Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru Kodava Samaja celebrated Puthari-2022, the harvest festival of Kodagu, in traditional fervour and gaiety at the Samaja premises in Vijayanagar here last evening.

Hundreds of members of the Samaja, wearing Kodava attire, attended the celebrations. Kodava men and women presented traditional dances on the occasion which won the applause of all those present.

 In the previous years, the festival used to be celebrated at Sree Cauvery School premises in Kuvempunagar. But this year the celebrations were held in the Samaja premises itself and arrangements were made to distribute kadh (new paddy crop) to all the members by the Samaja volunteers.

The festival marks bringing home the new paddy crop from the fields, a symbolic welcome to Goddess Lakshmi. Before harvesting, the members chanted slogans ‘Poli Poli Deva’.

As part of the tradition, after the paddy sheaves are brought home, a unique pudding thambittu is prepared out of ripe banana, coconut, jaggery, sesame, cardamom, ghee and roasted boiled rice flour. Some grains of newly harvested paddy are used to prepare the dishes at home.

Office-bearers and Management Committee Members of Kodava Samaja, Mysuru; President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa;  Vice-President Malachira M. Ponnappa; Hon. Secretary Mukkatira B. Jeevan; Joint Secretary Appanderanda Tara Somaiah;  Hon. Treasurer Machimada P. Nanaiah; former Presidents and a large number of community people, young and old, were present.