Baka Vadham - Kottayam Thampuran(1645 to 1716)                                                                         BACK

This story is taken from the Sabha Parva of Mahabharatha. Pandavas and Kauravas were living together in Hastinapura. Sensing that Pandavas were more popular among the people than Kauravas, Duryodhana was interested in getting rid of them. With the help of Shakuni he influences Dritharashtra the blind king, who accordingly calls Yudhishtira and tells him to go to Varanavartha where a big festival is to take place. He also mentions that a beautiful mansion has also been arranged for them to live in. Kunti, their mother, may also go with them. The Pandavas along with Kunti reach Varanavatha and stay in the house especially built for them.

Even touugh the building looked good it was built with easily inflammable articles such as sealing wax or Arakku. The idea was to set fire to the building at a suitable occassion and kill them. A person called Purochana was sent to set fire. Minister Vidura who was a just man came to know of it and to save Pandavas sent a carpenter cum builder to the Pandavas. The builder secretly builds a tunnel from a forest end with a secret entrance inside the building. When Purochana sets fire to the building Pandavs eccape through this tunnel into the forest.

Pandavas along with Kunti travel in the forests and once they were resting in a place with plenty of water to drink. Bhima remains awake while othes sleep. In this forest lived a demon called Hidimba. Hidimba smells there is some humans in the neighbourhood and asked Hidimbi to go and look for them for eating human flesh. However when Hidimbi sees mighty Bhima she is attracted and wears a fine shape and woos him. At this time Hidimba comes along in search of Hidimbi. When he sees Hidimbi together with Bhima he calls Bhima to war. They fight each other and Hidimba is killed. The Pandavas were about to leave but Vyasa Maharshi interferes and asks Bhima to marry Hidimbi so that she will have company. Bhima lives with Hidimbi during day time and remains as guard for Pandavsa during nights. After some time he begets a son called Ghatotkacha. He leaves mother and son and joins the other Pandavas and they all go and live in a place called Ekachakra.

 In Ekachakra Kunti becomes friendly with a brahmin family and they all live in the brahmins house. One day the Brahmin was found to be crying and Kunti asks the reason. When she hears that their son is supposed to take meals to a Demon called Baka, who will also eat the person who brings the food, she says that one of her own sons will take the food and solve the Baka problem for ever. Bhima takes the food for Baka. A big fight ensues between Bhima and Baka and Baka is killed.

In this story the Pandavas,and Dritharashtra have Pacha Vesha, Carpenter special Minuku, Hidimba is Kathi, Hidimbi is Kari and later Minuku, Baka is Red Beard and all others minuku.