Abbakka Chowta

"In these bhoota aradhane performances, an oft-invoked spirit is that of a valorous queen of the little town of Ullal, Abbakka Mahadevi, as she is hailed by the locals. Sources, such as archival records, travelogues of several Portuguese travellers and historical analysis point towards the presence of two or three Abbakkas, all of whom fought against the Portuguese army between the 1550s and 1640s CE. Folklore and performances such as the bhoota aradhane or yakshagana treat all three Abbakkas as one great queen and a brilliant personality Abbakka Mahadevi or Rani Abbakka. In the complete absence of proper archival documentation around the queens, the life stories of the women are interchangeably used and are prone to much error. But more than the details of each individual, what is important is this constant and successful feminine resistance that this small region in coastal Karnataka offered to a mighty European power, the Portuguese, for several decades."

"Our historiography might have been unfair to the Abbakkas of Ullal by not resurrecting their stories enough or placing them suitably within the rubric of Indian history."

"And of course, most importantly the heroic tales of Abbakka Mahadevi continue to entertain and inspire the people of Tulunadu through their local performances of yakshagana and bhoota aradhane till this date."