Bhuta Khola is a form of spirit worship and based on what I have learned; its rituals and principles are very similar to those of the African Based Religions. This tradition first came to my attention after someone on a popular African tradition forum added a thread regarding this tradition. The first thing that called my attention to this thread was the title. The member posted the thread and called it Indian Vodou. Since my tradition is a stem of Vodou I automatically wanted to see what this was about and although its not truly Vodou I can understand how this member made this association.
Bhuta Khola is a very unique practice of traditional and ritualistic dances which are performed in the coastal parts of Karnataka and these dances are part of worshiping I.E. Tulu Nadu.
In popular mythology, you will hear of the term “Bhuta Ganas” and this term makes reference to the soldiers of Lord Shiva. These soldiers have one main role and this is to protect Dharma, hence they are granted divine power.
The rite of this particular tradition requires that the person performing it wear special make up, jewelry and beautiful costumes. He will dance to the rhythm of very unique sounds and music.
To sum up and to give you a basic understanding of this tradition – Bhuta Khola is an indigenous tradition of the Coastal Regions of India and the main idea behind this tradition is to protect the environment and worship the divine elements of nature.
