Narayan Bhoot

The Idol of Shri Ram was incarnated in the Partagali math and the festival of Ram-Navami had began. Shrii Ramchandra Teertha Swamiji had got built a chariot for the festival. Utsava Moorthy of Lord Shri Rama is used to be taken in this chariot in a procession. Earlier the festival of Ram-Navami was limited for the evening of Ramanavami day. Thereafter it started from Panchami followed by Garudpujan, Dwajarohan, Dandabali, Homa-havan etc. In a short time the festival became so famous in surrounding area of Math that Math followers from nearby places of Partagali and also from South and North Kanara districts started gathering for the festival at the Math.
The Sodhe Mathadish became very jealous when he saw that the Ram-Navami was celebrated at Partgali on a large scale and people had started gathering on a large scale at this Math. There was dispute between both the Maths on the issue of a Village and it was decided in favor of Partagali Math. To take revenge, the Mathadipati of Sodhe Math used his Mantrik power and sent a Ghost (Pishachya) by name Narayan Bhoot on the eve of Ram-Navami festival as a bad omen (portent) to obstruct the Rama Navami Utsava.
The Ram-Navami celebrations were in full swing and the procession of the Festival- Idol (Utsav murthi ) was in progress. The chanting of Mantraghosh was going on and the band was being played. The devotees were dragging the chariot chanting “Pundaleeka- Varade-Hari -Vithal”. The chariot was proceeding towards the Mukhyapran Gudi (Hanuman temple) in a pomp and glory. The devotees were shouting “Drag-Drag” in one voice and were applying their full force but the chariot was not moving at all. The devotees were pulling the chariot by holding all the 6 big ropes attached to it for dragging and were trying to pull it with all the strength and force. But the chariot did not move. Someone from the gathered devotees went to the Swamiji and narrated the incidence. Shri Digvijaya Ramchadra Teertha Swamiji was deeply planning the other activities of the festival when he got the news of the chariot not moving ahead at all in spite of efforts of all the devotees. He could make out what had happened from his inner conscious. He suddenly got up from the place, took a coconut and rushed to the spot where the chariot had struck. By his Yogik power he ordered the Narayan Bhoot to enter into the coconut which he had brought and installed the coconut at foot of the “Mukyapran”.
From that day onwards when the chariot reaches the Mukyapran Gudi two clothes fully soaked in oil are thrown from the top of the Gudi and are burnt. In addition to this, coconuts are offered as offerings (Naivedhya) to the Bhutaraja. When the palanquin (Palakhi) approaches in procession near this Gudi, coconuts are offered to the Mukhyaprana and the Bhutaraja.