ABBAGE AND DARAGE
Abbage and Darage were the grand daughters of Siri, the great legendary woman of Tulunad who revolted against the social injustice meted out to her by her husband, mother-in-law as well as the society. Abbage and Darage died a tragic death. Their parents had a vow to offer to Bermeru but they failed to fulfill the vow. The spirit came in the form of a Brahmin and induced the sisters to play the game of cennemane. This resulted in a fierce quarrel in which one sister hit at the others head with the game board and seeing the sister dead she herself jumps into a well in repentance and commits suicide. They both became spirits.
Abbage and Darage have shrines in many places like Hiriyadka, Kavatar, Nandalike, Nidigal etc. during the annual festival woman devotees get possessed and fall into a trance en masse and remain in that state for several hours until the ceremonies are over. The woman thus possessed are called sires. They wear white saree, let their hair loose, hold areca flower in the hand and circulate their head uttering the name of narayana and singing the paaddana legend of Siri. Some girls get possessed during adolescence or after marriage. When it is not cured by the local impersonator in the village shrines they make a vow to go to the festival of Hiriyadka or Nandalike or other places of Siri and Abbage Darage shrines. Accordingly the girl is offered to this kind of service at the shrines and she gets possessed there during the festival. The male impersonator makes her speak out the cause of her agony or discomfort and prescribes cure. Insult from kith and kin or ill-treatment by family members results in the relapse of this kind of possession. They become hysterical, tossing heads and twisting bodies.
Various socio-psychological problems of emotional maladjustment, sexual disharmony, social injustice, insult by kith and kin, misunderstandings with relatives, jealousy etc. seem to be the cause of such behaviors . hence the festival provides an occasion for the outburst of their hidden agonies.