CH NEWS, CHIKKAMAGALURU
The Devara Gadde Naati, planting ceremony in Horanadu village of Kalasa taluk in Chikkamagaluru district, which has been going on for hundreds of years, was held this year too with great enthusiasm and a festive atmosphere. More than 700 people participated in the planting ceremony simultaneously in a six-acre field.
This ritual, which is also known as Horanadu Devara Gadde Naati, Dodmane Naati, is a tradition that has been going on for generations. It is believed that this six-acre land in the Annapoorneshwar area belongs to God. The planting of this land has become a symbol of the unity, agricultural culture, devotion and coexistence of the people of the Malnadu region.
This ritual called planting the field of God is a religious belief. Those who participate in this act do so without any expectation of reward, and the surrounding villagers participate in this celebration in the name of service to God.
A day will be designated for the planting of the God’s field during the rainy season and information will be given about this. On this day, people from the surrounding villages of Kalasa, Sringeri, Jayapura, Balehole, Kogre, etc. in the district come in droves and participate here as if it were their own field. After the planting work is completed, food will be arranged for all the participants in the Doddamane premises. Another special thing is that the tradition of delivering nuts in the form of a bag from Doddamane to the homes of those who participated in the planting during the Gauri festival continues to this day.
This mass planting, in which hundreds of people and more than 50 bullocks participate, is a true mountain festival. The planting of an area of about 6 acres is completed in three to four hours. Before this planting, special worship and religious rituals are performed for the deity in the big house. The planting work is started only after the prasad offered to the deity is brought to the field and worshipped.Despite the rain and cold, people from dozens of surrounding towns came to the Devaramane farm in Horanadu to participate in the planting work. The women were seen planting in the fields and singing old folk songs, while the scene of ploughing the fields with ploughshares was reminiscent of the traditional farming practices of the Malnadu region.