TULUNADA BERMER

Word “Bermer” gives meaning of old or ancient and “Er” gives plural or respect indicative suffix in Tulu. Since, this Daiva was considered has one of the oldest Daiva. Bermer name might have come into picture.

According to Bermer pad-dana’s “Mitta megi lokodu bolpu dever undanaga tirthdh bhumi loka undand, Yel kadalda nadutu undayina Bermer tulunadu undu malther”. When the birth of sun and earth took place, Bermer who was born in between seven sea created tulunadu.

BERMER

Birth of Bermer is not accurate. This Bermer is also called as ultimate god and head of all the Daiva. People tell that, Bermer Daiva stays beyond seven oceans (which might be unimaginable in earlier context)

Bermer was usually worshipped in forest under the trees on unstructed stone. It might be possible that Bermer was worshipped before the evolution of human from forest to farming took place.

Tulunada Bermerna Aradane 

Bermer is considered as the head of all the Daiva, the eldest of all the Daivas is Bermer. Kola is given to Bermer Daiva also. The Bermer here is not the Hindu creator god Brahma. Who is having four faces sitting on lotus that issued from Vishnu’s navel.

Chaturmukha-brahma

Tulunadu Bermer was represented in a form of warrior seated on a horse with sword in his hand. This type of Bermer worship is also found in Jains, they represent him as a warrior God.

Jaina Brahma

One of the researchers tell, the term "Periyar-elma" in the sense  the eldest king who ruled over Tulunadu is likely to be a Bermer for later times.

In the ancient story of Bothala Pandya of Tulunadu. We come across the first divine to ask for human sacrifice. Which was called as Kundodara, this tale is the only place where we come across this Daiva. So, it might be possible that, later on Kundodara Daiva was being worshiped as the Bermer Daiva.

In Siri pad-dana. When, Berm-Alva was seriously concerned about the absence of an acceptable successor for his satyanapura palace, during the loss of his wife and only daughter. It tells that, Bermer disguising himself as a Brahmin, visited Berm-Alva and told him to worship Bemer and other descendent Daiva such as Lekkasiri, Nandi-Kone, Nage etc. whose shrine were ruined and fallen down without maintenance.

BERMERNA GUNDA,Hiriyadka

 Bermerna gunda (Bermer shrine) is existing in many places in Tulunadu at Naga-Bana,  Alade, Garodi, Sathya-Saramani Sana, Mugera sana  and also in Jain basadi. The lyrical folk literature of Tulu people called pad-dana, describe Tulu hero’s Koti and Chennaya worshipping Bermer which had idols of the Bermer. (it might be possible that Tuluva might have borrowed idol form for Bermer from Jains. Once their migration took place to tulunadu)

Bermer 

When non-Tuluva entered tulunadu they started telling, what early Tuluvas  were doing is completely wrong and started implementing their tradition. Because of this Tulunadu Bermer concept is slowly vanishing. The word Bermer is changing into brahma and further  started  worshiping as Naga-Brahma. 

Current customs are completely different from what our ancestors used to follow.it is impossible to go back to the same custom of worshipping Bermer.

Naga-brahma

Although tulunada Bermer and God Brahma are similar in nature. Just because of their few characteristics. In the sense,  they both perform the task of creation. Perhaps, we just can't say that whatever our ancient ancestors were doing is incorrect.

 The basic idea of following any tradition or culture is knowing and understanding where we come from and root of our ancestors. If we don't know the truth and meaning of the customs that were practiced by our ancestors. We might simply conclude by rejecting our own rituals or adopting them blindly without even understanding reality. Future generations could simply end up questioning our culture which we might never have the answer.

Tulunada Bermerna Kola

Thus, worship of Bermer in tulunadu changed into different forms  like 1) Tulunada Bermer 2) Chaturmukha-brahma 3)Naga-brahma 4)Yaksha brama in Nagamandala 5) Jaina -brahma in jains Basadi.

©️vishal kadri