Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru(RJP)

Mangaluru, Jun 16: The monsoon has arrived on time this year. With the summer departing, it is time for different activities suited to the monsoon season. Activities in cities and villages during the onset of monsoon are different. In villages we have streams, rivulets and ponds. Villagers are basically more adventurous by nature.

One such special adventure found in villages during the rainy season is ‘Ubar Shikari’ (fish hunting) in streams, rivulets and ponds.

As the water overflows during rainy season, schools of fish and other species go in search of areas with lower water levels to lay eggs. The ‘hunters’ then get ready to hunt them in villages.

The speciality of this ‘hunting operation’ in monsoon is that it is always carried out along with family or friends. Youngsters go in groups for adventures like this.

They carry sickle, net, and buckets for this work. The adventure is performed only at night.

People carry torches and fishing goes on throughout the night at times. They hit the fish and crabs with the sickle, and collect them in their bags or buckets. Normally only one person, does the hitting act while others collect the catch. The catch is usually crabs and fish of different varieties. Elders in villages say that these fish are very tasty as they are caught during their breeding season.

For children who go as teams this is an entertaining game. Only adventurous people with expertise go for the adventure and share the catch later with their friends and families.

Another reason which encourages the villagers to do this, is the ban imposed on fishing during the season. This fishing activity is limited to two or three initial weeks of the monsoon. More than the catch, it is an outing and enjoyment for the villagers which they have been doing for years.