K. S. Rao set fire in the hearts of people

      A man who had fire within was born on 28^th March 1881, in Mangalore. He is none other than the Gandhiji of Dakshina Kannada called Karnad Sadashiva Rao. The author of the book, Manjula Shetty describes the identity of K.S. Rao as he was born in the lap of mother of Tulu.

     His contribution to the freedom struggle and independence of India was so immense that he is remembered forever in the history of India. He made a mark not only in the history but also in the hearts of many by his concrete actions. And that is why he is reminded to the present generation through various ways. Everyone is aware of K.S. Rao road but most of us do not know the greatness of him.
                                                          

     He built a passionate spirit for own country among people by bringing the effect of freedom movement to Karnataka. The noble ways that he followed was instilling the Gandhian principles and philosophy in the hearts of people. He nurtured the values both internally and externally. By wearing ‘Kadi dress’ he urged people with the spirit of nationalism.  K.S. Rao established Tilak College, Sadaka Ashram and preached the principle of ‘Sarvadoya.’ His involvement in the freedom movements set his heart free; and as a result he extended his magnanimous heart reached out the marginalized society. That is one of the reasons why he fought for equality and universal brotherhood by making sure that the Harijana (the outcast people) too go to the same temple as the high cast did. He built a mission for the depressed class by being a member of it. Ultimately what made K. S. Rao different from all the others is that he was a hero of change.

  

Reference: Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Manjula Shetty, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, 2011

My experience has been a unique experience

        The views and perspective of the non-Tuluvas help us to perceive the reality better. Everyone gets a chance to witness Yakshagana, Butha Kola, Kambla, etc. in someway or other. But impression of the people who are not from South Canara can enhances the understanding of others by sharing one's own experience.

      Lijo, a student from Kerela said, 'Tuilunadu is a multilingual community in which people speak different languages." In other words Lijo is trying to say that Tulunadu is a place for all. And that is the beauty of the place called Tulunadu. N.P. Shetty, the author of 'Tulunadu Poli Chaira,' said, " Tuluvas are those who apeak Tulu more than those who are born in Tulunadu." Therefore the attitude of people are more welcoming. When people admire a new culture they do find something very special compare to own culture. Therefore we shall just pay attention to the other who has something more to say about the culture of Tulunadu. One of the guy from Tibet said, "Tulunadu is felt because of their expression through Yakshagana and other cultural art forms." It is very authentic when someone has experienced on his own the uniqueness of this culture.

     The people of Tulunadu are united because of their culture. They take pride in their differences as it motivates them to follow their tradition. The people have gone out of their territory yet their remain loyal to their culture by practicing it in some way or other. Whether they are fisher folks or any other for that matter they take up a business that is close their culture.
        They love for own culture and tradition reflects in their actions. As a result their spread their culture and its uniqueness everywhere. They are in many fields like cinema, politics, business and so on but their love for their culture they express it in their worship and relation. 

Reference: Tulunadu Poli Echaina, N.P.Shetty, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, 2011.

Life in Bengre goes beyond Coastal Karnataka

        Tulunadu is incomplete without mentioning about the Mogaveera community. The word has originated from 'Mogeyar'. This community is known as a fishing community for they are at the coastal part of Karnataka where they find their livelihood. For you and I who live in Mangalore will be appropriate to visit Bengre to know the life of the fishing folks or Mogaveera.
        They cannot just be be forgotten for many reasons.  Obviously they cannot be forgotten for one major reason is that they make huge contribution to the business of fishing. When I visited the Bengre, the fishery folks were  busy in their own world which is in a way leaving us the message that they are in their world. What is their own world? can be a good question for all of us to ask. But there is something more to say other than the simplest answer-Bengre. The people of Tulunadu keep growing each day because of their dedication to one profession which is admired many other ethnic groups. Therefore we cannot forget the synonym, Bengre for Tuluvas or Mogaveera.
        Mangalore is known for business and industries. This status of Mangalore is know to all over the world because of the Mogaveera who have specialized in this particualar profession.

Puli Munchi has a traditional flavor

      Pulimunchi means fish curry out of chilli without using coconut.  People love the food because it has traditional flavor which has stole the hearts of present generation.
      Puli Munchi preparation has a lot to with tarmarind, dry roasted chilly and seeds such as coriander, fennel, mustard, cumin, and methi all make miracle of the flavor. But does it differ from hand to hand. It may not be if it is followed exactly but people have the tendency to add other ingredients which at times spoil the taste of puli munchi.

The preparation is something special compare to all other preparation because the ingredients and kind of fish they use to bring out flavor.  Pulimunchi preparation is like by even the other ethnic groups because they say that it has a some traditional and original taste of what we ate when we were small. That special taste we do not find in other places. The flavor is simply nice only when the fish, 'Macril' is used in the curry.

     People from other parts of the world come here to taste this special preparation which is found only in Mangalore. The preparation loses its actual flavor when non-Tulu speaking prepares because of the ignorance. Therefore this preparation is specialized by mostly the Tuluvas who acquired from their ancestors. 

    As a non-Tuluvas I cherish the taste whenever I get chance to explore fish preparation. This something unique in Tulunadu which more popularized specially in Mangalore where hundreds of people flock everyday to grab this special flavor.

Passion for own culture sets them free

        The people of Tulunadu keep growing in every possible way. Their passion for the culture and land has placed them in a world where they keep exploring new horizons. The love they have for their language and culture free themselves to go beyond territories to contribute to the bigger society which inspires other ethnic groups. There is strong bondage among Tuluvas. Since the people belong to agrarian society their traditions unites them as one family. That is why B. A. Viveka Rai, a professor of Kannada Language and Literature of Mangalore University in his article said, “Tulu culture is a living tradition.”  They maintain their cultural and religious vibration wherever they go.

       Though there are people from all walks of life here in Tulunadu yet they make difference by their unique identity. As a result it is others who are enriched by their culture rather than the people of Tulunadu. Their dedication to traditional, culture and art has made Mangalore a unique place.

     We find everywhere the traditional programs are being held. By organizing programs like Yakshagana, Pilivesha, Butha Kola, Kambla, etc. the people of Tulunadu culturally united. The traditional flavor of all the programs has not distorted even though the western culture is a dominant factor of the era. But it is unfortunate that the corporate is trying to hijack the land of the people. While culture is dying in many parts of the world due to the technological and scientific advancement the Tulu culture still continues to inspire people. What makes the culture ‘a living one’ is that it is growing in the hearts of people.

Reference: http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/11i/15_rai.pdf 

         

Certainly Tulunadu is a synonym for nature

     While reading and writing about Tulunadu and its culture it is so tangible to understand that Tulunadu and nature share common ground in most of the things.  If we look at the kind of celebrations in Tulunadu like Bisu, Kambla, Cock fight, Yakshagana, Suggi, Nagapanchami, etc. they are  all closely connected to the nature. If the nature is separated from their activities or celebrations then the people have nothing to associate with. That is where their tradition play a vital role in confirming the practices as they confirmed from their ancestors. The people’s religious worship symbolically stands out from other religions because it vibrates with nature and planets.
                                               

      As Hinduism is an ancient religion of India their origin is traced back to centuries (the Vedic period) when the Hindu scriptures are written. If we read the scripture the Sun, Moon God and River Ganga are all associating with the nature.  This is where the people of Tulunadu find their culture sharing common ground with the nature. They do distinguish from other Hindu belief system in terms of the form of God they worship and ceremony they perform to God (Botha Kola).

       All the traditional and folk music, songs and drama find their root in the tradition which is born out of natural believe system because they are rather spontaneous. As a result the new generation is able to tune their life-style according to their tradition. Though there is difference in the external appearance of the people their mindset is naturally attune to their traditional belief system. That is where the new generation plays an important role in keeping their culture close to nature. Otherwise their culture will not have strong foundation; therefore to help the culture survive the nature has to be nurtured wherein people are nurtured.

Another important thing to note about the relation between nature and Tulu culture in the words of Deccan Herald is ‘Tulu culture is mainly based on farming culture,’ which is crystal clear in understanding the relationship in nutshell.

Reference: Tulu Culture can’t survive without nature, Deccan Herald, 20 April 2014, Mangalore

Tulunadu at the service of people

    Tulunadu is able to cross boundaries and fences as it thinks out of the box. The people have made contribution not only in the past but also now.

    Tuluvas are know for hard working especially in agriculture and other business like fishing. They are known as agrarian society which is the most important contribution of India to other countries. Indian keep leading  in agriculture especially in cultivating paddy. The people of India can grow a lot cash crops but if they stop cultivating paddy they themselves cannot survive. Therefore paddy cultivation becomes the utmost priority for Indian agriculturists but unfortunately the corporate hijack through different means altogether.  

     Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is one of major example which can explain us the role of corporate in destroying the tradition of agricultural society. Other cash crops too are in no way less compare to other states when we take Tulunadu. Tulunadu is also known for Cashew nuts and arecanat. They export the highest amount of cashew to other countries. They contribute a large share in the economic growth especially in this area of cultivation.