It is a term that is connected to traditional Lakshwadeep belief systems about cyclones and the islanders share a lot of experiential stories in relation to it. It could refer to the sight of an areca palm as tall as the sky rising from the sea. It gets mightier as it approaches the island. People recite chants and symbolically cut them off while it is still at sea. Thus, it gets “split into two” with the belief that one part disappears into the sky while another collapses into the sea. Thus, it becomes powerless. The islanders used to fear the arrival of kavungum thala. I have seen how local shamanic experts “cut” the leg of the cyclone to render it powerless. The scientific explanation for this phenomenon is unknown. It can be spotted during the time of monsoon, during thunder and rain. It might hardly be noticed when the sky is dark with clouds. During such times, it might reach the land and create havoc, as recollected by the elders of the islands.
© Mahaboob Khan