500 ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಭಾವೈಕ್ಯತೆ ಸಾರುತ್ತಿರುವ ಮೊಹರಂ! | How Muharram Has United a Village for Over 500 Years!
Muharram in Agasanooru is much more than a religious observance. For over four centuries, it has grown into a tradition shared by the entire village — across religions, castes and communities.
In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we travel to Agasanooru, near Ballari, to experience this remarkable celebration first-hand. We meet Prof. Chand Basha, who takes us through the history of Muharram in Agasanooru, its many traditions, and how an entire village has kept them alive for generations.
And some of these traditions immediately make you curious.
During Muharram, the entire village goes barefoot. There are other customs and rules too — around preparations, food, rituals and everyday life — that people across the village have followed for generations. These are not practices restricted to one community. They have become part of how Agasanooru observes Muharram together.
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Then there is Rivayat.
Rivayat songs are a distinctive part of Muharram in this region. Built around rhythm, rhyme and storytelling, they speak of faith, humanity, love, compassion and relationships. Passed from one person to another, these songs have become part of the living cultural memory of Muharram in North Karnataka.
As the celebrations unfold, we meet people across Agasanooru and see how different families and communities participate. Some are involved in rituals, some make offerings, some help with preparations, while others carry responsibilities that have been passed down through their families for generations.
Everyone may have a different role, but together they create a festival that belongs to the whole village.
The processions, vows, music, Rivayat songs, rituals and even the rules followed during these days tell us something larger about Agasanooru. Over centuries, faith and local culture have come together here to create a tradition with a character of its own.
And perhaps that is what makes Agasanooru’s Muharram so special. Communal harmony here is not an abstract idea. You can see it — in an entire village walking barefoot, in songs passed down through generations, in responsibilities shared between neighbours, and in people across communities coming together year after year.
ಮೊಹರಂ ಕೇವಲ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಆಚರಣೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಾಗಿರದೆ, ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಸೆಯುವ ಕೊಂಡಿಯೂ ಆಗಿದೆ. ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಅಗಸನೂರು ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಮೊಹರಂ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಭಾವೈಕ್ಯತೆಗೆ ಹೆಸರುವಾಸಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಸುಮಾರು 400 ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಗೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಹೊಂದಿರುವುದು ಈ ಉತ್ಸವದ ವಿಶೇಷ. ಇದು ಹಿಂದೂ-ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರ ಭಾವೈಕ್ಯತೆಯ ಹಬ್ಬವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಇಡೀ ಊರೇ ಸಂಭ್ರಮದಿಂದ ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಜಾತಿಯ ಜನರು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಮತ್ತು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಆಚರಿಸುವ ಈ ಮೊಹರಂ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆಯ ಸಂಕೇತವಾಗಿದೆ.
ಅಗಸನೂರಿನ ಮೊಹರಂ ಕುರಿತ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸಂಚಿಕೆ ‘ಭಾವೈಕ್ಯತೆಯ ಬೇರು ಅಗಸನೂರು ಮೊಹರಂ’ ನೋಡಿ ‘ನೂರಕ್ಕೆ ನೂರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ’ ದಲ್ಲಿ.
Credits
Akshay Ramuhalli, Ajmal Muhhammad A, Bruce Lee Mani, Chand Pasha Gorveck Thokchom, Hindu, Kishor Mandal, Kruthika Rao, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Ram Seshadri, Ritika Soun, Sananda Dasgupta, Sanoob Puliyanchali, Shilpi, Tanvi Avlur Venkat, Varsha Ramachandra, Vishnupriya, Seema Seth, & Velu Shankar
Special thanks to Prof. Chand Basha and the people of Agasanooru for being part of the episode.