Knowledge Bank
Pazhassi Raja
In North Kerala, Pazhassi Raja Kerala Varma of the Kottayam royal family led two revolts (1793-97, 1800-05) against the British in North Malabar. On 18th March 1797 a company of 1,100 men under Major Cameron was ambushed and many were killed while they were making their way through the Periya Pass. The East India Company needed the military leadership of the great Sir Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington and commander-in-chief of British forces in Malabar, to crush the revolt of Pazhassi Raja. But Pazhassi Raja could defeat this great General two times in the hills of Wayanad.It was this Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the war of Wateloo, one and a half decades later.
The crux of the letter that North Malabar sub-collector Mr.Thomas Harvey Baber wrote to Malabar Principal Collector, immediately after the death of Pazhassi Raja, reveals the greatness of the Raja. “As the rebels had entirely fled into the Wayanad Hobali, I deemed it necessary to go in quest of them without loss of time……Although Captain Clapham and the sepoys, as well as the greater part of the Kolkars, were in the rear, I still deemed it prudent to proceed, apprehensive lest we should be discovered and all hopes of surprise thereby frustrated. I accordingly ordered the advance, which consisted of about thirty men, to dash on, which they accordingly did with great gallantry with Cheran Subedar at their head. In a moment the advance was in the midst of the enemy, fighting most bravely. The contest was but of short duration. Several of the rebels had fallen, whom the Kolkars were dispatching and a running fight was kept up, till we could see no more of them. Just at this time a firing was heard to the right: was accordingly returned, when we saw the sepoys and Kolkars engaged with fresh body of rebels, who proved to be Kungan’s party, but who fled after a few shots had been fired at them, and, though pursued, were seen nothing more of. From one of the rebels of the first party to the left, whom I discovered concealed in the grass, I learnt that the Pazhassi Raja was among those whom we first observed on the banks of the nulla, and it was only on my return from the pursuit that I learnt that the Pazassi Raja was amongst the first who had fallen. It fell to the lot of one of my cutcherry servants, Canara Menon, to arrest the flight of the Pazhassi Raja, which he did at the hazard of his life, and it is worthy of mention that this extraordinary personage, though in the moment of death, called out in the most dignified and commanding manner to the Menon, ‘not to approach and defile his person’. Aralat Cootty Nambiar and four other followers of Raja were killed, two taken prisoners together with the Raja’s lady and several female attendants. …The Raja’s body was taken up and put into my palanquin, while the lady, who was dreadfully reduced from sickness, was put into Captian Clapahm’s….The following day the Raja’s body dispatched under a strong escort to Mananthavady , and the Sheristadar sent with it with orders to assemble all the Brahmins and to see that the customary honours were performed at his funeral. I was induced to this conduct from the consideration that, although a rebel, he was one of the natural chieftains of the country, and might be considered on that account rather as a fallen enemy. If I have acted unjudiciously, I hope some allowances will be made for my feelings on such an occasion. Thus terminated the career of a man who has been enabled to persevere in hostilities against the Company for near nine years, during which many thousand valuable lives have been sacrificed and sums of money beyond all calculation expended”.(William Logan, Malabar vol. I, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1995, pp. 547 - 550)
Thirunelli temple
Thirunelli temple lies in a valley on the south of Brahmagiri mountains. It literally means the temple having the sacred nelli or gooseberry tree. According to legends, once upon a time, some Brahmins happened to travel through these dense forests. When they were very hungry and had nothing to eat, they called upon Lord Vishnu to help them. Then they saw a gooseberry tree (called Nelli in Malayalam), which was laden with fruits. All of them satiated their hunger by eating the fruits of this tree after which they felt a divine presence. Thereupon, they decided to call the place as “Thiru Nelli (sacred Gooseberry).”
Even the very names of the hills and streams of Thirunelli bear a divine charm - Brahmagiri, the hills of Brahma; Papanasini, the destroyer of sins and so on. Considered a destination of immense beauty and drawn by the divine power of its deity, visitors stream to Thirunelli throughout the year.
There are numerous legends about the origin of the temple. The most interesting one is that Lord Brahma while traversing the world on his swan got attracted by the bewitching beauty of the area. Then he landed on a hill which is later known as Brahmagiri. Lord Brahma while walking through the hills enjoying the tranquility and serenity of the surrounding hills, saw an idol of Lord Vishnu resting on an amla tree. Brahma realized that this abode of peace is nothing but Vishnuloka. This was confirmed by a disembodied voice. Soon he installed the deity with a request to Lord Vishnu that he should remain in this area to give peace to the human souls hounded by the thought of their sins. Lord Vishnu assured that the rivers around this temple would wash away the sins of human beings during their mortal life and life after death. Brahma entrusted two pious Brahmins of the Amalaka village, its keeping. He also instructed them that everyday he himself visit the place and do service to Vishnu. The puja (worship) in every shrine closes ordinarily at about 9 to 10 P.M. But in this shrine, where the ordinary puja is done five times, from morning till 10 P.M. the priest prepares for a sixth puja before leaving the place. On opening the doors next morning he finds that all the materials for the puja have been utilised during the night. It was Lord Brahma who performed the sixth puja when the animate and inanimate objects are in deep slumber. This has been going on every day and will go on for ever. The priest before entering the temple in the morning swears thrice that he will not divulge what he sees there on opening the door, and no priest dares to give out the secret at the risk of being bitten by cobras emanating from the shrine.
Lord Brahma ordained that visits and prayers at the temple would remove the sins and secure paradise. He also ordained that the performance of prayers and ceremonies would lead to the perpetual salvation of the spirits of the departed, to the world of “Pithurloka” (region of blissful spirits). It is to attain this blessing, pronounced by Brahma, pilgrimages are undertaken to the shrine.
The temple is a very simple structure constructed with granite stone. The idol consecrated here is that of Lord Vishnu with four arms. The walls of this temple are made of granite. On these walls there are very beautiful etchings. The story goes that once the King of Coorg, tried to renovate this temple. When he was half way through, the Vellattiri King who owned the temple objected to the same. Thus renovation was discontinued. Even today we can see proof of the half finished renovation work.
Stone Aqueduct
During early times, water for temple use was brought from Papanasini stream. During a draught period, the wife of Chirackal Raja, came with her attendants to temple to worship. She asked the Priest some water to dissolve the sandal, which he was not able to give. Being enlightened about the water scarcity in the temple she asked her attendants to solve the problem. They found out the water source called Varaham in the thick forest. From there the water was brought, using bamboo halves for immediate use. Subsequent to her return home, she sent men and materials to construct the present stone aqueduct for permanent use. This aqueduct is a witness to hundreds of years of history.
Copper Plates
There are two copper plate inscriptions pertaining to the history of Thirunelli Temple. They date back to the period of Bhaskara Ravivarma, a ruler of the Chera kingdom who lived in the 10th century. First inscription is written in 999 A.D and the second inscription in 1008 A.D. The first one is regarding the allotment of the royal land in Thirunelli to the temple, to meet its expenses.The second inscription deals with the procedures to be observed during the temple visit of the ruler of the Puraikeezhar Kingdom.
“Unniyachi Charitham” and "Kokila Sandesham"
“Unniyachi Charitham” is a work written by Thevan Chirikumaran (Devan Sreekumaran) during the 13th century. There is an elaborate description of Thirunelli and Papanasini in that work. "Kokila Sandesham" is a book written by Udhanda Sashthrikal of Kanchipuram during the 15th century. The 40th stanza of this poem describes the visit of the Cuckoo in Thirunelli Temple.
Papanasini
It is a wild stream that originates from the Brahmagiri Hills which later joins River Kalindi. It is almost 400mtrs away from the temple, on its western side. Literally it means, extinguisher of sins. It is believed that River Ganga and River Saraswathi join in Papanasini. Therefore Papanasini is called the Southern Kashi. A ritual dip in Papanasini is believed to wash one away, of all worldly sins. If we immerse the ashes of the dead in Papanasini, it is equivalent to that of doing Karmas(Rituals ) in Gaya. At Papanasini there is a sacred rock called Pinnappara where ritual offerings to the spirits of the departed are made (known as bali). People believe that both Lord Rama and Lord Parasurama did the Pithru Karmas here. The ashes of Rajiv Gandhi was immersed in Papanasini in 1991.
Pinnappara
This rock is supposed to be the bone of an asuran (demon) named Pazhana-bhedi, who was killed by Vishnu. At the time of his death he prayed to Vishnu that his body be converted into a rock extending from Thirunelli to Gaya and divided into three parts fit for the performance of offerings for the departed, at (1)Thiurnelli representing his foot, (2)Godavari representing the middle part, and (3)Gaya representing the head. Ritual offerings to the spirits are made at Pinnappara, on the New Moon days of the Malayalam months Karkkidakom, Thulam and Kumbham. Besides the rituals, during the two-day festival, art forms like Kathakali and Ottanthullal are also performed.
Edakkal Caves
The discovery of Edakkal cave and its identification as a prehistoric site were made by the then Malabar Superintendent of Police, Mr. F.Fawcett in 1894.The lower storey of the caves can be entered through an opening of 5 x 4 feet and a height of 10 feet, which has a trickle at the corner opposite to the entrance. A passage upwards leads to a small opening on the roof through which one climbs upto the next storey whose entrance is about 7 x 5 feet. Its interior is about 96 feet long, 22 feet wide and 18 feet high. There is a big opening at the right-turn corner of the roof since the roofing boulder does not touch the facing wall, allowing enough light into the cave. The right and left wall of this upper cleft are replete with figures made in a mode difficult to be classified as engravings or carvings or etchings. The objects of the gallery text on the two walls are the following. On wall one- (1) A prominent human figure with a head gear. (2) A back view of a human figure with head gear and other decorative. (3) A human figure with elaborate head dress. (4) A tall human figure with head gear.(5) An elephant, a wild dog, a peacock, and a couple of wild dogs. (6) Plants and flowers. (7) A human figure with a long hand shaped like a jar. (8) A human figure with a square head-dress. (9) A wheeled cart and a few geometrical signs. On wall two-(1) A few geometrical signs. (2) A few male and female figures. (3) A triangular sign representing a human figure. (4) A human figure on a wheeled cart. (5) A human figure with conical sign attached.
Valliyurkav Temple
Regarding the origin of Valliyurkav there is a quite different story related to Kodungallur (Cranganore). Nalveettil Nambiars (literally Nambiars of four houses) are the Velichapads (Oracles) attached to the Kodungallur temple. They lead an itinerant life and live on the offerings they receive from the Hindu houses. In their peregrinations they carry with them a sword, as an emblem of the deity. In the olden days, two such men arrived in Wynad, with the object of visiting the holy shrine at Thirunelli. One morning they left Mananthavady for the temple, but having missed their way found themselves in a thick jungle. The heat of the sun was intense and the stream in the vicinity tempted them to take a plunge therein. They per- formed the usual puja to the sword, took light refreshments and leaving the sword in the adjoining ant-hill, rested in the delightful shade of the thick foliage of trees . When they woke up they found the sword missing and a search was made with no effect. Meanwhile a Kurichiya (a tribal group in Wayanad) boy who was grazing his cattle informed them that a sword was seen suspended on a creeper on the adjoining hill. The pilgrims hastened to the spot and tried to take hold of the sword. It did not leave the creeper in spite of their efforts and they noticed the sword rising higher and higher in the air the moment they attempted to touch it. In appealing terms they addressed the sword and repeated several times the words " Valliyur Amma "(0h, Mother ! disentangle thyself from the creeper). These entreaties were not responded to and the pilgrims left the place in sad disappointment. The miraculous incident was reported to the Raja of Kottayam, then the ruler of Wynad. The Raja's visit to the spot was followed by oracular utterances from a Velichapad (oracle) in the following terms : " I desire to settle in the locality in three different places and in three different forms : as " Vana Durga " in the place where the sword fell, as " Jala Durga " in the pool of the adjoining stream and as " Bhadrakali " in the middle of the above two places. After this incident, the Raja made arrangements for the daily Puja.
Gadhika
Gadhika ia an art form of Adiyas, a tribal community mostly in North Wayanad. This art form is presented like a dance drama in which the artistes dance and move rhythmically. They are accompanied by musicians who play wind instruments and drums like Thudi which is popular among the tribal communities.
Gadhika starts with the principal performer invoking Lord Shiva. Later, at Lord Shiva’s command, other Gods including Chamundi, Maniamma, Malamkali and Karimkali are believed to arrive. The rhythmic dancing of the participants is said to welcome the Gods. The costumes are simple, yet colourful.
In North Kerala, Pazhassi Raja Kerala Varma of the Kottayam royal family led two revolts (1793-97, 1800-05) against the British in North Malabar. On 18th March 1797 a company of 1,100 men under Major Cameron was ambushed and many were killed while they were making their way through the Periya Pass. The East India Company needed the military leadership of the great Sir Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington and commander-in-chief of British forces in Malabar, to crush the revolt of Pazhassi Raja. But Pazhassi Raja could defeat this great General two times in the hills of Wayanad.It was this Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the war of Wateloo, one and a half decades later.
The crux of the letter that North Malabar sub-collector Mr.Thomas Harvey Baber wrote to Malabar Principal Collector, immediately after the death of Pazhassi Raja, reveals the greatness of the Raja. “As the rebels had entirely fled into the Wayanad Hobali, I deemed it necessary to go in quest of them without loss of time……Although Captain Clapham and the sepoys, as well as the greater part of the Kolkars, were in the rear, I still deemed it prudent to proceed, apprehensive lest we should be discovered and all hopes of surprise thereby frustrated. I accordingly ordered the advance, which consisted of about thirty men, to dash on, which they accordingly did with great gallantry with Cheran Subedar at their head. In a moment the advance was in the midst of the enemy, fighting most bravely. The contest was but of short duration. Several of the rebels had fallen, whom the Kolkars were dispatching and a running fight was kept up, till we could see no more of them. Just at this time a firing was heard to the right: was accordingly returned, when we saw the sepoys and Kolkars engaged with fresh body of rebels, who proved to be Kungan’s party, but who fled after a few shots had been fired at them, and, though pursued, were seen nothing more of. From one of the rebels of the first party to the left, whom I discovered concealed in the grass, I learnt that the Pazhassi Raja was among those whom we first observed on the banks of the nulla, and it was only on my return from the pursuit that I learnt that the Pazassi Raja was amongst the first who had fallen. It fell to the lot of one of my cutcherry servants, Canara Menon, to arrest the flight of the Pazhassi Raja, which he did at the hazard of his life, and it is worthy of mention that this extraordinary personage, though in the moment of death, called out in the most dignified and commanding manner to the Menon, ‘not to approach and defile his person’. Aralat Cootty Nambiar and four other followers of Raja were killed, two taken prisoners together with the Raja’s lady and several female attendants. …The Raja’s body was taken up and put into my palanquin, while the lady, who was dreadfully reduced from sickness, was put into Captian Clapahm’s….The following day the Raja’s body dispatched under a strong escort to Mananthavady , and the Sheristadar sent with it with orders to assemble all the Brahmins and to see that the customary honours were performed at his funeral. I was induced to this conduct from the consideration that, although a rebel, he was one of the natural chieftains of the country, and might be considered on that account rather as a fallen enemy. If I have acted unjudiciously, I hope some allowances will be made for my feelings on such an occasion. Thus terminated the career of a man who has been enabled to persevere in hostilities against the Company for near nine years, during which many thousand valuable lives have been sacrificed and sums of money beyond all calculation expended”.(William Logan, Malabar vol. I, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1995, pp. 547 - 550)
Thirunelli temple
Thirunelli temple lies in a valley on the south of Brahmagiri mountains. It literally means the temple having the sacred nelli or gooseberry tree. According to legends, once upon a time, some Brahmins happened to travel through these dense forests. When they were very hungry and had nothing to eat, they called upon Lord Vishnu to help them. Then they saw a gooseberry tree (called Nelli in Malayalam), which was laden with fruits. All of them satiated their hunger by eating the fruits of this tree after which they felt a divine presence. Thereupon, they decided to call the place as “Thiru Nelli (sacred Gooseberry).”
Even the very names of the hills and streams of Thirunelli bear a divine charm - Brahmagiri, the hills of Brahma; Papanasini, the destroyer of sins and so on. Considered a destination of immense beauty and drawn by the divine power of its deity, visitors stream to Thirunelli throughout the year.
There are numerous legends about the origin of the temple. The most interesting one is that Lord Brahma while traversing the world on his swan got attracted by the bewitching beauty of the area. Then he landed on a hill which is later known as Brahmagiri. Lord Brahma while walking through the hills enjoying the tranquility and serenity of the surrounding hills, saw an idol of Lord Vishnu resting on an amla tree. Brahma realized that this abode of peace is nothing but Vishnuloka. This was confirmed by a disembodied voice. Soon he installed the deity with a request to Lord Vishnu that he should remain in this area to give peace to the human souls hounded by the thought of their sins. Lord Vishnu assured that the rivers around this temple would wash away the sins of human beings during their mortal life and life after death. Brahma entrusted two pious Brahmins of the Amalaka village, its keeping. He also instructed them that everyday he himself visit the place and do service to Vishnu. The puja (worship) in every shrine closes ordinarily at about 9 to 10 P.M. But in this shrine, where the ordinary puja is done five times, from morning till 10 P.M. the priest prepares for a sixth puja before leaving the place. On opening the doors next morning he finds that all the materials for the puja have been utilised during the night. It was Lord Brahma who performed the sixth puja when the animate and inanimate objects are in deep slumber. This has been going on every day and will go on for ever. The priest before entering the temple in the morning swears thrice that he will not divulge what he sees there on opening the door, and no priest dares to give out the secret at the risk of being bitten by cobras emanating from the shrine.
Lord Brahma ordained that visits and prayers at the temple would remove the sins and secure paradise. He also ordained that the performance of prayers and ceremonies would lead to the perpetual salvation of the spirits of the departed, to the world of “Pithurloka” (region of blissful spirits). It is to attain this blessing, pronounced by Brahma, pilgrimages are undertaken to the shrine.
The temple is a very simple structure constructed with granite stone. The idol consecrated here is that of Lord Vishnu with four arms. The walls of this temple are made of granite. On these walls there are very beautiful etchings. The story goes that once the King of Coorg, tried to renovate this temple. When he was half way through, the Vellattiri King who owned the temple objected to the same. Thus renovation was discontinued. Even today we can see proof of the half finished renovation work.
Stone Aqueduct
During early times, water for temple use was brought from Papanasini stream. During a draught period, the wife of Chirackal Raja, came with her attendants to temple to worship. She asked the Priest some water to dissolve the sandal, which he was not able to give. Being enlightened about the water scarcity in the temple she asked her attendants to solve the problem. They found out the water source called Varaham in the thick forest. From there the water was brought, using bamboo halves for immediate use. Subsequent to her return home, she sent men and materials to construct the present stone aqueduct for permanent use. This aqueduct is a witness to hundreds of years of history.
Copper Plates
There are two copper plate inscriptions pertaining to the history of Thirunelli Temple. They date back to the period of Bhaskara Ravivarma, a ruler of the Chera kingdom who lived in the 10th century. First inscription is written in 999 A.D and the second inscription in 1008 A.D. The first one is regarding the allotment of the royal land in Thirunelli to the temple, to meet its expenses.The second inscription deals with the procedures to be observed during the temple visit of the ruler of the Puraikeezhar Kingdom.
“Unniyachi Charitham” and "Kokila Sandesham"
“Unniyachi Charitham” is a work written by Thevan Chirikumaran (Devan Sreekumaran) during the 13th century. There is an elaborate description of Thirunelli and Papanasini in that work. "Kokila Sandesham" is a book written by Udhanda Sashthrikal of Kanchipuram during the 15th century. The 40th stanza of this poem describes the visit of the Cuckoo in Thirunelli Temple.
Papanasini
It is a wild stream that originates from the Brahmagiri Hills which later joins River Kalindi. It is almost 400mtrs away from the temple, on its western side. Literally it means, extinguisher of sins. It is believed that River Ganga and River Saraswathi join in Papanasini. Therefore Papanasini is called the Southern Kashi. A ritual dip in Papanasini is believed to wash one away, of all worldly sins. If we immerse the ashes of the dead in Papanasini, it is equivalent to that of doing Karmas(Rituals ) in Gaya. At Papanasini there is a sacred rock called Pinnappara where ritual offerings to the spirits of the departed are made (known as bali). People believe that both Lord Rama and Lord Parasurama did the Pithru Karmas here. The ashes of Rajiv Gandhi was immersed in Papanasini in 1991.
Pinnappara
This rock is supposed to be the bone of an asuran (demon) named Pazhana-bhedi, who was killed by Vishnu. At the time of his death he prayed to Vishnu that his body be converted into a rock extending from Thirunelli to Gaya and divided into three parts fit for the performance of offerings for the departed, at (1)Thiurnelli representing his foot, (2)Godavari representing the middle part, and (3)Gaya representing the head. Ritual offerings to the spirits are made at Pinnappara, on the New Moon days of the Malayalam months Karkkidakom, Thulam and Kumbham. Besides the rituals, during the two-day festival, art forms like Kathakali and Ottanthullal are also performed.
Edakkal Caves
The discovery of Edakkal cave and its identification as a prehistoric site were made by the then Malabar Superintendent of Police, Mr. F.Fawcett in 1894.The lower storey of the caves can be entered through an opening of 5 x 4 feet and a height of 10 feet, which has a trickle at the corner opposite to the entrance. A passage upwards leads to a small opening on the roof through which one climbs upto the next storey whose entrance is about 7 x 5 feet. Its interior is about 96 feet long, 22 feet wide and 18 feet high. There is a big opening at the right-turn corner of the roof since the roofing boulder does not touch the facing wall, allowing enough light into the cave. The right and left wall of this upper cleft are replete with figures made in a mode difficult to be classified as engravings or carvings or etchings. The objects of the gallery text on the two walls are the following. On wall one- (1) A prominent human figure with a head gear. (2) A back view of a human figure with head gear and other decorative. (3) A human figure with elaborate head dress. (4) A tall human figure with head gear.(5) An elephant, a wild dog, a peacock, and a couple of wild dogs. (6) Plants and flowers. (7) A human figure with a long hand shaped like a jar. (8) A human figure with a square head-dress. (9) A wheeled cart and a few geometrical signs. On wall two-(1) A few geometrical signs. (2) A few male and female figures. (3) A triangular sign representing a human figure. (4) A human figure on a wheeled cart. (5) A human figure with conical sign attached.
Valliyurkav Temple
Regarding the origin of Valliyurkav there is a quite different story related to Kodungallur (Cranganore). Nalveettil Nambiars (literally Nambiars of four houses) are the Velichapads (Oracles) attached to the Kodungallur temple. They lead an itinerant life and live on the offerings they receive from the Hindu houses. In their peregrinations they carry with them a sword, as an emblem of the deity. In the olden days, two such men arrived in Wynad, with the object of visiting the holy shrine at Thirunelli. One morning they left Mananthavady for the temple, but having missed their way found themselves in a thick jungle. The heat of the sun was intense and the stream in the vicinity tempted them to take a plunge therein. They per- formed the usual puja to the sword, took light refreshments and leaving the sword in the adjoining ant-hill, rested in the delightful shade of the thick foliage of trees . When they woke up they found the sword missing and a search was made with no effect. Meanwhile a Kurichiya (a tribal group in Wayanad) boy who was grazing his cattle informed them that a sword was seen suspended on a creeper on the adjoining hill. The pilgrims hastened to the spot and tried to take hold of the sword. It did not leave the creeper in spite of their efforts and they noticed the sword rising higher and higher in the air the moment they attempted to touch it. In appealing terms they addressed the sword and repeated several times the words " Valliyur Amma "(0h, Mother ! disentangle thyself from the creeper). These entreaties were not responded to and the pilgrims left the place in sad disappointment. The miraculous incident was reported to the Raja of Kottayam, then the ruler of Wynad. The Raja's visit to the spot was followed by oracular utterances from a Velichapad (oracle) in the following terms : " I desire to settle in the locality in three different places and in three different forms : as " Vana Durga " in the place where the sword fell, as " Jala Durga " in the pool of the adjoining stream and as " Bhadrakali " in the middle of the above two places. After this incident, the Raja made arrangements for the daily Puja.
Gadhika
Gadhika ia an art form of Adiyas, a tribal community mostly in North Wayanad. This art form is presented like a dance drama in which the artistes dance and move rhythmically. They are accompanied by musicians who play wind instruments and drums like Thudi which is popular among the tribal communities.
Gadhika starts with the principal performer invoking Lord Shiva. Later, at Lord Shiva’s command, other Gods including Chamundi, Maniamma, Malamkali and Karimkali are believed to arrive. The rhythmic dancing of the participants is said to welcome the Gods. The costumes are simple, yet colourful.