Efforts on to get UNESCO tag for ‘Paruveta Utsavam’ of Ahobilam

Efforts on to get UNESCO tag for ‘Paruveta Utsavam’ of Ahobilam

Subject: History

Section: Art and culture

Context:

• The Indian National Trust is making efforts for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to get the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to declare the annual ‘Parveta Utsavam’ of Ahobilam as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’.

More on news:

• The Kurnool District Gazetteers, published by Government Press in 1881, records several beliefs of the Chenchu tribes, including their reverence to Ahobila Narasimha as their brother-in-law and inviting him home for Makar Sankranti.
• According to folklore, Lord Vishnu, upon his incarnation as a man-lion (Narasimha) in Ahobilam, married Maha Lakshmi, born as a tribal girl Chenchulakshmi.
• The Chenchu tribals give a ceremonial reception to the deity of Lord Narasimha Swamy arriving from the Ahobilam temple to their hamlet, as part of the ‘Paruveta Utsavam’ in Nandyal district.

About Paruveta Utsavam:

• The annual mock hunting festival conducted at the Sri Narasimha Swamy temple stands as a symbol of communal harmony where the deity from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is taken to the 32 Chenchu tribal hamlets around Ahobilam for 40 days.
• Annually ‘Paruveta’ (mock hunting festival), is celebrated at the Sri Narasimha Swamy temple in Ahobilam.
• The matter of UNESCO’s recognition of the centuries-old festival is currently being reviewed by Sangeet Natak Academy, the nodal agency.
• Even the Pancharatra Agama (doctrine of temple worship) mentions Paruveta as ‘Mrugayotsava’ and specifies certain parameters for conducting this event.
• Ahobilam Paruveta utsavam is unique as it is celebrated for about 40 days.
• No other temple celebrates a festival for such a long duration.
• Ahobilam Paruveta utsavam is celebrated by all sections of people irrespective of their caste.
• For instance Vadla Kammara community makes the Palanquin, Chenchus collect honey, Linen and sacred mango leaves from forests, Devotees from Mala Community recite Vachanas.
• It is a festival of communal harmony as devotees from other religious communities like muslims also offer prayers to the lord.
• The Ayakattu honors are similar to the Ayagar system of administration of Kakatiya period which was continued during Vijayanagara Rayas.
• Business worth of some lakhs of rupees takes place during this festival which is the chief source of income for the poor.
• Chenchus are emotionally connected with this festival.
• Veedhinatakams, Harikatha and Burra katha are performed in every village narrating the story of the marriage of Chenchu Lakshmi with Ahobila Narasimha.

About Narasimha Deeksha:

• Paruveta is commonly observed in many temples during Vijayadashami or Sankranti.
•  It is conducted for a ‘mandala’ (forty days).
• Chenchus take ‘Narasimha Deeksha’ by wearing yellow robes and ‘Tulasi Mala’ and observe celibacy during this period.
• Sankranti festival is celebrated on the day the deity reaches their hamlet.

Tribal link:

• By ‘Guru Parampara’, the temple is governed by the 600-year-old Ahobila Mutt, which encouraged this tribal festival to spread Srivaishnavism among the folk tribes.
• The tribal link to Lord Vishnu is confirmed in Vasanthika Parinayam, a Sanskrit drama written by the Mutt’s 7th Jeeyar (pontiff), several centuries ago.

About Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)

• INTACH was founded in 1984 in New Delhi
• It aims to create a membership organization to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India
• It is a non-profit charitable organization registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
• The INTACH Logo, based on the anthropomorphic copper figure from Shahabad, Uttar Pradesh, belonging to the enigmatic Copper Hoards of the Ganga Valley

About Chenchus:

• The Chenchus, also called ‘Chenchuvaru’ or ‘Chenchwar’ are numerically the smallest Scheduled Tribe of Odisha.
• The Chenchus are a Dravidian tribe, a designated Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha.
• They are an aboriginal semi-nomadic tribe of the central hill religions of Andhra Pradesh. 
• Their traditional way of life has been based on hunting and food gathering.
• Many Chenchus live in the sparse and deciduous Nallamala forest of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Chenchus are referred to as one of the Primitive Tribal Groups that are still dependent on forests and do not cultivate land but hunt for a living.