TL;DR: Villagers in Gummatapura, Karnataka, celebrated the 2025 Gorehabba festival by throwing cow dung at each other to conclude Diwali. The centuries-old ritual honors the local deity Beereshwara Swamy, believed to have been born from cow dung, symbolizing purification and renewal.
What Happened
- On October 24, 2025, residents of Gummatapura village on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border held the annual Gorehabba festival.
- Participants threw clumps of cow dung at each other in a lively ritual marking the end of Diwali celebrations.
- The dung, collected and sanctified by priests, was blessed at the Beereshwara Temple before the event began.
Cultural and Religious Significance
- The festival honors Beereshwara Swamy, a deity believed to have originated from cow dung, regarded as sacred and purifying in Hinduism.
- Villagers see the ritual as cleansing the body and soul, bringing fertility, prosperity, and protection from disease.
- Cow dung is traditionally used in Hindu homes for floor coating, rituals, and medicine.
Modern Context and Public Reaction
- The 2025 festival drew international attention after videos went viral, including one by American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira, who filmed himself participating.
- Some viewers mocked the event, while many Indians defended it as a localized, faith-based ritual misrepresented online.
Related Traditions
- Similar cow dung rituals exist elsewhere in India, such as Andhra Pradesh’s Pidakala War during Ugadi.
- Gorehabba remains one of the most unique and enduring post-Diwali traditions in southern India.