Coastal Karnataka (South India)
brass alloy
This figure comes from the bhuta tradition on the Malabar coast. The bhuta and daiva, local divine or deified beings are highly prevalent in the southern parts of the Kannara district. Though now largely confined to south Kannara, certain areas of north Kannara and even Sri Lanka, bhuta cults once existed all over India under different names and forms. These cults, which are of considerable antiquity, have much in common with those of the yakshas, for instance. Like bhutas, yakshas are a ‘queer blend of what is sublime and mundane, profound and profane.’⠀
In Tulu Nadu, hordes of boars often invaded and destroyed the cultivated lands so the farmers started worshipping and giving offerings to Panjurli, the spirit in the form of a boar, thinking that this would appease his mood and thus keep the wild animals away from their fields.
Size (cms): 7.5 (H) x 13 (W) x 4 (D)
Size (inches): 2.95 (H) x 5.1 (W) x 1.6 (D)
