Udupi: Celebrations, Festivities go Amiss from Farming Activities in Coast

Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)

Udupi, Jul 12: With the passage of time, the people of the coast seem to have forgotten the joy of celebrating different stages of agricultural activities. The scene at the villages, which used to be abuzz with agricultural activities, with enthusiastic agriculturists getting busy with their activities with smiling faces, have paved way for a sleepy, disinterested environment. With the passage of years, agricultural land is becoming scarce, as residences and commercial buildings come up on them. In due course, it may be hard to find farm land in the district, elders apprehend.

Even the few who continue to engage in agricultural activities, have let go of the age old customs, which used to bring an environment of joy and celebration in families. In the past, the last day of ploughing of the field with pairs of bullocks or buffalos, was celebrated as ‘Hadna’, in which the animals were fed with green grass and other fodder dear to them, as a means of thanking them for their services. The first day of planting of seedlings, known as ‘Natti’ in local parlance, by a family, was known as ‘Ganapati Natti’ or initiation of planting. On that day, people used to pay obeisance to Lord Ganapati, and distribute Prasadam along with steamed and salted green gram, Bengal gram etc to the agricultural labourers as a method of celebration. In some cases, puffed rice mixed with jaggery and grated coconut were served to farmhands. The families also shared a feast cooked by them with the labourers at the end of the planting season. Among the few who continue to practice these customs, the steamed corn has been replaced with sweets bought from shops.

Of late, it has become rarer to see buffalo pairs in villages, even though some rich people continue to groom buffalos purely for Kambala purposes. Because of exorbitant wages and shortage of farmhands, people are resorting to tillers and tractors. The village songs sung by female labourers in unison, which used to reverberate through the fields, have been replaced by the roar of engines. There have also been cases in which planting is also done with the help of machinery. Sadly, without getting noticed, age old practices are being given a go by.

In the past, agricultural activities were marked by religious fervour and divinity. At each conceivable opportunity, prayers were offered to divine powers, and at the time of harvesting too, gods were remembered and puja was offered, before cutting the paddy plants.  

The planting of seedings in traditional way by 40 farmhands in the paddy field of Suresh Shetty in the neighbourhood of Altaru in Yadtady village as depicted in the accompanying photograph, brings back the fond memories of the past. One finds solace in the belief that at least some families in the coast will continue to carry on the rich traditions and hand them over to the next generations.