Thursday, July 2, 2020

Kadiru Habba(festival), tradition in coastal Karnataka, India

My son was asking me about the various harvest festivals in India, I was pondering about our own custom celebrated in Udupi regions.
Kadiru habba is a coastal Karnataka tradition found in the regions of Udupi and Mangalore districts more prominantly in the houses where people are into agriculture.  The main purpose of this festival is to thank the lord for paddy yields. It is usually celebrated in the month of  Sharad Rutu(usually in the month  Dasara/ Navaratri falls under).
The home is cleaned and made ready for the new yield(Kadiru). Usually the women in the household cleans the house floor and the pooja room using the cowdung and Rangoli is put.
The owner of the family performs pooja to TEN E(new corn) in the paddy field, and cuts a few of them. Rest of the family members follow him blowing Conch, Jagante. It's basically to announce the arrival of the yields. The daughter of the house washes his feet, does a small aarti to him and the new corns and welcomes him home.

All these corns are take to the place of worship inside house and worshipped. Later these new corns are tied along with each of the following:
*See Thumbe,
*One/two leaves of Jackfruit
*One/two leaves of Mango,
* Bamboo, 
All of above are tied with Saanthe(back side of middle of coconut leaf, yellowish green in color) 
Where are they tied to? They are tied to the pillars of:
*Hodimancha(an equipment used for thrashing paddy)
*Hatti(cow shed)
*Chavadi(courtyard inside the house)
*Kottige(a room where paddy, agricultural tools are kept)
*Pooja room(where worshipping of God takes place)

Now the second part of the festival.. this need not be on the same day and in our house it's done on the last day of Dasara.
The lady of the house picks up few new corns and prepares a dish called HOSATHU meaning new. This dish is prepared with little sugar, coconut milk and rice. Rice is usually the old one but few new corns are added to this dish just for the significance of the new begining. Its later served to the family members. There are few rules which are not may or may not be followed in all houses
*We should not eat hosathu of any other houses
*Only the house members should be served this dish, i.e. other people should not get to taste
*It's usually custom to eat the same thing as dinner too.
*It's customary to have beetle leaves and nuts after having hosathu.



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