The atmosphere at Jogan Maradi in Havanur village was electric on Wednesday as the much-anticipated Mailaralingeshwara Karnika was announced. With the arrival of the divine word, the year was declared a new "Golden Era" where the crops would yield unprecedented financial returns.
The Ritual: Scaling the 12-Foot Bow
According to centuries-old tradition, the Goravayya (priest/messenger)—the chosen one—was the very named Anand Billar who carried out the intense ritual. Wrapped in traditional black woolen garments and holding the sacred bow, the Goravayya scaled a giant 12-foot wooden bow while thousands of devotees watched in pin-drop silence.
From the bow’s highest pinnacle, gazing out over Haveri’s limitless landscape, he made the single-sentence prophecy that shapes the social and economic outlook in the region this year.
Prophecy: Hand that Sows Shall Wear Golden Bangles
The year-end divine word was the vachana:
“The hand that sows and grows shall wear a golden bracelet/bangle!”
In popular culture, or folk tradition, this "Paraak" (divine declaration) signifies a great success in economic terms. That is, it is expected that not only will the rains be good, but the prices of farm products – such as the legendary Byadgi Chillies and the grains of the Haveri belt – will reach a level that equates with gold, providing prosperity to farmers.
Historical Significance
There is one of the most reliable common folk prophecies in North Karnataka, known as the Havanur Karnika. For well over three centuries the local community has dictated its agricultural rhythms based on these words. Unlike political or economic forecasts, the Karnika is understood to be a religious and divine call made by Lord Mailaralingeshwara.
Celebrations and Devotion
The hills of Jogan Maradi suddenly erupted after the proclamation, with the chant of "Elukoti Elukoti Elu... Parak!" In gratitude, devotees threw dried dates and slices of coconut at Goravayya.
The prophecy gave local farmers great relief. “The last few years have been really hard with volatile market rates. Knowing that our hands will be ‘adorned with gold’ gives us the courage to invest more money into our lands this season,” a farmer from Havanur said.
The evening ended in an impressive procession, the last of a long year of faith and the close tie between spirituality and agriculture in Karnataka’s rural heartland.
