The Koothandavar Spectacle, Koovagam

Of the many bizarre and strange customs and festivals observed in India, the Koothandavar festival of Koovagam surely makes it to the top 10 in my judgement. The very basis of the festival, its associated rituals and the people involved make it the weirdest possible celebration on earth - a celebration of love and death, of sacrifice and life. 

The small hamlet of Koovagam is present in the Vizhuppuram district of Tamil Nadu, making it virtually just another point on the map. However, once a year this tiny village turns into the biggest camp for transgenders from all over the country. They gather in flocks to take part in the rituals of a festival which lasts for 18 days, culminating on Chithira Pournami (April-May). A festival which has its traditions rooted in the very depths of the Mahabharatha war, Krishna’s cunningness and the noble nature of a very valiant young man.

There was a point of time when a war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas was imminent. There was no way that the war could be averted, thus saving millions of innocent human lives. Krishna, as the supreme protector of the universe, was worried about the possible disastrous outcome of the war. It was true that he could intervene with his divine powers and avert a catastrophe, but humans are required to decide their own fates and be in charge of their own destinies. That’s what the Vedas and Shastras preach. But still, he wanted the Pandavas to win the war, for he was on their side and also because their cause was just and moral. This would be the ultimate “Good wins over Bad” story if it went along as he desired.

Having no other choice, Krishna finally approached Sahadeva, who was blessed with the gift of reading horoscopes and star charts, thus accurately forecasting the future. To Krishna’s greatest dismay he found Dhuryodhana there too, looking all grumpy and haughty. “Welcome, my lord,” exclaimed Sahadeva, “and you too, cousin. How may I help you both?” With a hasty glance at Krishna Dhuryodhana laid forward his request, “Oh MadriPutra! Being true to your skill, guide me along a path, wherein I can surely claim victory in the upcoming war.” Nodding thoughtfully, Sahadeva looked at Shri Krishna, “And you my lord?” he enquired. “Sahadeva, I too came to ask the same favour on behalf of the Pandavas.” Krishna blurted out.

 Without saying a word, Sahadeva retrieved his Shozhi (a number of shells that are used to help in prediction) and cast them time and again. Finally, after several mental calculations, Sahadeva looked up at both his guests. “The path to success is alike for both of you”, he explained. “To attain victory in the upcoming war, you need to sacrifice a man blessed with all the good qualities of valor, strength, bravery, beauty and such, to the goddess of war, Kali. He who first performs this sacrifice will gain the blessings of Kali and win the war.” Suddenly, the gravity of his own prediction seized him and Sahadeva looked at Krishna with very worried eyes. “Leave that to me Sahadeva. Why fear when I am here?” Krishna consoled and with a dangerous look at Dhuryodhana, he left Sahadeva’s residence.

All along his ride back home Krishna’s mind was occupied with a single thought, “Can it be so? Hope it is not as I fear. I cannot bear to lose him. Oh, I wish that we do get another suitable person for the sacrifice.” Krishna’s mind jumped from one idea to another and for once, they all drew a blank. The reason for his worried thoughts was none other than Arjuna. Matching the qualities required in the sacrificial person to the various people in the Pandava camp, Krishna could come up with only two men who qualified to be sacrificed - himself and Arjuna, and he was not willing to lose either.

With a heavy heart, Krishna summoned the Pandavas and relayed Sahadeva’s prediction. “Is there anyone? Is there anyone else, other than Arjuna who can match the requirements of the sacrifice? ” he pleaded, only to be met by a stunning silence. Krishna’s heart shattered at the thought of losing a dear friend. He felt light headed and started to sway with dizziness, when all of a sudden, a voice cut through his haziness.

“Am I eligible to be sacrificed?” the voice enquired. Krishna’s eyes anxiously shot across the gathered warriors to trace the source of the voice and finally they landed on a very handsome man, dressed as a warrior and bearing resemblances to Arjuna. “Who are you, may I know?” questioned Krishna, as hope revived in his heart.

“I am Aravaan, the son of Arjuna, born to the Naaga princess Chithrangadha, through an illicit wedlock. I have come here to help bring victory to my father and his brothers. And if I can indeed help them win by sacrificing myself, then I am ready to die.” he proclaimed. 

Krishna was flooded with relief. Using his divine powers, he realised that Aravaan was indeed a warrior par excellence, full of good qualities and blessed with excellent character. “He would make the perfect sacrifice to Kali.” Krishna thought and he beckoned Aravaan to come with him. He introduced Aravaan to the Pandavas, including Arjuna, his father (What an absurd meeting??) and praised the sacrificial qualities of Aravaan. “So, you will be sacrificed to the Goddess at daybreak tomorrow. Purify yourself mentally and physically and take rest for the remainder of today. Long live your sacrifice.” Krishna told Aravaan and turned to leave.*

 “One moment my lord, I have but a few wishes to be granted before I die. Will you grant them?” Aravaan requested Krishna. “Why don’t you try me Aravaan?” Krishna winked mischievously. ” My lord,” began Aravaan,” I have had the good fortune to enjoy much in life, but before I die, I would like to enjoy the heat of a woman. I wish to die a married man, my lord.”

Krishna was momentarily stunned. Which woman would marry a man who was going to the sacrificial altar the very next day? No woman is crazy to throw her life away like that. Gulping heavily, Krishna said,”We will manage that. Is there anything else?”

”Yes my lord, I would like to witness the entire war unfold while I am still in my physical body and I would also like to fight on the Pandava side for a minimum of three weeks. Is that agreeable?”

It was here that the jealousy of Krishna kicked in. He knew that Aravaan was an excellent warrior and if he was allowed to fight, there would be no need for any of the Pandavas or Krishna himself to be present at the battlefield. Very cunningly, Krishna replied, “PaarthaPuthra, what is ‘three weeks’ to a man like you? You can probably crush the entire enemy forces in a mere three and a two third minutes. You will be able to fight on the Pandava side for those three and a two third minutes, whenever you wish. Are you happy now?”

Totally floored by Krishna’s flattery and speech, Aravaan readily agreed. “If that is all, you can follow me to meet your bride, who will be your wife tonight and your widow in some days.” Krishna commanded.

The Bewitching form of Mohini

Aravaan followed Krishna into the interiors of the palace. There, in the presence of the Pandavas and a few close friends, Krishna did the unbelievable. He transformed himself into Mohini, a lady so bewitchingly beautiful that even Shiva had fallen for her, and in the presence of the elders, married Aravaan. That night, Aravaan got his first wish fulfilled. Mohini seduced him with all her sexuality. Throughout the night, Aravaan was confused if he was with a man or a woman. The smell of butter and milk constantly reminded him of Krishna, but at the same time he couldn’t come out of Mohini’s sensual clutches. Slowly, the night passed and the day of the war dawned.

Aravaan's Sacrifice to Kali

Aravaan was ceremoniously led to the battle field and was made to stand at the very center. There, even as the bewildered Kauravas looked on; he tore off the skin from his arms and raised it up, blood dripping afresh, offering it to the Goddess. Kali, ever thirsty for blood, readily pounced on it. Supremely satisfied with the sacrifice, she then gave her whole hearted blessings to Pandavas.

The war began, with the beating of drums and the loud blowing of conches. The seven akshauhinis** of the Pandava army clashed with the eleven akshauhinis of the Kaurava force. Over the course of the next eighteen days, Aravaan kept Kali satisfied, stripping pieces of flesh and skin from his body and offering it to her. Finally, on the eighteenth day of the war, when his allotted three and two-third minutes of time came up, Aravaan realised with a pang of guilt, that he had been tricked. He stood at the center of the field, his tattered clothes whipping around his bare blood-stained skeleton. A fat lot of use it would come to for fighting against the Kauravas.

Skeleton or no skeleton, Aravaan decided to make the best use of his time and destroy the most of the enemy forces he could manage. In a second, he assumed his Vishwaroopa form, towering over the battling armies. Then, with his head acting as a large stone, he rolled over the enemy divisions, killing thousands and hurting himself in the process.

Finally, the long drawn Mahabharatha war came to an end. The Pandavas had achieved what was definitely a terrible victory, at the cost of the lives of their own cousins, uncles, grandsire and guru. Above all, the very cause for their triumph – Aravaan – was lying on the Kurukshetra field, his sacrifice not even being acknowledged, his bravery not being sung about. During those final moments on earth, when his life was ebbing away, he heard the high pitched wail of a woman. With great difficulty, he turned his head towards the source of the sound. And there, he beheld Krishna, once again transformed into the bewitching Mohini. But her jewels were astray, her kumkuma all smudged up, her flowers pulled away from her thick locks, and her kohl streaked over her beautiful face, as she banged her hands against her breasts and wailed loudly, the very picture of a widowed woman grieving over her dead husband. With that final sight of the Paramathma himself mourning his approaching death, Aravaan’s spirit soared heaven-wards and joined the other immortal heroes in the warrior heavens, forever shining upon the brave warriors of yore as a guiding beacon of supreme sacrifice. Aravaan had passed on, a very blessed, happy man.

A bust of Aravaan at Singapore Mariamman Kovil

This chapter in the Tamil versions of the Mahabharatha forms the central theme of the 18 day long festival at Koovagam. There exists at Koovagam, a small shrine that is dedicated to Aravaan, who is worshipped by another name - Koothandavar. Local folklores recount the story of Aravaan becoming Koothandavar, though this is not traceable to either the Sanskrit or the Tamil versions of the Mahabharatha.

Shortly after the end of the Mahabharatha war, Bhima and Arjuna were arguing over being the best of the war heroes. Both were overcome with pride and haughtiness, that they were the sole reason for the Pandava victory. An amused Krishna approached Aravaan’s head and asked him for his opinion, as being the sole witness of the entire war. Aravaan was very quick in answering, “Who else but you, Oh Madhava, can be the true reason for our success. I saw with my very own eyes, the Sudarshana slicing through the enemies’ heads and your white Panchajanya collecting their dripping blood. You were the reason behind our triumph.” Aravaan’s flattery to Krishna did not go down well with Bhima who rushed to pick up his head, but Krishna was quicker. He lifted Aravaan’s head and threw it into the Charaparika River, where it transformed into a baby. The baby was later found by the King of Chandragiri who had heard the “kuva-kuva” cries of the child when he had gone to the river for a bath. Since the baby had cried “kuva-kuva”, the king named the place by the river as Koovagam. The king also christened the child as Charapaalan and raised him as his own son. Charapaalan grew up to be a valiant prince and always stood by his father in all the battles. At one such battle against a demon named Koothaasuran, Charapaalan killed the asura who had injured his father in the battle. Extremely pleased with the death of this vicious asura, Draupadi, the supreme goddess of the Draupadi cult, blessed Charapaalan with the name Koothandavar (the slayer of Koothaasuran) and granted a place for him at her temple in Koovagam.

The once famous Draupadi temple at Koovagam is now no longer present, the only sign of its existence being the Aravaan shrine that functions as an independent temple today. The 18 day festival at the shrine, held in conjunction with Chithira-Pournami, celebrates the final days of Aravaan’s life, right up to his brave sacrifice on the 18th day. The festival begins with the ritual flag-hoisting in the temple premises. Many poojas are performed to the idol of Aravaan in the shrine. Unlike in other Hindu temples, Aravaan is worshipped in the form of his severed head mounted on a platform. Also, apart from his main idol in the shrine, a separate, more humongous head is made from wood and painted with brilliant shades. This sculpting of Aravaan’s head is an important part of the festival and takes over fifteen days to complete. These fifteen days are filled with entertainment programs, singing and dancing competitions, beauty shows and the like, which are organized by the gathered devotees. On the sixteenth day, the head is ritually infused with life in a ceremony where the eyes of the idol are painted upon. This day symbolizes the appearance of Aravaan among the Pandava fold.

Poojas to Koothandavar

The following day witnesses perhaps the most important of the festival traditions – the marriage of Aravaan. The transgenders, who have gathered at Koovagam, are the self-proclaimed brides of Aravaan. They claim themselves to be the incarnations of Krishna, who had been a man trapped inside a woman’s body when he had seduced Aravaan - just like the transgenders themselves. At daybreak on the seventeenth day, the chief priest performs special poojas to the idol of Aravaan and welcomes the holy spirit of Aravaan into his body. Then, acting as Aravaan’s representative, the priest ties the Mangalsutra (the sacred marital thread) around the necks of all the transgenders present there. They are now the happy wives of Aravaan, just for the night. A gala feast is organized, which is followed by a night full of merrymaking, laughter and dance. The gigantic head of Aravaan is mounted on a chariot and taken around the village in a ceremonious procession.

Aravaan's Final Procession

At sunrise, the following day, the air is ripped apart by sharp wails, as Aravaan is beheaded, widowing all his one-day-old wives. Following our ancient traditions, the widows of Aravaan rip the Mangalsutra from their necks, tear the flowers out of their hair, throw away their ornaments, and remove all cosmetics from their faces, wailing loudly, beating their chests, just like Krishna mourned for Aravaan long, long ago. They drag themselves behind the separated head of Aravaan, which is taken on a funeral procession to the cremation grounds. The severed head is finally cremated with all the honors given to a brave warrior, bringing the festival to an official end. 

The eighteen day festival sees all the transgenders campaigning for their rights and promoting equality movements. Since they dedicate themselves to Aravaan, they are often called Aravaanis in Tamil. Though the government is now recognising them as a separate gender and paying heed to their difficulties, a long time has to pass before they receive the same treatment as normal humans do. And till that day arrives, they have to rely on the grace of Aravaan to take them through the rough times to come.

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P.S. This story is an adaptation from many entangled Tamil folklores that are kept alive by the Cult of Draupadi and the Cult of Koothandavar. It is not based on the original Mahabharatha as written by Veda Vyasa. Though Aravaan makes an appearance in the Bhishma Parva of the Vyasa Bharatha as the Pandava Sacrifice, no further details are told about him. 

* The Vyasa Bharatha tells a different story altogether. According to Vyasa, to ensure victory in the battle, Bhishma advises Dhuryodhana to sacrifice Aravaan to the Goddess Kali. Dhuryodhana accordingly approaches Sahadeva to decide on a suitable time and date for the sacrifice. Sahadeva, being true to his talent, advices Dhuryodhana to sacrifice Aravaan at midnight on an Amavasya. Dhuryodhana then meets Aravaan and asks his opinion of the plans. Aravaan is extremely happy to be sacrificed for the victory of his father's cousins and readily agrees. However, he lays a condition that he should be sacrificed only if he there is no harm to his life, his body or his 32 anga-lakshanas before the prescribed date. Krishna hears about Dhuryodhana's plans and urges Aravaan to sacrifice for the Pandavas instead. Though Yudhishtira is much against Aravaan going against his promise to Dhuryodhana, Krishna makes use of the loop-hole in Aravaan's condition to Dhuryodhana to rope the situation into their advantage. Very cleverly, Krishna performs tharpanam (Pooja to the fore-fathers that is usually performed on Amavasyas) on Chaturdasi (the day before Amavasya). On seeing the Supreme Being wrongly performing the tharpanam, Surya and Chandra rush down to Krishna to stop his faulty tharpanam. On being questioned by Surya and Chandra, Krishna reasons that Amavasya falls on the day when the sun and moon arrive at the same position in the planetary charts. Since Surya and Chandra were now standing together in front of Krishna, there was no wrong in performing the tharpanam since it was Amavasya already. Thus by orchestrating the movements of the sun and the moon, Krishna advances the date of Amavasya and asks Aravaan to be sacrificed on that day, thus keeping up both with Aravaan’s promise to Dhuryodhana (this way Aravaan will be harmed before the appointed day) and the auspicious time of the sacrifice.

** An Akshauhini was an ancient battle formation that consisted of 21,870 chariots; 21,870 elephants; 65,610 horse-mounted warriors and 109,350 infantry, as per the Mahabharatha.