A Hard Nut to Crack

By Ammini Ramachandran



Up on a tall peak of the Western Ghat Mountain range there is a shrine that every January draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The devotees undertake an arduous journey, the final few miles of it on bare foot, over a rough and rocky terrain through low-lying fog accompanying a cold season's chill, to worship the Lord at Sabarimala. This shrine, perched on top of a mountain, is a monument to the unwavering faith of the worshippers of the Hindu deity Ayyappan. Arriving before dawn they approach the great shrine in darkness following the dim silhouettes and travel up the final hallowed eighteen steps carrying their irumudikettu (sacred bundles) on their heads. Tucked inside these bundles they bring the most sacred offering to the Lord - coconuts filled with ghee.

The Hindus believe that the coconut is one of the purest forms of offerings that one can present to God. Small platters of coconuts, incense sticks, camphor cubes, fresh flowers, and fruits are offered at our shrines and temples every single day to request, thank, or appease the Gods. Offerings to Lord Ganapathi, the destroyer of all obstacles, take the form of smashing coconuts to smithereens in front of the deity. Besides any new venture is started with the ritual breaking of a coconut to propitiate the Gods, be it to launch a ship, or at the start of a new project, or construction.

Besides the nut, other parts of the coconut palm are also considered auspicious. Coconut inflorescences containing both male and female flowers emerge from canoe-shaped sheaths among the leaves. An inflorescence perched inside a wooden measuring barrel filled with un-hulled rice makes the auspicious centerpiece at the wedding podiums of traditional Kerala Nayar weddings. Whole bunches unhusked coconuts also double as decorations for wedding venues and temple festivals. Weaving through religious beliefs, mythology and superstition, coconut and rice are the staple foods and the fulcrum of our community. Much more than the perfect adornment for white sandy beaches, the coconut palm plays an important role in the Malayali way of life....more>