Suggi-a season that cannot be forgotten in Tulunadu

       ‘Suggi’ visits the people of Tulunadu once a year like the King Mahabali in the state of Kerala. A season that gives life to millions of people also is the season most cherished by the people of Tulunadu.    With mouthful of betel leaves and tobacco, wearing muttale (a type of cap made of arcanut leaves) the men and women went to the fields to harvest ‘Suggi Crops’ or the seasonal crops. This was the lives of the people of Tulunadu which produced rice to feed for everyone’s need.

        ‘Suggi madona baroa,’ Suggi koyyare poi,’ Olarya akkanakule, olarya annanakule’ are some of the folk songs that the women sing and do harvesting. They are sung for time pass but have meaning which is composed with the words of heart. There was joy among people because they had trust in the nature and God’s benevolence.

But over the years the trust and even God’s gift to the people are hijacked by the rich and corporate. New machineries and technologies have driven the people away from their right to work and left them poor.  Even the ‘Suggi Kunita’ groups who go on dancing to earn their share at this time of harvesting are getting disappeared due to the unfortunate situation.

        Suggi is best reminded by the festival of ‘Holi’ which is very fitting to celebrate the joy of harvesting in different ways. It falls in the month of March. During this month on the day or four days before the full moon, one of the tribal groups called ‘Haalakki Vakkaliga’ performs ‘Suggi Kunita’ with a beautiful decoration.  These creative folk artists collect cash and grains and celebrate the fortunes in their life as well as in the life of people.