The Halakki hamlet I entered felt timeless, with narrow pathways winding between the modest homes of this tribal community. Each house featured a tulasi mane—a shrine for the holy plant adorned with earthen lamps, where sacredness radiated even in the dim light of dusk. As I approached, I saw the flickering diyas lighting the wooden shrine of Timmappa, or God Venkataramana. The only sound that I heard in the stillness was the rhythmic toll of a bronze hand bell and the steady beat of the jagate (gong).
Deepavali is more than just a festival of lights; it is a three-day celebration rich in rituals that blend mythology, folklore, and ecological wisdom. It marks seasonal transitions, honouring health, prosperity, and agriculture. While mythology celebrates the emergence of Dhanvantari, the god of medicine, from the Ksheera Sagara (Ocean of Milk), local traditions of the Halakki revere Boore Ajji (the goddess of medicinal herbs) or Boore Ajja (her male counterpart). During Deepavali several rituals are observed to show a deep respect for nature's healing powers, blending spiritual reverence with tribal health practices.
Day 1: Installing the goddess
On the first day the key ritual of boore neeru tumbuvadu is observed, which involves symbolically creating or placing Boore ajji or Borajji, the goddess of medicinal herbs who is represented by a new earthen pot. In the late evening, family members fetch fresh water from the well and fill all the pots, including the big bathing pot called hande, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and bells.
The sacred ritual unfolds at night at the tulasi mane, where the Boore Kargi or Borajji Kargi (medicinal pot) is kept. The pot is prepared with utmost care, filling it with water and medicinal barks such as atti/cluster fig (Ficus racemosa), goli/aala (Ficus benghalensis), jackfruit or mango, haale/sapta parni (Alstonia scholaris), and sometimes turmeric roots and tagate sodge (Cassia tora beans). The neck of the pot is decorated with the vine of the bitter hindle kaayi (Cucumis sativus var. Hardwicke) and marigold flowers, while a mogge kaayi (Mangalore cucumber) is placed as a crown, vertically on the pot’s mouth, as a symbolic representation. Homemade kajal is applied to the cucumber, creating Boore ajji’s eyes.
Kuslu Gowda, a 68-year-old elder from the Halakki tribe, prepared the pot with reverence, in a calm way that spoke of years of wisdom. In his weathered hands, were five types of tree bark sourced from the nearby forest in the morning. He added these into an earthen pot decorated with Hali, a traditional pattern made from white pigment. He showed me an ancient copper coin—a sacred token believed to hold medicinal properties—before letting it sink. The pot is kept like this the entire night to allow the medicinal elements to infuse the water. Before placing it inside the house, he conducted an aarati to honour Boore Ajji, who sat beside the god Timmappa, waiting to settle in the house. There was a reverence around her presence. Amidst the flickering lamps, prayers, and ancient rituals, I felt the weight of tradition, community worship, and a profound sanctity.
The pot was then carried by his son, who wore a ceremonial headgear (panje). After a sacred circumambulation (pradakshina) around the tulasi mane, the pot was carefully placed on a freshly harvested paddy heap near a symbolic wall painting or Borajji Hali (described below). The pot was secured with a pot holder, which had been crafted by Kuslu the day before from freshly harvested paddy hay. This ritual concluded with the offering of chappe bangli rotti, a rice and coconut milk cake, without jaggery on the first day, prepared as a special savoury dish for Boore Ajji.
A symbolic peepal tree, Borajji Hali, is traditionally drawn on the wall where the pot/borajji kargi is kept. The intricate artwork, made using natural pigments, reflects the community's reverence for nature. However, modern adaptations, such as chalk sketches or chart drawings, have mostly replaced the original practice. Kuslu Ajja, looked wistfully at a modern drawing on the wall at his place, reminiscing about the days when these artworks were meticulously prepared. The modern quick sketch seemed hollow compared to the full ritual, which involved careful wall preparation and symbolic reverence.
Day 2: The medicinal bath ceremony
The ceremony on the second day is called neeru meeyuva habba which includes various rituals involving a holistic approach to health, and ecological awareness. Family members drink boore maddu, a bitter herbal concoction made from an infusion prepared the previous night, in which herbs such as jeeratti kaddi (Andrographis paniculata), tumbe soppu (Leucas indica), and abbarige leaves (Crossandra infundibuliformis) are combined with spices like black pepper, fresh turmeric rhizome, salt and oma (Trachyspermum ammi). Early in the morning, I watched family members drink this concoction, the children sucking on sugar to ease the bitterness.
Vijaya, a young Halakki woman, took me to the backyard and showed me the various herbs used in the drink. Despite the diminishing traditional knowledge, many people still recognize these plants, which often grow in their backyards. The continued practice of preparing these herbal potions reflects the hope that the wisdom surrounding these plants will be preserved for future generations.
The next ritual was the oil massage. Vijaya ground herbs on a stone grinder, creating a potion with jasmine leaves and freshly dug turmeric roots from the backyard. The air was filled with the earthy aroma of this mixture. The youngest boy stood ready, clad only in his underwear, as Vijaya applied coconut oil to his hair, face, and body, even pouring a spoonful into his ears. She then massaged the aromatic potion over his skin. After this, a hot bath infused with marigolds and neem completed the ritual. The entire family participated in drinking the bitter concoction and applying the turmeric paste and oil to one another to emphasize health, well-being and family care.
Rituals in this festival highlight not only their medicinal importance, but also the deep relationship between local ecology, seasonal changes, the moon cycle, agricultural practices, and local wisdom—honouring all this in the form of celebration.
The large bathing pot (hande) decorated with marigold flowers and hindle kaayi (in a similar fashion to the Boore ajji pot) was ready with water heated on wood fire. The bath represents a healing ritual where the medicinal herbs, turmeric oil, and bitter drink work together to purify the body, promoting overall health. There is also belief among villagers that if one does not take this medicinal bath on this auspicious day, they may suffer from skin diseases like leprosy. Villagers also believe that, without the bath one risks being reborn as a python in the next life.
Another essential part of the Borajji ritual involves the traditional preparation of kajal, a process almost forgotten in today’s world. Locally available herbs are used to prepare it. Leaves of basale (Basella alba), tulsi, castor (Ricinus communis), hibiscus and marigold flowers are rubbed on one side of an earthen plate and fresh cow dung is applied on the other side. An earthen lamp filled with surgi/tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is lit beneath it. The soot collected from this process is mixed with coconut oil to create natural kajal, which family members apply to their eyes on this occasion. Symbolically, two large dots of this kajal are also applied to Borajji, representing her eyes. Sadly, the practice of preparing kajal this way has largely faded, and is often replaced by the faster application of modern eyeliner for Borajji.
The evolution of Borajji's symbolism
In some communities, an additional pot accompanies Borajji, filled with rice or paddy as a symbol of wealth. This pot, sometimes referred to as Dhana Lakshmi or seen as Borajji's husband, is topped with a coconut, while Borajji’s pot is crowned with a mogge kayi (Mangalore cucumber). These symbols differentiate male and female elements: the cucumber representing femininity and the coconut, masculinity.
Over time in Halakki tradition, Boore Ajji has come to be represented in a single pot as Boore Ajja, a male deity who also represents Baleendra raya (the mythological character of Bali Chakravarthi) a god of agricultural prosperity. Borajji’s name evolved to Bore Ajja to honour Balindra, merging both male and female aspects within a single pot.
Also, in some households, the medicinal aspect of the ritual has faded entirely, with Borajji’s pot now filled solely with rice, rather than healing herbs. Urban areas have replaced these rituals with more generic Lakshmi Pooja celebrations, but in Halakki hamlets, Borajji is still worshipped with respect and reverence.
Deepavali in folklore emphasizes health and resilience, symbolizing the victory of good health over illness. The absence of mythological heroes or devils in these rituals highlights natural wellness and community care. Thus, in the Uttara Kannada region this festival transcends mythology, blending agrarian customs, medicinal practices, and ecological awareness. These rituals embody a holistic approach to health and prosperity, honouring the interconnectedness of nature, community, and tradition. Even as these customs adapt to modernity, they remain a testament to the region's rich heritage and ecological wisdom.
*Edited by Sheema Mookherjee
