Kannada Devangar Matrimony

This ritual derives from the story that King Devadas, the seventh incarnation of Devala, built a beautiful temple for Sowdeshwari. He invited Lord Shiva and Parvathi from Srisailam to the temple but on the way Parvathi disappeared in the water as Devadas broke his promise. Devadas and his soldiers then wounded themselves with swords and suddenly the goddess appeared and joined them. The alagu seva ritual commemorates this event and invokes Sowdeshwari Amman. It is performed only by the Devanga people. The holy turmeric mixture, pandaram, is applied to the wounds to protect them from infection. The celebrants, called veerakumars, strike their bare chests with holy swords in a ritual dance.