'Pulaya
Scare', 'Paraya Scare', 'Mannan Scare', etc. were some of the
customs/superstitions prevalent in Travancore. The first two were
prevalent in Southern part of the state.
Pulaya scare was a 500 year old superstition. January 14 - February 14 were the Pulaya Scare time. i.e., 28 days from the day moon enters Capricorn ( 1st to 28th of Lunar month of Makar). The first three days of the month 'Uchharan Utsavam' was celebrated. The Utsav was to celebrate the Menstrual Period of Godess Earth.
Barbosa, a traveller from Portugal has recorded about Pulaya Scare in 1517 AD. In some months each year, Pulayas try to touch as many Nair women as possible. Nairs made efforts to prevent trouble for their women. Still the Pulayas would hide outside Nair houses at sundown. Once they touch a woman, she would shout out the news and go away with the Pulaya who touched her. If she comes back, she would bring 'bhrasht' to rest of the family, it was believed. Even if a Pulaya touched the woman with a stick or threw a stone on her, she went with that Pulaya. The Nair women who were afraid of their life or feared being sold also succumbed voluntarily to Pulaya men.
Dr Chelanattu Achutha Menon records thus:
"Once a year the 'low' are given permission of the paths and a kind
of freedom in small temples during Pooram festival and 'Velakali'
season. They can bathe in the upper caste ponds, enter the temples and
offer 'archana'. They can touch any woman they see. The women had to go
with the 'low' man who touched her. She was not to return back. The
rules applied only for those outside their homes. Those in the homes
were not bothered. These days of freedom for the low were announced by
drummers in advance to the populace. "Those who donot want to face the
consequenses of this display of freedom may stay home," was also
announced in advance.
Depending on the majority 'low' community of the area, the appellation 'Pulaya Scare' and 'Paraya Scare' were applied.(*)
"An upper caste woman who wanted to avoid being victimised could safely go any where and any time of the day or night with a male child of more than 3 years; or she could touch a male Palm tree when in temple. Only those who wanted to be touched that went out on their own on 'scare' days. If the touched woman is pregnant, she will stay away from her kin. If the child born is a boy, she will be taken back. If it is a girl, the woman goes with the Pulaya."
"Initially the Pulayas may have been encouraged to take women who had no males to support them.
"Between February 15th to April 15th the 'low' had the right to abduct, if possible, Nair women who came to see the army parade. This may have been an arrangement to maintain the number of slave labour. 'Pulaya Scare' started the inter-mixing of Nairs and Pulayas.
"This must have been many generations before (the arrival of the Portuguese)," opines historian Ilamgulam Kunjanpilla.
The 'scares' were ended in Malabar during british rule. But it was banned in Travancore in 1695 AD by Unny Kerala Varma. The proclamation was carved on a rock on the roadside of Thiruvithamkode of Padmanabhapuram taluk. Padmanabhapuram was the second capital of the state.
The record of the order is kept in the archeological museum of Padmanabhapuram. The gist of that order written in Tamil and mix of Tamil and Malayalam comprising of 106 lines is as follows:
"...If 'Pulaya Scare' is practised in my kingdom, the Pulayas, their women and children, including pregnant women will be destroyed. Those women who have been affected may be relieved of their blemish if they have a ritual cleansing bath. And, any one who defaces the rock edict will get the same punishment as the one who kills a black cow on the shores of River Ganga."
Hamurabi couldn't have done better!
((*)Kali worship in Kerala)
Pulaya scare was a 500 year old superstition. January 14 - February 14 were the Pulaya Scare time. i.e., 28 days from the day moon enters Capricorn ( 1st to 28th of Lunar month of Makar). The first three days of the month 'Uchharan Utsavam' was celebrated. The Utsav was to celebrate the Menstrual Period of Godess Earth.
Barbosa, a traveller from Portugal has recorded about Pulaya Scare in 1517 AD. In some months each year, Pulayas try to touch as many Nair women as possible. Nairs made efforts to prevent trouble for their women. Still the Pulayas would hide outside Nair houses at sundown. Once they touch a woman, she would shout out the news and go away with the Pulaya who touched her. If she comes back, she would bring 'bhrasht' to rest of the family, it was believed. Even if a Pulaya touched the woman with a stick or threw a stone on her, she went with that Pulaya. The Nair women who were afraid of their life or feared being sold also succumbed voluntarily to Pulaya men.
Depending on the majority 'low' community of the area, the appellation 'Pulaya Scare' and 'Paraya Scare' were applied.(*)
"An upper caste woman who wanted to avoid being victimised could safely go any where and any time of the day or night with a male child of more than 3 years; or she could touch a male Palm tree when in temple. Only those who wanted to be touched that went out on their own on 'scare' days. If the touched woman is pregnant, she will stay away from her kin. If the child born is a boy, she will be taken back. If it is a girl, the woman goes with the Pulaya."
"Initially the Pulayas may have been encouraged to take women who had no males to support them.
"Between February 15th to April 15th the 'low' had the right to abduct, if possible, Nair women who came to see the army parade. This may have been an arrangement to maintain the number of slave labour. 'Pulaya Scare' started the inter-mixing of Nairs and Pulayas.
"This must have been many generations before (the arrival of the Portuguese)," opines historian Ilamgulam Kunjanpilla.
The 'scares' were ended in Malabar during british rule. But it was banned in Travancore in 1695 AD by Unny Kerala Varma. The proclamation was carved on a rock on the roadside of Thiruvithamkode of Padmanabhapuram taluk. Padmanabhapuram was the second capital of the state.
The record of the order is kept in the archeological museum of Padmanabhapuram. The gist of that order written in Tamil and mix of Tamil and Malayalam comprising of 106 lines is as follows:
"...If 'Pulaya Scare' is practised in my kingdom, the Pulayas, their women and children, including pregnant women will be destroyed. Those women who have been affected may be relieved of their blemish if they have a ritual cleansing bath. And, any one who defaces the rock edict will get the same punishment as the one who kills a black cow on the shores of River Ganga."
Hamurabi couldn't have done better!
((*)Kali worship in Kerala)
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