my interest,” Dr Prasad narrated. Thus, what began as a study into local daivas spurred years-long research and the list of daivas kept adding up.
Starting in 2000, the book is Dr. Prasad’s 20-year-long labour and intense efforts. Dr. Prasad had to juggle the full-time jobs of being a mother, a lecturer and a researcher. During this time, she also managed to finish two degrees. “Over 20 years, I have spent every spare moment working on this book. It has been a while since I last enjoyed a wedding or properly celebrated a holiday,” said Dr. Prasad. “Despite the obstacles I had to overcome along this journey, it has still been a fruitful one. It has given me much joy and satisfaction. I am proud to have put the history down of Karavali on paper,” she added.
Apart from 20 years of research and fieldwork, Dr. Prasad spent a year writing the book itself. She also edited the book herself. The lockdown lent a helping hand in the completion of the book. “I decided to write this book for the purpose of knowledge gaining, not for personal gain,” she said. Dr. Prasad has also worked on a blog where she would share snippets of knowledge. She has not updated the blog for a year since she started working on the book. However, the blog still holds a wealth of information on Tulunadu culture.
Speaking on the challenges she faced, Dr. Prasad said, “Compiling all the information and putting the names down in alphabetical order was a challenge. There are several divisions and subgroups, akin to the branches of a large tree. Describing these spirits individually is more convenient, but grouping them is no easy task.” While she had to refer to several books and inscriptions throughout her time gathering information for the book, she also highlighted the lack of prior information on these local deities. “A majority of these daivas were unknown in general knowledge. Now, new researchers have a book for reference. ”Another downside of research is that it doesn’t pay and requires capital to carry out. “I would spend every earned leave, every holiday on research. Every year during summer vacation, I would go out with my camera and do fieldwork. The expenses are many including travel, stay and camera expenses. I am fortunate for the support of my family,” she said.
Dr. Prasad commends the support of her family through her research. “My husband, children and brothers have helped me greatly in the completion of this book. My brothers helped me acquire the cameras I needed. My son would accompany me at 3 years of age and even help record information during my fieldwork.”
“Although this has been largely a solo journey, by the grace of God, I have had assistance at every step of the way. Acquiring permission to record information, getting help from various people along this journey to carry out this labour-intensive research has shown me that the daivas’ blessings are with me,” said Dr. Prasad.
