Pattini as a form of protest

Pattini as a form of protest

      *Pattini or starvation ,a peculiar form of protest among the brahmins in medieval kerala emerged as a strike against the naduvazhies when other moderate modes of protest not yielded.pattini means immediate fasting when brhmin demand was not responded by naduvazhi without taking food.he will immerse in homa activities.At thrissur ,it is stated that there was a house for strikers pattinippura-near vadakkunnatha temple.First noticed in 15^th century at trivandrum,when travancore troops assaulted some brahmins ,they made sudden fast.The tiruvithamkur ruler conceded their demands.they had withdrawn the strike.Attrikkandiyoor temple,a pattini was launched whensome non-brahmin polluted the temple pond.At this time all the temple rituals were suspended untill the strike was called off.it is generally believed that to refresh a brahmana is a sacred activity and if he is abstaining from this ,it will be deemed as a graet sin.At times rulers committed mistake against temple authorities ,like defaulting of Dantaparihar the brahmin will protest with pattini style.it was not for public cause ,as stated by traditions,that these brahmins observe fasting.

It is seen that all the pattini strike were not successful.in an 18^th c temple records at sri.pathmanabha temple trm,the pattini was not responded by Venad tiruvadikal.The primary interest of the brahmin strikers is to protect temple sakemthams and the privilages of brahmin people.How these form of fasting desappered in the colonial period onwards is an interesting question.This may be out of the stubborn attitude of the rulers with the support of the emerging non-brhamins middle classes who wanted to get rid of the brahmin dominance in political dispensation....hssthistory.blogspot.com..