DAIVA — K. Hari Kumar

Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship

‘Spellbinding’
Amish Tripathi, TV Host & Bestselling Author of Immortals of Meluha

The famous Kola performances of Tulu Nadu involve dancers who invite powerful, sacred spirits to possess them. Through the performers, and surrounded by vibrant colours and striking visuals, these spirits – known as Daiva – may settle disputes, provide guidance, grant blessings and pass judgement.

However, there is so much more to it than art and devotion. From Panjurli, the benevolent boar spirit to Bobbarya, guardian of the sea, this book explores it all: the kinds of Daiva, their stories, their individual natures and the ways in which they come to inhabit the devout.

In Daiva, bestselling author K Hari Kumar, brings you stories of powerful immortals along with details of their worship through mystifying rituals – all of which are known to leave onlookers awe-struck.

Published by: HarperCollins India

Book: Non-fiction

Genre: Religion, spirituality, folklore & mythology

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Daiva - Discovering the extraordinary world of Spirit Worship of Tulu Nadu by K. Hari Kumar, bestselling author of India's Most Haunted.

Praise for DAIVA

'To read Daiva is to experience a world that few from modern urban India have access to. It is to immerse oneself in the realm of spirit-worship, which comes to life through Hari's tireless research and spell-binding wordcraft.'

-- Amish Tripathi praises Daiva by K. Hari Kumar

Official Title Teaser Reveal of DAIVA – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship, written by bestselling author K. Hari Kumar, published by HarperCollins India.

Guliga Daiva Kola Kudupu, photograph clicked by K. Hari Kumar — Guliga Daiva – Photograph by K. Hari Kumar

Tulu Nadu’s Legends

Bestselling author K. Hari Kumar takes the readers on an extraordinary journey to the land of spirit deities, Tulu Nadu. The region of coastal Karnataka and Northern Kerala is well known for the worship of bhutas or daivas, as seen in the 2022 feature film, Kantara.

Why Daiva?

What is the book about?

Daiva is a book about the daivaaradhane or worship of spirit deities that is practiced in Tulu Nadu (Tulunaad).

Does it have stories or just essays?

Daiva is a different kind of a non-fiction book. It not only contains details of spirit worship but also stories about Daivas like Panjurli, Sathyadevathe, Guliga, Kallurti, Kalkuda, Koragajja, Kodamanithaya, Jarandaya, Pilichamundi, Chamundi, etc. It also contains some famous folktales from Tulu Nadu like Koti-Chennaya and the Siri epic. The author has also enlisted some of the real life incidents of spirit deities from his journey from Udupi to Kasaragod.

Where can I buy this book?

Daiva – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship by bestselling author K. Hari Kumar will be available on all leading bookstores worldwide from May 2024. Visit your bookstore to buy a copy or place an order from Amazon, Flipkart, etc. Basically, you will get this book wherever books are sold.

How can I invite the author K. Hari Kumar for a talk session at my campus/club?

Should you wish to contact K. Hari Kumar regarding workshops, public speaking engagements, publishing rights, media inquiries, or feedback, please email him at harryislive@gmail.com

K. Hari Kumar

K. Hari Kumar is a distinguished Indian author, specialising in regional folklore, occult, horror, and psychological thrillers. K Hari Kumar’s collection of horror short stories, India’s Most Haunted – Tales of Terrifying Places, published by HarperCollins India is one of the highest selling horror story books in India. It was listed in HarperCollins India’s hundred best books written by Indian authors. The Malayalam translation was published as Indiayile Prethalayangal by Mathrubhumi Books in March 2022. The book will be soon translated into Hindi as well. He wrote the honourary foreword for FlameTree Publishing’s anthology titled Asian Ghost Stories (UK).

In addition to his accomplishments in literature, K. Hari Kumar has made notable contributions to the world of cinema as a screenwriter and script consultant. His novel The Other Side of Her received critical acclaim when adapted into the web series Bhram, featuring the talented Kalki Koechlin, Sanjay Suri and Bhumika Chawla. As a filmmaker, Hari has directed 2 short films, documentaries and the cinematic trailers of his books. He is also an international award nominated photographer with his photos featuring in publications.

Hari has been honoured with invitations to speak on his expertise at prestigious events such as Times Literature festival (Bangalore & Delhi), DAV United Literature Festival (Gurgaon & Delhi), Kumaon Literature Festival (Dhanacholi), Lit-O-Mania (Mumbai), and IISc’s Literature Festival (Bangalore). His insights have garnered attention from leading national newspapers, television channels, and podcasts, including the renowned The Ranveer Show.

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Bestselling author and filmmaker K. Hari Kumar — Bestselling Author K. Hari Kumar, Pune.