By Dr Jagadeesh Kumar, California
California, May 12: Tulsi Tulu Koota, California, celebrated ‘Bisu Parba 2026’ with great enthusiasm and community spirit on May 3 at the scenic Elizabeth Park in Fremont, California. Tuluvas from across the San Francisco Bay Area and nearby regions gathered together to celebrate the harvest festival of Tulunadu, reconnect with fellow community members, and cherish the rich cultural traditions of their homeland.
The event was organized by Tulsi Tulu Koota founder Anitha Naik along with the dedicated Bisu organizing team including Arpita, Bhavya, Shylaja, Shakila, Ravikala, Anupama, Sandeep, Sourabh, Girish and Dr Jagadeesh Kumar, with support from many enthusiastic volunteers and community members. Tulsi Tulu Koota has now grown into a vibrant community organization with more than 200 families connected through its network, and this year’s Bisu celebration saw participation from well over 100 attendees representing families across Northern California.
The formal proceedings of the event began with Srivatsa Kumar warmly welcoming the gathering and serving as the emcee for the event with his fluent Tulu. This was followed by a divine invocation rendered melodiously by Bhavya and Rakshitha, setting a devotional and festive tone for the celebrations. Maina, Shashi and Anitha Naik formally inaugurated the event by lighting the ceremonial lamps.
Continuing the tradition of previous years, the venue featured a beautiful Bisu Kani arrangement showcasing flowers, fruits, vegetables, grains and harvest produce symbolizing gratitude to nature and prosperity. The Bisu celebration event also featured a special heritage table showcasing the special and unique items of the Tulu region such as batti, pudaayi, tadpe, odu, bisale, marayi, thatti-kudupu, manth, sambara marai, thonduru, semeda-mane, etc. The colourful setup brought memories of traditional Bisu celebrations in Tulunadu and served as a wonderful backdrop for community interaction and photographs.
A delicious festive lunch specially curated with flavours of Tulunadu was one of the highlights of the celebration. The menu included traditional delicacies such as wheat paayasa, holige, Maddur vada, veg pulav and raita along with Tulunadu specialties including kadle-manoli, pineapple menasinakai and majjige huli bringing nostalgic memories of homeland cuisine to all the participants. The sumptuous meal was thoroughly enjoyed by both adults and children alike, adding warmth and festivity to the gathering.
Following lunch, the atmosphere turned even more energetic with a series of games, entertainment activities and impromptu skits that saw enthusiastic participation from everyone. One of the most unique and entertaining games of this year’s Bisu event involved participants finding their matching pair based on commonly known paired words from Tulunadu culture and cuisine. Each individual was assigned one part of a pair word and had to search the crowd to identify their corresponding match. Popular pairs included ‘Kadle–Manoli’, ‘Kai–Kajipu’, ‘Neer Dose’, and ‘Kori–Rotti’. The activity created laughter, excitement and lively interactions among participants while also highlighting familiar cultural references from Tulunadu.
The celebrations also featured impromptu skits and fun-filled group activities that encouraged participation from children, youth and elders alike. The event beautifully reflected the sense of togetherness and cultural pride shared by the Tulsi community.
One of the most memorable moments of the evening was when Tuluvas together sang the soulful Tulu song ‘Tuluverenkulu’, creating an emotional and unifying atmosphere for everyone present. This was followed by an energetic group dance performance to the ever-popular Tulu folk song ‘Moodai Banodu...’ choreographed by Megha Shetty. The synchronized participation and enthusiasm of the large gathering made it a delightful and visually impressive cultural experience.
The Bisu Parba 2026 celebration once again demonstrated the commitment of Tulsi Tulu Koota towards preserving and promoting Tulu language, traditions and cultural heritage among families living far away from Tulunadu. The event provided a meaningful opportunity for families and children growing up in America to stay connected to their roots while creating cherished memories with the larger Tulu community. It was a memorable and joyful day filled with culture, food, music, games and togetherness, leaving everyone looking forward to many more years of Bisu celebrations in Northern California.