Pidakala War

The Pidakala War (also known as the Pidakala Samaram or Peddanuggulata) is a local folklore-based annual cow dung fight held in the village of Kairuppala near Aspari in Kurnool district of India. It is a ritual specific to Kairuppala village. The village is split into two sides representing various local communities, including both Hindus and Muslims. This celebration is assumed to have started in this village based on local traditions, and is not sanctioned by any major Hindu religious body (matha). Festival Villagers of Kairuppala traditionally observe the cow dung fight and the marriage between the two gods by holding an annual cow dung fight on the day after Ugadi. The village is split into two sides: the Dalit, Kuruba and Yadava communities on one side representing Bhadrakali; and the Lingayat, Muslim and Reddy communities on the other representing Virabhadra. Hundreds of people take...