About Us

The Kodava people or Kodavas are an indigenous ethnolinguistic group from the region of Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka that speak the Kodava language . Kodavas are traditionally land-owning agriculturists and patrilineal with martial customs. The men are known for their bravery and valour and the women for their grace and beauty. The community though small compared to other communities have provided by large a prominent number to serve both the public and private sectors including  defense, sports, hospitality, entertainment etc. Both men and women are generally well educated and are held at equal grounds in the society. 

Origin

The words Kodava (the indigenous people, language and culture) and Kodagu (the land) come from the same root word 'Koda' of unknown meaning. Some claim that it means 'hills', others say it means 'west', but both relate to the Western Ghats' location. Kodagu is called Kodava Naad in the native Kodava language. For centuries, the Kodavas have lived in Kodagu cultivating paddy fields, coffee plantations, maintaining cattle herds and carrying arms during war. The word ‘Kodagu’ was anglicized as ‘Coorg’ by the British Raj. When the Constitution of India came into force in 1950 and the individual existing provinces were constructed as States, Coorg, an individual province became ‘Coorg State’ from 1950 to 1956. Kodagu/Coorg was later merged into Mysore State (later named as Karnataka in 1973) as per the ‘States Reorganization Act’ in 1956. Thus, currently Kodagu is one of the districts in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

Culture

Kodavas culture with respect to attire, tradition, customs, festivals, ceremonies and cuisine is quite unique. They are nature worshipers, worshiping two main deities - Goddess Kaveramme and Lord Igguthappa with their respective Guru Karanas (ancestors) of their clan/family’s origin. They also worship weapons like swords, knives, machetes, daggers and later guns.

Kodava occassions and gatherings like weddings do no have any Brahmanical practices involved and the ‘Aruva’ , head of the family/clan is seen carrying out the ceremonies rituals with utmost faith without any priests.

Attire

A Kodava woman is called Kodavathi and a Kodava man is called Kodava and their attire is quite distinctive. The men traditionally wear ‘Kupya’, a wraparound robe and ‘Chaale’, a colourful sash around the waist (now only seen at ceremonial occasions) and have many distinguishing practices such as carrying ceremonial knives called the ‘Odi Katthi’ and ‘Peeche Katthi’ and practice variety of martial war dances like ‘Bolkaat, Peeli Aate and so on. The women drape a unique style of sari with the pleats at the back and the loose end pinned at the right shoulder with an ornamental broach. The women indulge in a graceful dance called the ‘Ummathat’.

Kail Poldh (Ayudha Pooja)

Kail Poldh is celebrated on 3rd September. Kail means weapon or armoury and Poldh means festival. Kodavas being agriculturists, this day marks the completion of ‘naati pani’, the transplantation of paddy crop. The festival signifies the day when men should prepare to guard their crop from wild boars and other animals.

During the preceding months until Kail Poldh, all the weapons and arms were normally deposited in the ‘Kanni Kombare’ or the prayer room while the family were engaged in the fields, on the day of Kail Poldh, the weapons are taken out, cleaned, decorated with flowers and worshiped in the ‘Nellakki Nadubade’, the altar in central hall of the house before they are brought into use again. The eldest member of the family hands a gun to the senior member of the family, signifying the commencement of the festivities. A feast follows thereafter, the menu for the day predominantly is Kadumbutte (steamed rice balls) and Pandhi Curry (Pork Curry) along with other accompaniments and alcoholic beverages.

The whole village assembles in the ‘Oor Mandh’ (open ground), where various contests and sports, including marksmanship are conducted for entertainment. In the past hunting and cooking of wild game was a part of the celebration, but today shooting skills are tested by firing at a coconut tied onto the branch of a tall tree. Additionally traditional rural sports like grabbing a coconut from the hands of a group of 8–10 people (thenge porata), throwing a stone the size of a cricket ball at a coconut from a distance of 10–15 paces (thenge eed), lifting a stone ball of 30–40 cm lying at one's feet and throwing it backwards over the shoulders etc., are now conducted. This is also followed in community groups called Kodava Samajas in towns and cities.

Kaveri Sankramana (Worship of Goddess Kaveri)

The Kaveri Sankramana festival normally takes place in mid-October. This festival is associated with the river Kaveri, a lifeline flowing through the district from its source at Talakaveri. At a predetermined time, a natural fountain from holy ‘Kundike’ (a small tank) fills the larger holy tank at Talakaveri where thousands of pilgrims gather to dip in this holy water. The ‘Theertha’ (holy water) from the ‘Kundike’ is collected in bottles and reaches every home throughout Kodagu and is preserved in all Kodava homes. A spoonful of this water is fed to the dying in the belief that they will attain ‘moksha’ (spiritual emancipation) and gain entry to heaven.

On this day, married women wearing the ethnic ‘Kodava Podiya’ (Sari) perform ‘Kani Pooje’ (pooja in reverence to Goddess Kaveri) to a cucumber or a coconut, wrapped in a piece of red silk cloth symbolizing Goddess Kaveri and decorated with flowers and jewellery mainly 'Pathak' (Kodava Mangalasuthra) and bunch of glass bangles.All the members of the family seek the blessings of the Goddess by sprinkling rice as ‘akshathe’ and bow down to their great mother.

The elder members of the family ceremonially bless the younger. An older married woman then draws water from the well and starts cooking. The menu of the day is dosa and ‘Kumbala’ (pumpkin) Curry

Cuisine

White boiled rice (koole) is a staple food of the Kodavas for lunch and dinner. Coconut, plantain, a widespread seasonal fruits like orange, jackfruit, mango, avocado, chickoo etc, vegetables and a assortment of leafy greens are prominently used too. Rice in the form of ‘Kanji koole’ (rice porridge) was served at meals along with curries and other additional dishes during olden days.

Non-vegetarian food was not objectionable and alcoholic drinks as a rule weren't prohibited. Pork, chicken, lamb and river fish are commonly consumed as also were varieties of game meat in the past. Pork is a common dish at many households and the famous Kodava 'Pandhi Curry' (which is almost deep brown in color due to the use of garcinia cambogia vinegar called Kachampuli and black masala) is served along with 'Kadumbutte' (steamed rice balls). Other special dishes include otti (rice roti), paaputte and thaliya putte (steamed rice cakes), noolputte (rice noodles) served with traditional Coorg chicken and mutton curries dominated by coconut and other masala.

A variety seasonal delicacies like sweet water crabs, bymbale (bamboo shoots), wild mushrooms, variety of leafy greens like kembu (colocacia leaves) and therme thoppu (edible ferns), kaade maange (wild mangoes), raw mangoes, tender jackfruit and seeds are cooked and savoured traditionally.

Rice payasa (rice kheer/ rice pudding) was the common dessert served during the olden days and are now accompanied by various other desserts. Apart from these, a variety of native sweets like rave unde (semolina laddoo), chikkle unde (puffed rice balls), badokajjaya (fried rice flour savoury), coconut burfi and others are savoured.

Festivals

Kodava festivities center around their agriculture and military tradition. Originally most of their lives were spent in the field: cultivating, harvesting and guarding their fields from the depredations of wild animals, or otherwise they were either waging war or hunting for game. They follow the lunar calendar and celebrate their traditional new year ‘Edmayar onde’ or ‘Bishu Changrandi’ on the 14th of April (called Vishu in Kerala).

The Kodavas celebrate three main traditional festivals called ‘Namme’ bound to Kodagu alone with pomp and glory. The nature of these festivals are both cultural and religious, Kail Poldh (a festival observed in reverence to arms worship/ayudha pooja), Kaveri Changrandi or Tula Sankramana (Kavery Theerthodbhava) and Puthari (harvest festival) in the months of September, October and November/December respectively. ‘Oor Mandh’ is observed after these festivals where the clans pertaining to their particular villages gather to celebrate together. Other religious gathering include offerings to the 'Guru Karana', the main ancestor of the family and feasting in each of their ancestral house called the ‘Ainmane’ , ‘Devake Kodupo’ and ‘Therre’, offerings to the demigods and goddesses who are believed to be the very protectors of the ‘manne’ (soil) and the clans.

Apart from these, annual ‘Naad Namme’ (village festival) is also observed. Varying from village to village, this festival runs for three to seven days with poojas and food to the people gathered, some villages call this festival as ‘Boad Namme’, where each day will have its own significant celebration with a group of men and children dressing up in different attires/fancy dress as tiger, women etc . It includes various themes and bands and also consists of processions overnight to all the houses in the village entertaining the villagers. The next day they all gather at the holy lake associated with the Oor Devastana (village temple) usually located in ‘Deva kaad’ (sacred groove) for a holy dip, change their attire and take blessings of the Deity in the temple.and payasa. Vegetarian food is cooked on this day and this is the only festival which is strictly vegetarian.

Puttari (Harvest festival)

Puttari, ‘pudiya’ means new and ‘ari’ means rice is the rice harvest festival. This takes place in late November or early December and is always on the night of a full moon. Celebrations and preparations for this festival start a week in advance by all the family members cleaning up the entire house and surroundings, painting the house (whitewash in olden days) to look as good as new.

On the day of Puttari, the whole family assembles together and all the ‘Ainmane’ (ancestral homes) and individual houses are decorated with marigold flowers and green mango leaves. A common time is set in the late evening for ‘Nere Ketto’ (preparing ties to hold the harvested sheaves) and ‘Kadh edpo’ (paddy harvest) and the eldest member of the family hands a sickle to the head of the family to harvest the crop and one of the women leads a procession to the paddy fields with a lit lamp in her hands. A gun is fired to mark the beginning of the harvest and everyone present chant "Poli Poli Deva" (may the Gods grant bounteous harvests). Then the symbolic harvesting of the crop begins. The paddy is cut and stacked and tied in sheaves that are then carried home to be offered to the gods. The sheaves are attached over the front door and the main lamp in the ‘Nellakki Nadubaade’ in every home to mark the generosity of the gods and attract a good harvest the following season.

The younger generation light fireworks and revel symbolizing prosperity. Groups of youngsters visit neighboring houses to celebrate and are given monetary gifts. A week later, this money is pooled and the entire village celebrates a community dinner.

All the food prepared is first offered as ‘Meedhi’ to the ancestors before the family eats. Specific food prepared are ‘thambutte’ (dish prepared with mashed bananas, roasted rice powder, garnished with grated coconut, sesame seeds and ghee)and special dish with ‘Puttari Kalenji’ (Elephnat Yam) boiled in Jaggery water and garnished with grated coconut and ghee is served in the evening. All family members gather for this meal and the dinner menu is quite elaborate consisting of meat dishes such as pork, chicken and lamb. Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are both served as well.