Tuluvas Aati Month/Events

The Aati month, falling during the monsoon season, holds a special place in the cultural calendar of the Tuluvas. It is a time rich with rituals and traditions that reflect the deep connection between the Tulu people and their natural environment. Key aspects of Aati month include:

☙Aati Amavase:🌚🌚🌚
On the New Moon day of Aati Amavasya, a revered custom unfolds – the consumption of Paleda Kashaya, a medicinal potion. This annual ritual, performed before sunrise, aims to bestow health and safeguard against stomach ailments. Following this ritual, families indulge in Metteda Ganji or Menthe Ganji, a nourishing mixture of rice, fenugreek, and jaggery.

☙Aati Kalenja:
A symphony with nature resonates in the tradition of Aati Kalenja, where the spirit of Kalenja is invoked to protect humans. This dance ritual involves spreading a mixture of water, charcoal, turmeric, and tamarind powder from door to door, infusing homes with positive energy and warding off misfortune. Northern part of Kerala there are similar kind of dance called Bedan.

☙Aati Kullunu:
Harkening to a bygone era, Aati Kullunu provided married women with respite, granting them a month of rest in their maternal homes. Once a fundamental practice, it acknowledged the year-round toil of women in their marital households, encompassing both domestic and agricultural responsibilities.

☙Aati Agel:
Reverent Rituals Honoring Ancestral Bonds. As the sun sets on the day of Amavasya, a sacred tradition known as "Aati Agel" comes to life, illuminating the hearts of Tulu people with a profound connection to their ancestors. Rooted in religious belief and practiced with deep devotion, Aati Agel is a time for families to craft a heartfelt offering for their departed forefathers, demi spirits, and deities.

☙Aati Games:🎲🎲🎲
Aati month games are traditional folk games and festivities that are celebrated in the Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka, India, during the Aati month. Chennemane is played on a distinctive circular or rectangular wooden board with a series of interconnected hollows or pits. Each player controls one side of the board and has a designated set of hollows. The number of hollows in each set can vary, but they are usually arranged in two rows.

☙Aatitonji Dina:
Organized games and sports in a muddy field that was open to Participants engaged in numerous games and sports in the wet, muddy field, accompanied by a display of a variety of food.

☙Foods of Aati Month:🥘🍳🔥
Embracing the abundance of Aati Month, locals revel in locally grown greens and vegetables. Hog plums, bamboo shoots, wild bitter gourds, and an array of wild greens take center stage, creating nourishing dishes that resonate with the vibrancy of the season.

☙Nagarapanchami Festival: 𓆗𓆗𓆗
Aati Month culminates in reverence for Nagaraja, the serpent god. Elaborate idols are venerated, and rituals are performed to appease this deity, revered as a guardian against snake bites and perils. Lively processions during the "Nagarapanchami" festival unite communities in spirited devotion.

☙Preserving Aati:
Through the Lens of Film In a world undergoing rapid transformation, Aati Month stands as a sentinel of cultural legacy. Amidst the influence of modernity, the importance of documenting and celebrating traditions like Aati Month takes center stage. Through the lens of cinema, the passion of rituals, the harmony of celebrations, and the profound connection to nature can be immortalized, ensuring the legacy of this cherished tradition thrives for generations to come. As the inexorable march of time continues, the preservation of Aati Month becomes more essential than ever – an eternal flame ignited by the Tuluva people, lighting the path for the generations ahead.