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Description
Annotation translation: "Chammundi." - "Tschammundi (Man-Lion), representation of Narasimba (Man-Lion), an incarnation of Vishnu. The legend has it that a hindu prayed to Narasimba. His son, on the other hand, prayed to Narayanan. The father became angry about this, tried to beat his son with a stick. But only hit a pillar. Narasimba sprang out of the pillar, however, and tore the son to pieces. - Every year hundreds of chickens and goats are offered to Tschamundi. The man who represents him is from the Panjampa caste. A great nocturnal festival is held in honour of this deity every March. It takes place in the Kanarthur Temple in Cannanore. Tschamundi has to fall onto a fire 101 times because a song which the people sing to recall the story told above makes him angry. In order to protect him from the fire the young man is clothed in a sort of thick tyre of young fresh palm leaves which have been cut open. He protects his face from the fire with his hands, which are in turn protected by a fan made of palm fibres. When he jumps up out of the fire he brushes the sparks off himself with this fan. Tschamundi is a deity who easily breaks out in rage and then takes terrible revenge." Annotation: "Chamundi" - "Tschamundi (Menschenlöwe) repräsentiert den Narasimba (Menschenlöwe), eine Inkarnation des Wischnu. Die Sage lautet: Ein Hindu betete den Narasimba an, sein Sohn dagegen rief zu Narayanan. Darüber erzürnt schlug der Vater nach dem Sohn mit einem Stock, traf aber nur eine Säule. Aus dieser sprang Narasimba heraus & zerriss den Sohn. - Dem Tschamundi werden jährlich Hunderte von Hähnen & Ziegen geopfert. Der Mann, der ihn darstellt, ist aus der Pandschampakaste. Im März findet zu Ehren dieser Gottheit im Kanathurtempel in Kannanur eine grosse nächtliche Feier statt, bei der Tschamundi 101mal in ein Feuer fallen muss, weil ein von den Leuten angestimmter Gesang, der obige Begebenheit verherrlicht, seinen Zorn erregt hat. Zum Schutz gegen das Feuer ist der Mann mit einem dichten Reifen von jungen geschlitzten Palmblättern umgeben. Die Hände, mit denen er im Feuer das Gesicht bedeckt, sind durch einen Fächer von Palmrippen geschützt. Beim Aufspringen schlägt er mit ihnen die Funken ab. Tschamundi ist eine Gottheit, die leicht in Zorn gerät & dann furchtbar Rache nimmt." Note: Publiziert (HB 1941, Nr. 6: 88-89, Bildbericht). Note translation: Published (HB 1941, Nr. 6: 88-89, pictorial report). - I'm not sure how to translate "Fächer" and "Palmrippen" exactly (the thing Twschamundi uses to protect his hands). (PJ 3.2001). Stamped: "Museum der Basler Mission, Basel, Missionsstrasse 21."
Type
image
Format
b/w positive, paper print, gelatin-silver 15.4 x 10.5 cm.
Body painting Ceremonial scene Costume Dancer m Deity, representation of Drum Drummer m Headgear Hinduism Palm leaf Performance Priest m Ritual Ritual object Temple Adivasi religions
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