Bhopal: Karnataka's Chikku in limelight, museum exhibits Bhutta cult wooden statue on social media pages

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Chikku, a wooden statue related to the Bhutta cult of Karnataka, is the first ‘Exhibit of the week’ for the month of July on the social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.

The height and width of the exhibit, collected from the folk community of Udupi, Karnataka in 1998, are 49 cm and 17 cm respectively.

Director, IGRMS, Praveen Kumar Mishra said that Chikku or Cikku is a wooden figure associated with the traditional Bhutta cult prevalent in the southern part of coastal Karnataka and the northern part of Kerala.

He further said that Bhutta cult is a form of spirit worship. The present object, personified as the female figure of the spirit, is portrayed in a standing posture adorned with traditional ornaments and dresses. The face is alluringly depicted with an expression of bold eyes.

It is also believed that every spirit has a unique form, mythic history, special powers and propitiatory requirements. The idol is crafted by Gudigar, a community of wood carvers in the region. It is prepared from jackfruit wood and uniquely portrayed by using bright red, yellow, and black colours that were traditionally obtained from locally available natural resources, Mishra added.