Blogs

(MIS)MATCHES ARE MADE BY ASTROLOGERS IN COORG!

By Subbaiah Kadyamada Ganapathi*

The Kodava community, to this date, relies heavily on arranged marriages and a majority of the Kodava youth, continue to subscribe and surrender to this idea.

But it breaks my heart, every single day, to see the majority (barring a few sensible families), reeling, disintegrating, and in the process getting destroyed for one single reason – HOROSCOPE. The astrologers are simply calling the shots.

You may say, it’s an Indian issue and not specific to Coorg. I disagree and here is why.

The festivals, customs, rituals, and traditions of the Kodavas are largely different from any mainstream religion, giving us a unique identity which we are very happy to flaunt (sometimes more than necessary). The society is less patriarchal and inherently more feminist in its way of life. Yay, well done! As dwellers of the hills, we largely remained untouched.

Of course, with time, it was only natural to get influenced and give your own practices a twist. I mean it’s illogical to be a purist always, anyway. Knowledge is meant to be shared after all. But sadly, a community so eager to call itself progressive has opted for the most regressive practice of a mainstream religion. We could have rather embraced other virtues, but we didn’t. We chose to accept astrology, allowed it to guide us, and thereby nurtured the fear that astrology has to offer, and by constantly repeating the lie, we have made it our very truth. We thought it would make our life better, but I am sorry to say, it’s completely taking the sheen away.

The influence of the astrologers in many walks of life is kept minimal for now, but when it come to marriage, they rule and how! Even a family like mine, that has so far ignored and resisted the trappings of horoscopes to a large extent (not completely though) is forced to interact with people who do (a majority) when marriage talks crop up.

What is absolutely heart-breaking is that, three decades prior, as mentioned, the influence of astrology was barely there. One of the genuinely happy senior couples I know, had a parent figure altering the horoscope of the bride to be, to make the marriage happen because the groom was a good man. That is what mattered. 30 odd years later, they are doing a fine job I must say. But sadly, that same freedom is almost absent in the lives of their children. How unfortunate to see them succumb to peer pressure! Every family today, has a horoscope story to say, and not a good one.

My very rational uncle once said ‘The astrologers will ensure that no marriage of the Kodavas happen in the near future’. In my eyes, I have already elevated him to the status of a saint because he is damn right. Horoscopes remain a big reason for many eligible youths not finding their match. They are simply stuck due to the ‘fault in their stars’. For a community that’s flirting with possible extinction in a few decades, it’s a huge blow and a very dangerous development. Bluntly put, it’s a recipe for an impending disaster.

Now, for all the Sherlocks out there, let me assure you that my single status so far is largely due to my choice and for none of the above reasons. I definitely hope to mingle in the coming days. But it hurts when something catastrophic is happening all around and there is just no one pushing the panic button. I also fear for myself.

HENCE TODAY I CHOOSE TO PRESS THE BUTTON HOPING THE DECIBEL LEVELS WOULD BE LOUD ENOUGH TO BRING IN THE NECESSARY CHANGE AND RESTORE NORMALCY AGAIN.

And hopefully, may we, the people in general, have the wisdom to choose love any day.

*Subbaiah Kadyamada Ganapathi is a film-maker.

Source: Kodava Religion at Crossroads, edited by P.T. Bopanna, Rolling Stone Publications, 2025,

Paperback copy available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.in/Kodava-Religion-Crossroads-Sequel-Kodavas/dp/9385741136