Mangalore: Keeping Tuluva culture burning bright

TNN, Udayavani

Mangalore, 26 July 2011: It was a day to relish mouth-watering delicacies of Tulunadu, to recall the richness of Tuluva culture and to enliven the agricultural activities at Guthumane Chavadi of Pilikula Nisargadhadhama cultural village near here on Monday.

 

While dignitaries including Moodbidri MLA K Abhaychandra Jain, zilla panchayat president K T Shailaja and others themselves went to the marshy field to participate in the transplanting of paddy saplings, women from the village sung traditional songs praising the glory of Tulunadu.

 

Atidonji dina, a festival of Tuluva culture, food and tradition organised by the Pilikula Nisargadhama, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, Mangalore Taluk Mahila Mandalagala Okkoota and Kannada and Culture department provided not only glimpses of Tuluva culture to visitors, but also offered delicious food with 17 varieties of Tulunadus own delicacies.

 

Women from villages served pathrode, aritha pundi, kudutha chatni, kanchalada kajipu, thekkereda adye, neeruppad chatni, pelakayida garrige, pelakayida gatti, nugge ambade, manjal iretha gatti, uritha unde, thetla gasi, moode, guriyappa, mentheda ganji, banaleda adye and uppudu paddina thoutheda chatni. Later, meals including rice, payasam, chatni, rasam and mango pickle of Tulunadu with pelakayida payasa as an additional menu was served to all.

 

 

A major highlight of the fest was the Ati Kalanja performance by the Soujanya Mahila Mandala, Hoigebailu. Ati Kalanja is a ritual where a person in traditional attire and costumes reminiscing god visit houses to ward off evils and diseases. Various women organizations presented Tulu folk dances while Tulu poems were recited by young poets.

 

Ancient agricultural implements, vessels and artefacts found in guthu manes (ancestral houses of Tuluvas, especially Bunt community), were displayed at the Guthumane Chavadi.

 

Mangalore University Kannada department professor B Shivarama Shetty highlighting the significance of the day said that the festival explains the correlation between man and nature. Through atidonji dina festival, the culture of the region is being recreated in peoples mind and an awareness will be created on the environment, he added. Deputy commissioner N S Channappa Gowda was the chief guest.