Feasting in Kodagu
The mid-monsoon month known as 'Ashada Masa' is regarded to be an inauspicious month for festivities. In Kodagu district, however, the locals observe 'Kakkada' (Ashada) almost like a family feast.
Kakkada is commonly celebrated by households all over Kodagu. It is always celebrated by serving seasonal herbal delicacies to guests. Usually, the menu for Kakkada consists of sweet dishes mostly made from the extracts of Ayurvedic plants and trees like baimbale (bamboo shoot) and widely used madd toppu (naati soppu in Kannada).
For Kakkada, the first and foremost requirement is madd toppu, also called Kurunji toppu, from which a cake and madd kool (porridge) are prepared with a mix of dark violet-coloured aromatic juice extracted from the leaves of madd toppu.
Also. called white shrimp or squirrel's tail, madd toppu, has a botanical name justicia betonica of acanthaceae family.
Kakkada Padinett (18th day of Ashada) is observed as a special day of Kakkada, the season of madd toppu, the medicinal plant which is said to contain as many as 18 types of herbs. Also, on the 18th day of Kakkada, the curative effect and the aromatic essence of madd toppu are said to be at their peak.
The generations-old tradition of Kodagu, Kakkada, is in effect, the Kodavas' environmental initiative to conserve the locally found but fast dwindling precious flora.
The mid-monsoon month known as 'Ashada Masa' is regarded to be an inauspicious month for festivities. In Kodagu district, however, the locals observe 'Kakkada' (Ashada) almost like a family feast.
Kakkada is commonly celebrated by households all over Kodagu. It is always celebrated by serving seasonal herbal delicacies to guests. Usually, the menu for Kakkada consists of sweet dishes mostly made from the extracts of Ayurvedic plants and trees like baimbale (bamboo shoot) and widely used madd toppu (naati soppu in Kannada).
For Kakkada, the first and foremost requirement is madd toppu, also called Kurunji toppu, from which a cake and madd kool (porridge) are prepared with a mix of dark violet-coloured aromatic juice extracted from the leaves of madd toppu.
Also. called white shrimp or squirrel's tail, madd toppu, has a botanical name justicia betonica of acanthaceae family.
Kakkada Padinett (18th day of Ashada) is observed as a special day of Kakkada, the season of madd toppu, the medicinal plant which is said to contain as many as 18 types of herbs. Also, on the 18th day of Kakkada, the curative effect and the aromatic essence of madd toppu are said to be at their peak.
The generations-old tradition of Kodagu, Kakkada, is in effect, the Kodavas' environmental initiative to conserve the locally found but fast dwindling precious flora.
