Mayana Kollai

 “Adhi, Are you coming here this Saturday? It would be better if you could come earlier itself and bring Malar along with you”,  said my mom. “Haan! Amma. We will try to come early!” I said and kept the phone. “Look at these pieces, man, yummy.Dindigul thalapakatti mutton biriyani is the best, you are missing a lot of things being vegetarian”, said Jaggy.  I was not in the mood to speak about his desire to eat non-veg every day. I let out a sigh “No. yaar.. not today..! “Why? What happened? Is everything alright?”, asked Jaggi.

 “Malar and I are married for 3  years. We could not have a kid, yet. Malar and me, consulted the doctor, and their ’s advice is to wait for time since everything is normal for both of us but, my parents do not have the patience to wait. Hence, Malar is constantly worried and not ready to face my parents because they keep taunting on it and suggest one or other pujas to perform.  Now, Amma is insisting that Malar and I must attend the festival, and have the prasdham to have kids. The weird thing is that my mom says I even born after she had that prasdham. ” I let my grief out!  

 “Uhmm.. I understand. In the past, I have you seen doing different pujas, just do this too and I always like to be part of the village festival, you must go man and assume it is like family get together and be part of it”, Jaggi advised “Oh! No. Thisn’t a normal festival as you may think. It is just a horrible and quite nightmare festival”, I said.

 “Oh! what is the festival?”, Jaggi asked out of curiosity.

 “This festival is called Mayana Kollai, a traditional festival is observed as part of the Masi Amavasai, in which devotees dress in the costumes of Angaalamman, kill lambs and hen with their bite, literally with their mouth and come in a procession around the temple premises and streets in town.  They collect the blood of those dead animals, mix it with rice and give it as prasadham for people who wants to have kids and to get relief from ghost if they are possessed!”, I said.

 

“Oh!! Oh .. wait! Quite exciting. I have seen this only in Hollywood movies, and you are saying, it is all real. Cool Man! I want to see it.  May I join?”, asked excited Jaggi. That moment I thought he is just excited to see the festival so, I said him that I will inform him if at all we planned to go. We left the restaurant and while riding back, Jaggi asked, “Why do they these rituals?”  “I do not know much about. It is a festival”, I said and left him at his house and rode to my place.

 At home, Malar was watching her daily soaps and as I entered, she asked, “How was the lunch? and where is your school friend?”.  “Hmm. I left him at his house and listen, my mom wants us to attend the Mayana Kollai function and wants you to have the prasdham, so that we can have kids by this year”, I told her without looking at her eyes.

 “Oh.! Yuck!  Are you kidding? , I am not coming to that festival. If your mom forces then I might file a complaint against her. Silly lady!”, she flustered and switched off the television and left with mobile to complain to her parents.

 “Uh..  I am not sure that how I am supposed to educate my mom on our country’s advancement in Science and medicine.  All these days it was only prayers and fasting! Oh god! Help me, please”, I thought aloud. Listening to that, understanding my condition, Malar said,” you can be part of that festival but,  I am going to my mom’s place and find any reasons you may want to fill my absence”. I said, “Okay!”. After that, there was a brief silence that called that day.

 On another end,  Mayana kollai got stuck with Jaggi’s head. He started researching by googling through all the materials. He was fascinated with the idea of biting the living goat and chicken to death.

We both left in our car to the native to attend the festival. In the journey, he said that the festival is for goddess Parvathi, who killed Kabala which was attached in the Shiva's hands. I said, “Okay!”.

 We attended the festival and left the next day from the village. From the day we left,  Jaggi was different . He became silent and more aggressive when any questions been asked. But I could not talk him to more about his behavior change as I have to travel to bring my wife.

Days passed by.. we did not meet and assumed that he is fine but, it all changed when I received a call from his father to visit their house to see what he does. I could not believe what I saw. he has covered himself with blood and raw lamb pieces!