Ravalnath: Difference between revisions

'''Ravalnath''' ({{lang-knn|रवळनाथ}}, {{IAST|Ravaḷhanāth}}), also widely known as '''Roulu''', (रवळू, {{IAST|Ravaḷhu}}){{Ref label|a|a|none}} is a popular Hindu deity in [[Goa]] and the Sindhudurg district of coastal [[Maharashtra]], in western India. Shrines of Ravalnath are also found in border areas of [[Belgaum]] specially in [[Karle, Belgaum|Karle]] and [[Uttar Kannada]] districts as well as coastal areas of [[Karnataka]].<ref name=mitra>{{cite book|last1=Mitragotri|first1=Vithal Raghavendra|title=A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara|date=1999|publisher=Institute Menezes Braganza|pages=218–225}}</ref> He is worshipped as the main deity or an affiliate deity in most temples of Goa.<ref name=kalika>{{cite book|last1=Gomes Pereira|first1=Rui|title=Goa: Hindu temples and deities (translated from the original in Portuguese by Antonio Victor Couto)|date=1978|publisher=Pereira, 1978|pages=1–231}}</ref> He is associated with the guardian aspect of  [[Shiva]].

The origin of word Ravalnath is a matter of conjecture. The word Ravalnath is derived the word from the word [[Ashta Bhairava#Ruru|''{{IAST|Ruru}}'']], who is one of the Ashta Bhairava, eight forms of the god [[Bhairava]] - a ferocious aspect of the god [[Shiva]].{{Ref label|b|b|none}} The iconography of Ravalnath is same as that of Bhairava.<ref name=joshi>{{cite book|last1=Joshi|first1=Mahadevshastri|title=Gajati Daivate(गाजती दैवते) in Marathi|publisher=Continental Prakashan|location=Pune|pages=90–104}}</ref> Word ravala is also rerived from the word "ravaNa" which means "screaming","yelling", which is same as "ruru" as mentioned earlier and vedic corpus attributes these epithets to different forms of "Rudra". According to [[Shenoi Goembab]], the word ''Raval'' (from the word ''Ravalnath'') comes from the word ''Rahulbhadra'' which was also the personal name of Buddhist philosopher [[Nagarjuna]]. [[Rahula|Rahul]] was also the name of [[Buddha]]'s son. As per his view during the Buddhist period, some Buddhists might have come to Goa and the worship of Ravalnath was mainly due to this Buddhist tradition. These views of Shenoi Goembab are not accepted by mainstream scholars.<ref name=mitra /> Some other speculations suggested that the word Ravalnath is derived from [[Tamil language|Tamil]] word ''Iravalnath'' and in Tamil ''Iraval'' means begging for alms, and is connected to [[Bhikshatana|{{IAST|Bhikṣāṭanamūrti}}]] aspect of Shiva.<ref name=mitra /> Ravalnath is sometimes considered as one of the three hundred ''[[Gana|{{IAST|Gaṇas}}]]'' of Shiva.<ref name=census>{{cite journal|last1=Manager of Publications|title=Census of India, 1961: Maharashtra|journal=Part 6|date=1966|volume=10|issue= 1 of Census of India, 1961, India. Office of the Registrar General|page=128}}</ref> Yet others derive the word "ravala" from the word "roinn" of Mundari origin meaning an ant-hill.

The ritual worship of Ravalnath is supposed to have been influenced by '' [[Natha]] sampradaya'', it is suggested that Nath cult absorbed Ravalnath as suggested by the suffix '' nath ''.<ref name=puratan>{{cite journal|last1=Directorate of Archaeology & Museums|title=Puratan|journal=Department of Archaeology and Museums, Madhya Pradesh|date=1989|volume= 6-7|pages=48–56}}</ref>

The earliest inscription referring to Ravalnath, called ''Ravaluba'', is dated to the [[Hoysala Empire|Hoysala period]]. In another inscription from Goa, Ravalnath is referred to as ''Ravaloba'' as well as ''Ravaleshwar''. [[Shilahara|Southern Silaharas]], who ruled North Goa and the present Sindhudurg and part of [[Ratnagiri district]] and [[Kadambas of Goa]], were devotees of Shiva. However, references to Ravalnath are not found either in Silaharas or Kadamba inscriptions. There are a two inscriptions in [[Nagari script]] and from ''Velus'' village of [[Sattari|Sattari taluka]] referring to Ravalnath from [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara period]].<ref name=mitra/> Famous [[Jyotiba]] of Kolhapur is also called Ravalnath, and is tutelary deity of ''Sendraka'' ([[Shinde]]) royal house, masses and the upper castes alike.

As per shastra icons of Ravalnath are in accordance with that of Ruru Bhairava which is:

 

 

Thus Ravalnath is epicted standing, with his left leg slightly bent. He has four hands and holds in the front right hand sword ({{IAST|Khaḍga}}) and in the left hand bowl of ambrosia ({{IAST|Pānapātra}}), in the lower right hand a [[trishula]] (trident) and in left hand, a [[damaru]] (drum). He wears a crown, a [[Mundamala|garland of human skulls]] ({{IAST|Runḍamāla}}) and a [[dhoti]]. He has a moustache. A female attendant with a [[fly-whisk]] ({{IAST|Cāmara}})  may be shown on his side; occasionally two attendants on either side are seen. Ravalnath is also worshiped in the form of [[Linga]] (Shiva's aniconic form).<ref name=mitra /> A horse is mostly depicted as his mount in iconography.

Ravalnath is a popular deity of all social classes in coastal Maharashtra and Goa. Although, the priest here are usually from ''Gurav'' community who perform the daily Pooja in the temple and do ''Kaul Prasad'' for the devoties.

 

Here Ravalnath is ''Kshetrapala'' and ''Bhairava'' and is worshipped according to the rituals prescribed for him.  

The rituals for Ravalnath are especially performed between [[Vijayadashami|Dasara]] to [[Kojagiri Purnima]] and on [[Shigmo]] in some places. Icons of Ravalnath (as well as some other local guardian deities) are  usually images, but festive bantons  called ''Taranga'', decorated with [[Saree|nine yard sarees]] and a metal ''palm'' or a face of the deity is fitted on the top of the banton.<ref name=puratan /> Possessions (''Bhaar'' or ''Avsar'') is a very important aspect of Ravalnath worship, where the god communicate and bless the devotees via a possessed medium. Blood sacrifices of cocks or goats are offered to him in some places. The ritual of sprinkling the blood of the cocks offered to tarangas on cooked rice is called ''charu''.<ref name=puratan />