Panjurli is a local boar-faced deity worshipped in the southern region of India, especially in Karnataka and Kerala. It is a guardian deity, which protects the forest and the people living in it. Per some stories, he is the Varaha Avatar, the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He came from Tirupati to Tulunadu. People worship Panjurli to protect their lands and paddy fields and also for the well-being of family members.

Panjurli Meaning:

The name Panjurli in the Tulu language means “a wild boar offspring”. The word originated from “Panjida Kulre,” which means young wild boar in Tulu.

Origin:

Thousands of years ago, when wild boars used to destroy the crops of farmers in Tululand, people started worshipping the spirit of a wild boar. Most likely, it was the personification of wild boar. In the later period, the worship was absorbed into Hinduism and associated with different stories of Hindu gods and goddesses. The spirit worship is evident in Bhuta Kola, which is an annual ceremonial ritual dance in Tululand.

Story of Panjurli:

Once a wild boar died in the pleasure garden of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Devi Parvati kept one of the offspring of the boar as a pet. The piglet was very naughty and destroyed the garden, which upset Lord Shiva greatly. Therefore, he killed the piglet. As the pet was very dear to Goddess Parvati, she got angry with Lord Shiva. Therefore to please her, Lord Shiva brought it back to life as a spirit and sent it to Earth to protect people.

Per another version, Lord Shiva did not kill the piglet but sent it to Earth to protect people.

(In the olden times, there were disputes between Shaivites and Vaishnavites. It is possible that this story was created by Shaivites to denigrate the Varaha Avatar of Lord Vishnu).

Guliga:

Guliga, also known as Guliga Daiva, is a guardian deity. He is a fierce deity and does not forgive the culprits as Panjurli does. People worship him to ward off evil spirits and for protection against diseases.

Story of Guliga:

Once, Goddess Parvati found a stone in the pile of ash. She presented it to Lord Shiva, who threw it into the water. Guliga was born out of the stone. He was sent to serve Lord Vishnu, but because of his destructive nature, Lord Vishnu cursed him to take birth in the stomach of the Nelallu snake.

After nine months, Guliga tore the stomach of the snake and came out. He was very hungry and drained the lake of Lord Vishnu and consumed all fishes in it. He was given the blood of horses and elephants, but his hunger did not subside. At last, Lord Vishnu fed him his little finger, which subsided his hunger. He was then sent to Earth where seven Jaladugra saw him and appointed him as a guardian deity (Kshetrapala) for their temples.

One day, he had a fight with Panjurli, which turned into a battle. Finally, Jaladurgas intervened and consoled them. Later, they became close companions. Therefore, they are often worshipped together.

Bhoota Kola:

Bhoota Kola or Daiva Kola is an annual cultural dance ceremony prevalent among Hindus of Tulu Nadu. The tradition dates back to 700-800 BC.

Bhoota means “Spirit” and Kola means “a performance or play”. During the ceremony, the divine spirits possess some men and answer people’s queries. These men dance for some time and display some extraordinary activities that normal human beings can’t perform, like swallowing fireballs, hitting their chests with a huge torch of fire without any burns, jumping on burning wooden mounds, etc.

Tulu Nadu:

Tulu Nadu is a region on the south-western coast of India. It consists of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi districts of Karnataka, and Kasargod district up to the Chandragiri river in Kerala. The Chandragiri River is traditionally considered to be the boundary between Tulu Nadu and Kerala from the fourteenth century AD onwards.

Kantaara:

Kantaara means the magical/enchanted forest or a sacred grove. It is a specific area in a village where the worship and rituals of spirits like Panjurli, Guliga, and others are performed. These are generally open areas, like grooves or open grounds, where villagers gather to seek blessings from spirits.