C'durga village’s unique ritual facilitates bonding between women

Chitradurga: Over 1,500 women assembled on Sunday to carry out a special ritual in CN Malagi village of Hiriyur taluk, Chitradurga district. They were seen rushing to get hold of their respective sisters-in-law and slamming their foreheads with their own.
This unique ritual aims to facilitate the bond between sisters-in-law, an exclusive tradition of this village.This festival has married women settled in different places returning to offer prayers for the prosperity of their ancestral households.
The villagers believe this long-standing practice strengthens the bond between women and their maternal homes. The festivities begin when village elders lead participants to the Ahobala Narasimha Temple to facilitate meetings. Subsequently, the women hit each other using their foreheads (locally called ‘dichhi') during ceremonial activities.
This annual celebration is held in the village during the month of Kartika, following the ram fighting event. "After being married, a woman leaves her village and becomes part of her husband's family. We believe that her parental household will suffer if she is unhappy with them. This old tradition is believed to rebuild her bond with her base family, especially her brother's wife. We have been following this tradition for several decades now," said Marappa K, a villager.
Sannappa B, another resident, explained that they welcome their married daughters to the village entrance in a procession, with village daughters in one row and their sisters-in-law in another, leading to the Ahobala Narasimha Temple. Then sisters-in-law hit each other using their foreheads in front of the temple, depicting a scuffle. "Then, the village elders facilitate a symbolic compromise between these women, after which they leave in harmony," he stated.
He continued that all women participate in this event annually, no matter the distance. "We have strong beliefs regarding this practice and the might of our deity Narasimhaswamy. Along with this practice, Ganga puja, a procession of Narasimhaswamy idol, and other devotional rituals are also performed," Sannappa added.