Vettekkaran Pattu is a typical ritualistic means of worshiping found among Hindus in certain parts of Kerala, The Indian subcontinent. Here the interesting now is that the idol worshiped is a warrior, according to the story inside the songs sung during different worship rituals. That depicts the adventurous steps of a great tribal soldier, Vettekkaran, who lived in the particular forest area, Nambumala kotta near Gudallur (presently inside the border of Kerala and also the Karnataka States of India), long back. The natural environment was so thick that all types of wild animals were current there. So naturally, the tribal people staying in the natural environment were often attacked and slain by these pets. The Interesting Info about unnai ninaithale mukthi song lyrics in english.
Vettekkaran organized the tribal people and formed a team of soldiers to fight these kinds of enemies. This volunteer military was known as Elagirivilli chekavar. They, under the leadership of Vettekkaran, hunted and slain animals throughout the forest, covering almost all areas inside Wynad, Kurumbanad, etc. He met the Kings and other chieftains of the area and held discussions about solving the menace. Balussery was chosen by him as his headquarters and operated from there, protecting the people. Then, as per the traditional songs, Vettekkaran traveled up to a place called Thrikkalangode, near Manjeri of present Malappuram district of Kerala, and took a bath in a pond called Kuttankulam and worshiped the Goddess of the nearby temple Valliyankavu. After completing these common worship, he and his team hunted animals in the neighboring forests.
The innocent and ignorant tribal and others who lived within the borders of forests viewed the actions of Vettekkaran with reverence and considered him a hero. Even after his death, they used to remember him and wished for his presence whenever they were in trouble. Several types of offerings were given to these heroes to get solace in their daily life. When time passed, the hero got the status of a God, and the worship became ritualistic.
Now Hindus worship, irrespective of castes, Vettakkaran not exactly as a hero but as a Hindu God. Certain mythological stories have connected with this, and the Deity is considered related to Lord Shiva, or Lord Shiva itself. In Mahabharatha (the classic literary work describing the struggle for power between two groups of cousins, Pandavas and Kauravas), Arjuna, the mid- Pandava, wanted to get the most powerful weapon (an arrow), Pasupathastram, from Lord Shiva. He started doing tapas (meditation concentrating on Shiva) for this purpose until Shiva appeared in person before him. As a result, Shiva decided to appear before him. But Shiva wanted to test Arjuna’s sincerity and worthiness to possess such a powerful weapon. So, Shiva and Parvathy appeared before Arjuna, attired as forest-dwelling hunters. After testing Arjunas’ sincerity, the weapon was presented with certain conditions to their satisfaction. The story has it that a son was born to Lord Shiva and Parvathy while they were in this hunter attire. This son is called Vettakkoru Makan (a son for hunting), which shortens to Vettekkaran.
Read Also: Lord Shiva: The Pioneer involving Disruptive Innovation
