MASHANA KOLLAI

The day after MAHA SHIVARATHRI, is the day on which most of the hindu families who have buried their dead, visit the graves of their near and dear ones in the burial grounds. This happens once a year. Be a Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim, a day is earmarked in their calendar to visit the graves of the dead ones in their families. In the case of Christians, it is called All souls day, I do not know what the muslims call it, but I have seen them visiting Kabristan on the day of Eid after the prayers. In Tamil, it is called ‘Mashana Kollai’ and in Kannada, it is ‘Hiriyara Habba’. I do not know the significance of these visits. My efforts to know about Mashana Kollai have been proved futile. However, I am sure a day has been earmarked in our life to remember our dead ones. Mashana Kollai literally means, looting in mashana. Perhaps, that is the reason, the moment you leave the graves after performing the pooja, all the items you left on the graves vanish without a trace.

I am observing from young age, that my parents visiting the graves of our grandparents and other close relatives. And when my father died in the year 1966, I have also become a part of the group and visit the grave of my father along with my mother. A lot of importance is given to this festival and I remember very well that my mother never missed visiting the grave of my father and other relatives even once, till her passing away in 2005.

People visit the burial grounds some fifteen to twenty days before the festival, reconstruct the graves. Our Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike have also employed people with quarters to assist the people who bring their dead for burial. There are about some ten families live in the burial ground. They not only assist in burial, but also maintain the graves, for a small price. These people though they have limited education, each family maintain around two hundred graves. They possess amazing memory and they remember all the graves they maintain by heart. These people construct the graves every year for Mashana Kollai, and either white wash or smear them with cow dung. This is done according to the family practice. Some people, who do not wish to pay, do it for themselves and paint the graves with all kinds of colours. The burial ground becomes colourful.

On Maha Shivarathri night, Goddess Kali is decorated and taken on a procession inside the burial ground. Animal sacrifice is made and the poor are fed on the following day.

On Mashana Kollai day, thousands of families visit the burial ground with pooja articles and lots of eatables, generally liked by the dead when they were alive. The area around the graves are swept, water sprinkled and colourful rangolis are drawn on and around the graves. Paper plates are spread on the graves, pooja articles and eatables are placed. Pooja is performed for the dead. A portion of the eatables along with coconuts together with the price for renovating the graves are given to the person who has done it. These days the burial grounds are so much crowded, full police protection is provided from morning to evening. No vehicles allowed inside the burial ground. On this day, the entire burial ground becomes colourful and burst with activities that last from dawn to dusk. I just wonder about our culture which earmarked a day even for the people who are dead and long gone. It is indeed amazing!