‘He’s been dead 10 days, when will you take him?’:Blanket-covered man shook violently, answered a tribesman died by suicide 42 days earlier—the eerie tale of Adiya tribe

It’s exactly 9 o’clock in the morning. Our steps are moving forward on the rocky and rough paths of the forest. After about 40 minutes, some houses started appearing. When we got closer, we saw a crowd gathered in the courtyard of one house. On one side of the courtyard, women are sitting quietly, and on the other side, men. Three of them are playing a musical instrument like a damru and bells. Their slow beats are making the silence of this forest even deeper. Just then our eyes fell on the middle of the courtyard. In this scorching humidity and heat, a person is sitting on the ground. He is wrapped in a blanket from head to toe in such a way that not a single part of his body is visible. Suddenly, that body wrapped in the blanket started shaking vigorously. Strange sounds started coming from inside. People sitting around are staring at him. They are saying that now the spirit of the ancestors is going to enter this body. This time we bring you the story of the Adiya tribe living in the forests of Wayanad in Kerala. Their population is about 12 thousand. With me is Ajayan. Ajayan works in tourism here in the forests. He understands the customs and traditions of the Adiya tribe and their language. Ajayan explains- ‘This is Chekadi village. A ritual of the Adiya community is taking place here, which is called the Pailey ritual. During this, there is a claim of summoning the spirits of ancestors.’ The person wrapped in a blanket is shaking vigorously. As the beat of the musical instrument becomes fast and slow, the movement of that person’s body is also changing at the same pace. Many times it seemed like he would fall. After a while, he speaks something in a heavy voice. An elderly person is sitting near him. He is asking something in his language to the person wrapped in the blanket, to which he responds. The other people sitting around also ask questions. The person wrapped in the blanket answers everyone one by one. Ajayan explains- ‘This ritual has been going on since last night. The musical instrument being played is called Muratham.’ I asked- Is there any special reason for this ritual? Ajayan told- ’10 days ago, a 40-year-old woman in this very house committed suicide. Her name was Chikki. Why did she do this? People are asking this question to the person shaking in the blanket. They believe that the spirit of ancestors has entered the person and he has knowledge of these matters.’ I asked- Do they summon the spirit only 10 days after death? Ajayan explains- ‘The Adiya people believe that for 42 days after death, the spirit remains around the house. During this time, the Paley ritual can be performed at any time.’ ‘During this ritual, they pray to the spirits of ancestors to take the deceased’s spirit with them, so that it doesn’t wander around.’ Just then, a boy brings some items and places them in front of the person wrapped in the blanket. This includes water, betel leaves, areca nut, lamp wick, and incense sticks. After this, the elderly person lights the wick and incense sticks. Immediately after, they untie the knot of the blanket. A drenched-in-sweat elderly person emerges from the blanket. He is wearing a dhoti. In his hand is a winnowing basket (soop) with bells attached to it. It was into this person’s body that the spirit of the ancestors had entered. Now the other elderly person sitting in front and playing musical instruments performs an aarti of this person with the incense stick. After that, both of them start talking to each other. After some time, another elderly person sitting nearby goes to place the incense stick burning on a banana leaf in the field. I asked Ajayan – what questions did the elderly person ask the person wrapped in the blanket? As soon as I asked, Ajayan turns towards the elderly person sitting in front. There is some conversation between the two. After this, Ajayan explains – the elderly person asked the spirits the first question about why Chikki committed suicide? What answer did the ancestral spirit that entered the person wrapped in the blanket give? He explains that the spirits said that Chikki had been under stress for some time. Family members would trouble her over every little thing, which is why she committed suicide. Ajayan explains – ‘It has been 10 days since Chikki’s death, people believe that her spirit is wandering somewhere nearby. Now this ritual will happen again after a few days.’ What did the other people sitting around ask? The elderly person explains – someone asked about domestic discord in their home, while someone asked about their children’s illness. Did the spirits answer everyone’s questions? I asked… The elder says- Yes, the spirits gave everyone some remedy or the other, but I cannot tell you about it. Otherwise it won’t have any effect. After this, the elder left from there. Ajayan explains- ‘The Adiya people believe that ancestral spirits don’t just come to show the way to the deceased’s soul, but they also tell about their people’s troubles and signs of the future.’ ‘If there is any crisis on a family, troubles are going on in the house, or some calamity is about to befall the village, then people ask questions about it from the ancestral spirits. They also ask for solutions to problems from them.’ ‘Advice is taken from ancestral spirits about everything from farming, rain, crops to village decisions. The Adiya community believes that ancestors always protect their people.’ Can ancestral spirits enter into any person?, I asked the question Ajayan says- ‘It’s not like that. In the village, there are only a few elders in whose bodies the spirit comes. As far as calling the spirit is concerned, for this the beat of Muratham is necessary. Without the beat of Muratham, spirits don’t come.’ ‘Why don’t spirits come without the beat of Muratham?’ Ajayan explains- ‘Muratham is the main musical instrument of the Adiya people. Its specialty is that the sound that comes from it is different for every occasion. A different sound to call the spirits of ancestors, a different sound for weddings or the grief of death, Muratham is played differently each time. Along with it, playing ghungroos (ankle bells) is also necessary, because without them no event is considered complete.’ Meanwhile, the Adiya people stand in the courtyard. Betel nuts are being arranged on betel leaves in large numbers. Now a boy starts distributing these betel leaves. After that, another boy starts serving something like kheer to everyone in glasses. When asked, they explain – ‘This is payasam. It is made by mixing coconut, dry fruits and rice in sugarcane juice. It is thick and nutritious.’ After this, betel leaves are also given to the women. Now Ajayan takes me inside this family’s house. Food is being cooked on the stove inside the house. There are paintings on the walls. A stone is kept inside the house. I asked, what is this stone? Ajayan explains – This stone itself is their temple. Sitting here, the people of the Adiya family remember their ancestors. They don’t keep idols, nor do they use any materials in worship. Just one stone, which they consider their protector. Here there is a lot of difference in women’s attire. Some have not worn a blouse over the saree, while some have tied the pallu as a blouse. After a short while, a boy calls us to eat. All the men sit in a row. Women serve food on leaf plates. The meal includes rice, vegetables, lentils, rasam, papad, buttermilk and pickle. Along with Ajayan, I also taste the food. Kuttam Festival, where ancestors’ souls deliver justice While eating, I asked – Do the Adiya people celebrate any festivals? Ajayan explains – ‘Kuttam is the main festival here. This festival is celebrated after the harvest of crops. During this time, all people gather at one place. Food is prepared from new rice and offered to the souls of ancestors.’ ‘The Adiya people believe that during this time when the sound of Muratham and Dhol resonates, the souls of ancestors descend into the body of the Adiya community’s priest. Village disputes or family quarrels are placed before them. Whatever decision the priest announces is accepted by everyone.’ Gadhika ritual for illness and evil spirits Ajayan explains – ‘The people of the Adiya community also perform the Gadhika ritual. This is done to drive away illness and evil spirits. Men and women participating in the ritual dress up in various ways and dance to the tune of songs. Before the ritual is completed, the priest goes to the sick person and chants mantras. He also prays to the ancestors to take the evil spirits away from the village.’ Adiya people get married in the temple Now we have finished eating. After this, Ajayan takes me to the temple of the Adiya people. There is no idol in the temple, just a stone. He explains- ‘Adiya people get married in this very temple. One night before the wedding, two garlands of tulsi are kept in the temple. The next day, the bride and groom exchange these garlands in front of the elders, and the wedding ceremony is complete. This is called Thapukodi. The bride’s family gives grains and coconuts as dowry.’ It’s already 6 PM. We need to leave from Chekadi village for Wayanad before nightfall. It will take about 40 minutes to cross the forest on foot. While walking, I told Ajayan that we had seen some people from the Adiya community in the forests. As soon as we approached them, someone asked us to stop at a distance, while someone else ran away upon seeing us. Why was that? Ajayan explains – These people don’t mix easily with anyone. The government has also imposed restrictions on meeting them. Permission to meet them is very difficult to obtain. I said – Yes, I also faced a lot of trouble. I didn’t get permission for two-three days. Later, forest department officials sent a driver with us up to the edge of the forest. We covered the rest of the way on our own. He explains- ‘This forest is famous for elephant menace. That’s why the forest department is strict. As soon as night falls, herds of elephants start passing through here.’ After about 40 minutes, we reach the place where the forest department vehicle is parked. Bidding farewell to Ajayan, I head towards Wayanad.