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.

Prosperity in Tulunadu is the result of monsoon

        Being a student from other state I was very happy to be welcomed by the monsoon rain in Mangalore. My experience goes back to those days when I participated in the rain contest conducted at our residence in 2012. The rain fall used to go easily up to 12.8cm and so on. When I visited some part of Dakshina Kannada the experience in monsoon was memorable one because I used play in the water fall, take bath, click photos, etc. The fields were filled with plenty of water and the paddy cultivation used to cover the entire land. Gushing water in the river used to attract the travelers. This was and is the state of Tulunadu where we could hardly find plants drying and water scarcity leaving the people experience drought.

                                                     

      Though coconut and other trees including houses get damaged due to the landslides at times there is life in abundance everywhere. The issue of Nethravathi river diversion is nothing but people’s over confidence in assuming that there is enough water which can be diverted for other purposes. The dispute of Cauvery River between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka gives us wider understanding that the state has sufficient water even to supply to other states. Therefore monsoon plays a vital role in the prosperity of Tulunadu.  The city has high yielding cash crops which fetches the people of Tulunadu more fortunes. The business and other industries keep thriving because of the maximum utility of monsoon rain.

        The place is blessed with Western Ghats which is major source to support the growth of the people of Tulunadu. But everyone needs to become aware of the corporate presence which might grab the cultivation land from the ordinary peasants. For instance, the question of SEZ in Mangalore can be a bigger threat.

                                                    

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. 

Laterite stone makes Tulunadu a unique place

       Mangalore is self sufficient in producing a lot of materials that are indispensable for its people. Being a non- Mangalorian I find that a number of things one can speak about why Mangalore is a unique place. One of the many things could be 'Laterite or Red Stone.' It is a stone which is naturally carved out or cut out from huge rocks could be one of the significant contributions of the ancestors of Tulunadu. 

     The geographical shape of the land (valleys and mountains), multi-culture and lingual, tiles, cash nuts, coconut, areca nut, red stone or laterite stone etc. are some of them are the exclusive material of Tulunadu or Dakshina Kannada. Red stone (as called by the local people) is triple the size of a brick which is used in most of the states of India.

       On the other hand, there is one thing that is very common and visible but ignored by people is ‘Laterite stone.’ The stone which is special to Mangalore is used by people all. What unifies is that whether they are tallest building or small traditional houses such as Gothumane are all built using ‘Laterite stone.’ The stone may look breakable but proved solid by everyone. The stone have high demand because they made difference in Tulunadu. The size of the stone was originally 18x9x6 at the time of British rule but today the contractors have reduced the size into 16x9x6 or 13x8.5x7 for their business interest. Though the size is reducing yet the price has shot up from Rs.15 to Rs. 22 as noted by M Purushotham Kottary, President, and Civil Contractor Association.  

Bisu-is the beginning of life and celebration

      Bisu means a lot to the people especially of Tulunadu. But the same day which falls in the second week of April is an auspicious day for many of the Southern states because it is considered as the FIRST DAY of their calendar.

    The significance that people have attached to this day tells us about the deepest desire. One of the important parts of the event in ‘Bisu’ is Vishukkani.  But the meaning that the people of Tulunadu have attached to it is, ‘The first thing seen on the day of Bisu. It means a lot the people for one reason. That is unity which is drawn through the means of ‘hard work.’ When you and I have the desire to see some good things on an auspicious day like Bisu we work for it. The fruits, beetle leaves,  holy texts, rice, arecanut, yellow flowers, vegetables, lamp, etc are kept in the prayer hall to say a word to God that there is prosperity in our lives and for which we are thankful. Therefore Bisu is a blessing for the ones who wants to begin the year meaningfully and joyfully. It is an invitation to have the spirit of sharing and hard working so that the meaning of Bisu is reflected throughout the year.

    This Tuluva New Year is mostly celebrated in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi because of the Tuluvas presence. But the same name, with different spelling is celebrated in Kerala. The joy of celebration brings the people as one family is quite distinct. 

Can Culture of Tulunadu be compared to Big Bang Theory?

       Anybody who has experienced the culture of Tulunadu would agree with me that it has a nature of Big Bang theory. Centuries back there was something called ‘Tulu Culture,’ which would not have been realized today without the nature of Big Bang theory. The idea of Big bang theory is that the particle has origin which caused the universe. This aspect I see in the Tulu culture which caused further exploration. Tulunadu has prospered for its nature of keeping the tradition alive. The agrarian society never stopped cultivation and as a result it started contributing the nation's economy. There are cash crops, paddy and other business like fishing pushed them to move forward. 
     The nature of perseverance, hard works and business skills was the ultimate source of human power which caused the growth of Tulunadu. They keep developing the art and culture which is so unique of Tulunadu. They have become part and parcel of the life of Tulu people. As N.P. Shetty said that the tuluvas are those who speak more than those who are born in this land.

Tulu Script - A Vehicle for the progress of Tulu

         A language can be seen as a river of thoughts and expressions. Human thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinioins, etc take shape in the form of simple words that take flight with the use of language. Language takes deep root into our personality. Isnt it common to see people identifying themselves to a particular language and a culture so easily? It wouldn't be wrong to say that language interacts with every human being at a very deeper level. Remove language from our history and there wouldn't be any trace of history. The importance of language cannot go more higher than this.

      Language is like a river, but in order to be alive, language needs to flow like the river. A river that does not flow is lifeless. There is a need for literature and art to add beauty and new dimension to language. This is where a script for a language becomes a need. Any language can appeal and speak to people when it has a distinct script of its own.

      It is sad to note that a seperate Tulu script is not in common use today. Spoken Tulu language is more popular in Dakshina Kannada, Kasargod, Udupi and the surrounding places than its script. Tulu gets written in Kannada script even though Tulu has a seperate script which is not familiar to Tulu speakers. The unique Tulu script has remained in the domain of books and researchers in Tulu language. There is a need to bring out the script into the lives of the common people and popularise Tulu script. Moreover there must be simultaneous and ongoing efforts made to educate Tulu speakers and lovers to use it more and more. This would increase the beauty and the value of Tulu. 

Moodabidri is an important place of Tulunadu

Moodabidri is one of the unique places of Tulunadu called ‘Temple Town’. It attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. There are number of significant spots that one cannot afford to miss in Moodabidri. Jain temples, thousand pillars of Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi, variety of bamboos and medicinal plants, 16^th century Portuguese built church and so on.

Coconut, a cash crop that beautifies Tulunadu

        The Coastal Karnataka is known for cash crops such as coconut, paddy, wheat, etc. But of all one can see the coconut trees have spread all over the region which adds real beauty to the whole of Tulunadu. What makes Tulunadu so rich and unique from other regions is that the wealth of cash crop among all other agricultural wealth. Coconut trees have earned a special place in the hearts of the people of Tulunadu for various reasons.
        Whatever other cash crops may yield yet coconut trees occupy a huge area of land which makes a big difference in Tulunadu. Whether it is hills or valley coconut trees are grown everywhere. Coconuts are used for cooking, oil, drinking tender coconut water which gives people a medicinal effect. Everyone uses coconut almost everyday for various reasons. Whatever other cash crops may yield yet coconut trees occupy a huge area which makes big difference in Tulunadu.

Ulidavaru Kandante captures the moments of Tulunadu

       A film that has a local flavor has stolen the hearts of many in the coastal Karnataka. Ulidavaru Kandante (as seen by the rest) is a gift to the people of Tulunadu who cherish seeing their cultural dances, songs and language on the big screen.  Mr. Rakshit Shetty, a director from Udupi, has personalized the story in such a way that he has very well depicted the local culture, language, way of living, etc. The film brings Malpe, the fishery coast to the screen to talk to the people in a realistic way. The director also adds the element of religiosity by placing Bhootha’s name.

     He is fondly remembered by the people of South Canara for not only honoring Tulu culture by bringing on the bigger screen but also for capturing the emotions of Tuluvas all over the nation.  

The four star rating film is one of the very few films in Kannada which has explored the various aspect of rustic life of the people of Tulunadu. The film explored the moments of mythology so that the Director is able to bring the characters to a relevant context. By the nature of the plot of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon Mr. Rakshit has presented the story in an appealing way.

   The specialty of the film is that the Director seemed to have lived and relived thousands of films in order to bring what he dreamt of as a small boy. The tiger dance, yakshagana are few of the fascinating dances which brought a lot excitements among people as they are dear to them.

Mogaveeras’s life in the Coastal Karnataka

         Mogaveeras have spread all over  coastal Karnataka. Their language is determined by the type of coastal area. There are some who speak Tulu and others Kannada and Konkani. In Udupi they are known as 'Marakalas' and 'Bovis' in Ullal. The people of   The fishery folk of Coastal Karnataka are quite popularly known as 'native fishing community', everywhere.   The profession of fishing has made a revolution in the Coastal districts  because it has becoming a booming business of Karnataka. The Tulu speaking fishery folks are from Brahmavara, the Southern part of Karavali have made Tulunadu a unique place.

Tulunadu is an acclaimed word for many reasons

            Tulunadu is a fascinating name for people because they have made a name in the national as well as international level. Though they are unable to carve out Tulunadu from the entire country of India yet part of the nation or world they have carved out by creating niche for themselves. There are black spots but they are invisible for they have gone ahead.
                                                          

        In Karnataka the people of Tulunadu are quite passionate about their culture, language, and life on the whole. As a result they are able to keep their tradition still alive and relevant. For example, traditional games of Kambala, huli-dana, Cock fight and dance such as yakshagana and folk dances Dudi kunita, Aati kalenja Karangolu, Sonada jogi, Maadira, Pili-panji kunita and the number of academy Karnataka Tulunad Sangh, Karnataka Tulu Academy and so on making a big impact in the city.

       Therefore there are examples in local and regional level. But to go beyond national level there are stars like Aiswarya Rai, Shipa Shetty, the goddesses of Bollywood and Hollywood acclaimed at the international level. They have brought name and fame to our country by participating in the miss world contest. They have taken the name of our country to a great height in their own way. This is a most significant contribution of Tulunadu. We cannot forget the black spots like Ravi Poojari, Muthappa Rai, Sadhu Shetty and Yarsin Bhatkal who have taken the name of Tulunadu to underworld. But what all need to be reminded is that do more good and the bad will pass away. Tulunadu will live forever.

(K'taka Tulunad Sangh Sangli, Miraj celebrates 25 yrs)

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=209696

Passion for the language and culture creates a thirst for an identity

         Whether we believe it or not, ‘Tulunadu’ is uniquely a separate place or a state at least in the hearts of Tuluvas.  They are not only proud of their language and culture but also they have a dream of making Tulunadu a separate state like the new born Telengana state. As we have seen the report of some local media which quote the words of Kannada Harikrishna Punaroor, a former Sahitya Parishat’s president, “Time opportune to carve out a separate Tulu state,” we can infer that there are some forces working behind making Tulunadu a separate state but it was not pushed it very hard.

         The geographical line perhaps shows that there is a possibility of dividing it but it is not put into practice. The reasons could be that people are happy and content without dividing the state but what they want is ‘an identity’, which is a natural expectation and genuine feelings of everyone. 

Times of Kudla-a weekly paper can make all the difference!

                               

                         

        A most fascinating word which is felt and loved by the people of Mangalore is ‘Kudla’. For most Mangaloreans the word in an emotive way describes their hometown. It has a sentimental value to every person born in Mangalore. The word cannot be separated from their culture.  To respond to such feelings a weekly newspaper, “Times of Kudla” has emerged in the city.

     What is so special about the newspaper? It comes as a gift to the people of Tulunadu and the Mangaloreans to keep in touch with the ancient Tulu culture, tradition, religiosity of the people and their opinion, life-style, etc. This is one of the media which is giving a focused orientation to people and explores various ways to educate and expand the knowledge of the people. It is published once in a week on Friday, yet it covers a wider range of topics revolving around the significance of the culture and the unity in diversity of the all the people living in Mangalore.

       The weekly newspaper highlights the areas of devotion-‘Daiva nade’ or ‘Bhootha’s presence among people’, Tulunadu recipes (how to cook), feature stories about ancient people, monumental things of Tulunadu, radio gudda, games of Tulunadu- Kambla, cock fight, Pili Vesha, health issues, literature related events and writing. Above all, the newspaper also educates the people who want to learn Devanagri script. In short ‘Times of kudla’ can be considered as a beacon to inform its readers about Tulunadu. 
                                                                  

Please don't forget to read "Times of Kudla" the weekly newspaper which takes you around the world of Tulunadu.