Karnataka - Madikeri   

‘Puthari’ to be celebrated in Kodagu today

Madikeri: “Puthari”, harvest festival, will be celebrated across Kodagu on Wednesday.

The festival marks bringing home the new paddy crop from the fields, symbolic of welcome to Goddess Lakshmi, who is the presiding deity of wealth.

A festival primarily confined to Kodavas in the past, is now being celebrated by other communities also in the district.

The festival takes place on the full moon day.

Men, women and children go to the paddy field in the evening and bring home paddy sheaves.

Women carry “taliyakki bolakk”, a bronze tray with rice, betel leaves, arecanut and a lamp. Firecrackers are burst to add to the merriment.

In villages, people gather at a particular spot and leave to their respective paddy fields. They return with paddy sheaves, chanting “Poli Poli Deva…..” (prayers seeking wealth, health and prosperity).

Paddy sheaves are then taken to the threshing yard, called as “kala” in Kodava, and tied to the post at the centre of the yard.

Strings of paddy sheaves, peepal, “kumbuli” and “keku” leaves, “irinjoli balli” and “achi nar” are tied at important locations such as the entrance of the house, doors, rooms, prayer hall, roofs, etc., as is the custom.

A unique pudding is made of coconut, sesamum, ginger, cardamom, and rice. It is placed on the peepal leaf and served among the family members in front of the “Nellakki”, the place of worship in homes. Dinner includes two special dishes, “tambittu” made of ripe bananas and roasted rice flour, and “kalinji”, sweet potato.

It is said that “Puthari” used to be celebrated for 11 days in the past, which, however, has been reduced to only to a few days now.

During these days, Kodavas in their traditional attire gather at the “mand” (a place of religious congregation) in their respective villages and present “Urukol”, ‘Nadkol’, ‘Devakol’ and other traditional dances.

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