Bunni Utsavam kicks off on grand note at Devaragattu

Kurnool: Amidst tight security, Bunni Utsavam, also called as Karrala Samaram, celebrated for hundreds of years, began on a grand note late on Friday. 

The utsavam was celebrated on the hillocks of Devaragattu situated on the outskirts of Neraniki village in Holagunda mandal in the district, the day after Vijaya Dasami. 

A huge number of people from various places of Andhra Pradesh and the adjacent Karnataka thronged the hillock and watched the fete. In the contest around 4000 to 4500 people participated with sticks. 

According to folklore, Lord Siva took the form of Bhairava to kill two demons, Mani and Mallasura. He killed the two demons by fighting with sticks and ensured that there would be no harm to the human kind from the Rakshasas.

The villagers of Neraniki, Neraniki Thanda, Kothapeta, Yellarthy, Arikera, Maddigeri, Nitranatta, Sulavai and Hebbatam formed into two groups. 

One group of people took the side of Lord Shiva and the other group took the side of demons. Both the groups were involved in mock fight to own the idol of Lord Shiva. The contest was still going on till the last reports came in.  

Every year, people are injured in the contest which is considered a good omen for the welfare of their villages near Devaragattu. 

Interestingly, none of the villagers from either group would file cases against others despite sustaining severe injuries.

Though they fight hard on this day they bear no personal grudge against each other later. 

Though the police conduct month-long awareness programmes, on the day after Vijaya Dasimi, the villagers take part in the fight. 

Superintendent of Police, Gopinath Jetti said that they have to a great extent succeeded in persuading the villagers in attacking one another as part of practising a tradition.