414. Tulu Koota in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune

Tulu koota, 27 th January 2019,Chinchwad, Pune (Photo courtesy: Shri.Shekhar Poojary, Chitrapu)

There is a surge of Tulu speaking diaspora coming together and forming Tulu Koota, a Congregation of Tuluvas, in many parts of the land. This is a new nomenclature for ‘Tulu Chavadi’ (= Tulu Meeting Hall), which are active in some cities of Karnataka.   This enthusiastic Tuluva Pride was enkindled by the first ‘Tulu Vishwa Sammelana-2009’ (Tulu International Conference) held between December 10 and 13, 2009 at Ujire near Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada District.  Blogs in Tulu and Kannada are proliferating, bringing out Tulu Psyche in writings and pictures.   Age-old tradition of Divine Spirit worship (Bhootaaraandhane), temple festivals, Yakshagana and pastimes are depicted in YouTubes.  Enthusiastic participation of youth is noteworthy.  Traditionally, Tuluva culture encompasses all class, caste and creed of Tulu Nadu, now known as Dakshina Kannada District and Udupi District.

Being a sort of recluse, I rarely attend social functions, that too late night programmes.  As an exception, I attended perforce a Tulu Koota in Chinchwad on an open invitation on 27^th January.   By a very long and continuous stay, I am a Maharashtrian by domicile.  Things change in ones life.  Circumstances in my life need my presence more in native place.  That is why I used the word ‘perforce’ as I wanted to be an audience being at Pune.

Tulu Koota is vibrant in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation area for the last seven years as a Wing of the Tulu Koota Pune City. It was arranging Sports & Games and helping other needy persons.   First one of such Koota is attended by me.  The Annual Gathering held on 27^th January at Ramakrishna More Sabhagriha, Chinchwad is unique and eventful.  It is eventful because it is now working as a self-luminous mantle under the name “Tulu Koota Pimpri-Chinchwad”. 

The honourable guests, who decorated the dais along with President Shri Harish Shetty and other office-bearers of Tulu Koota, are: Sarvashri Santosh Shetty (President of Bunts Sangha, Pune and guiding force behind the construction of Bunts Bhavan along National Highway near Balevadi), Raghupati Bhat (sitting MLA of Udupi), A. Gopala Anchan (Member of Tulu Sahitya Academy, Mangalore) and Kudhi Vasant Shetty (Principal of Kudhi Vishnumoorthi High School and President of India Awardee for Best Teaching at the hands of Hon. Pranav Mukherjee).

The highlights of the Programme are:

1. Show of Tuluva culture at the entrance.

2. Welcoming the Guests with much fanfare.  The procession is led by Chande-beating team (in Tuluva style) and trumpeters (in Maharashtrian garb), followed by Kalash-holding ladies’ group and four children in traditional Yakshagana attire.

3. Programme started on lighting of the lamp around 4 pm with Invocation Prayer to Lord Ganesha, Rasa Manjari of Singing, and variety entertainments by members. Nutan Suvarna interviewed threeShetty-housewives Jaya-Jyoti-Prema.  They shared their life experience, blend with duty and patience, with their enterprising husbands, who are also doing social activities. 

4. Last was the performance of award-winning Tulu Nataka ‘Manni’  by Mumbai Party.It was with a theme of motherly love.  It moves around an obscure mother of a girl baby, abandoned by her family.  The baby suffers at the hands of her grand-mother and grows with specially-abled body.  The hapless mother becomes a surrogate mother to an NRI couple and gives birth to another special baby girl due to infirmity in donor mother.  Donor mother forsakes the child and goes back to foreign land.  Hospital doctor asks surrogate mother to take care of the child or otherwise they would have to give the baby to Anathashram whereupon she readily accepts to shower her motherly love to the hapless, irrespective of safe-guarding the child with financial help by donor mother. The drama happily ends with the hospital doctor-couple adopting the child.

5. Raghupati Bhat spoke about the endearing qualities of the Tuluvas and honied Tulu Language, which attracts a Tuluva wherever he is to another Tuluva.  He appreciated the Tuluva Diaspora who create a Mini Tulu Nadu to uphold the age-old traditions.  He urged the necessity of brushing shoulders with Tulu diaspora by main-land Tuluvas.He showered all praise to the Tulu Drama.

6. Gopala Anchan gave a brief sketch how Tulu Sahitya Academy is striving to popularise Tulu Lipi and teaching of Tulu in Schools and colleges.  He pinpointed the divergent ways in observing Tuluva rites an exhorted them to do a heart-searching and to eschew glorification in worship of Daiva-Devas.  He tried to bring home the point of difference in ‘Moola Aradhana Paddhati and Andhashradde.

7. Vasanta Shetty spoke about originality of Tuluva faith and belief, agro-based nature-worship and culture, family bond and worship of manes.  He spoke about confusions created by Sanskritisation of names of Divine Spirits.  He gave some examples of what are superstitions and what are not.

8. The specially invited Guests Santosh Shetty and his wife Divya were honoured as the Achievers of the year.

The Programme ended (around 10.30 pm or so) with honouring of some other guests, Thanks giving and Sneha Bhojan.

Tail-Piece

Salutation to you, the Tuluva Mother!   It would not be out of place if we reproduce a Tulu Poem (Post-24/29.07.2017), published earlier in our Tulu Blog: poomaale.

ಓಲಗ ಓಲಗ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆಗ್

ಪೂರ್ವ ರಂಗ – ಜಯಕಾರ

ಬಲ್ಲೆ ಓಲಗವಾಲೆ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆ  (ಪಲ್ಲ)

ಈರೆ ಜೋಕುಲೆನು ತೂಲೆ ಎಂಕೆಲೆ ಅಪ್ಪೆ

ಪತ್ತುದೆರ್ ತುಳುನುಡಿ  ಬಾವುಟೆ ಕೈಟ್ ಪೂತ ಮಾಲೆ  (ಅನುಪಲ್ಲ)

ಬೊಮ್ಮನ ರಾಣಿ ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಕುಳ್ದೆರು  ಸಾರ ಎಸಳುದ ತಾಮರೆಡು

 ಆರೆಗು ಜೋಕುಲು  ದಿಂಜ  ಎಸಳುದ ಕೊಡಿದಂಚ

ಸಾರುವರ್ ಆರೆನ ಮೈಮೆನು ಆಕಲಕೆನ  ಬಾಲ ಬಾಸೆಡು

ಆ ಸಾರ ದನಿಕು ಪಣ್ಪೆರು ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸ್ವರ ಸ್ವರ ಕೂಡಿನಂಚ              || 1 ||

ಬಲ್ಲೆ ಓಲಗವಾಲೆ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆ 

ಈರೆ ಜೋಕುಲೆನು ತೂಲೆ ಎಂಕೆಲೆ ಅಪ್ಪೆ

ದೆರ್ತು ಪತ್ತುದೆರ್ ತುಳುನುಡಿ ಬಾವುಟೆ ಕೈಟ್ ಪೂತ ಮಾಲೆ 

ನಮ ನಾಡುಗು ಪಣ್ಪೆರು ತುಳು ನಾಡು  ಪಚ್ಚೆಪೈರುದ ಪೊರ್ಲು

ಮಿತ್ತ್ ತುಂಗ ಸಹ್ಯ ಶೃಂಗ ತಿರ್ತ್ ಕಡಲು ಜಲತರಂಗ

ಬಡಕಾಯಿಡ್ ಭೃಗುಮಂಡಲ ತೇಂಕಾಯಿ ಕಣ್ವ ಮಂಡಲ

ಓಲಗ ಓಲಗ ಭಾರತಿ ಕುಮಾರ್ತಿಗು ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆಗು                                 || 2 || 

ಬಲ್ಲೆ ಓಲಗವಾಲೆ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆ 

ಈರೆ ಜೋಕುಲೆನು ತೂಲೆ ಎಂಕೆಲೆ ಅಪ್ಪೆ

ದೆರ್ತು ಪತ್ತುದೆರ್ ತುಳುನುಡಿ ಬಾವುಟೆ ಕೈಟ್ ಪೂತ ಮಾಲೆ  

ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಸರಿತ್ಸಾಗಾರ  ಆರೆ ನಂದಿನಿ ಈರು ಬಂಗಾರ

ಕಡಕಡಲು ಸಾರ ತುದೆ ಕಡತುದು ಬತ್ತೆರು ಎಂಕೆಲ ಹಿರಿಯಾಕುಳು

ಈರೆ ನುಡಿ ಪತ್ತುದು ಉಂತಿಯೆರ್ ಈ ಕೆಂಪು ಮಣ್ಣುಡು ದಿಂಜಿದುನು ಸಾರ

ಕಾಡು ಕಡ್ತೆರು ನಾಡು ಮಲ್ತೆರು ಬೆನ್ನಿಯೆರ್ ಒಡಿ ದಾಂತಿನಿತ್ತಿನ ಕಂಡೊಡು     ||3||

ಬಲ್ಲೆ ಓಲಗವಾಲೆ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆ 

ಈರೆ ಜೋಕುಲೆನು ತೂಲೆ ಎಂಕೆಲೆ ಅಪ್ಪೆ

ದೆರ್ತು ಪತ್ತುದೆರ್ ತುಳುನುಡಿ ಬಾವುಟೆ ಕೈಟ್ ಪೂತ ಮಾಲೆ  

ಜಯತು ಜಯ ಜಯತು ಜಯ ಈರೆಗು ಪನ್ಪ ಜಯಕಾರ

ಈರೆ ಬಂಜಿಡ್ ಬತ್ತಿನೆಕೆಳೆನ ನುಡಿ ನಮನ ಮಮಕಾರ

ಜಯಜಯತು  ಅಪ್ಪೆ ಈರೆನ  ಮಂಗಳಾಚರಣ

ಈರೆ ಪೆರ್ಮೆನು ಪದ ಕಟ್ಟುದು ಪಣ್ದು  ತುತಿಪೆರ ಕೊರ್ಲೆ ಎಂಕುಲೆಗ್ ತ್ರಾಣ

ಬಲ್ಲೆ ಓಲಗವಾಲೆ ತುಳುವಪ್ಪೆ 

ಈರೆ ಜೋಕುಲೆನು ತೂಲೆ ಎಂಕೆಲೆ ಅಪ್ಪೆ

ದೆರ್ತು ಪತ್ತುದೆರ್ ತುಳುನುಡಿ ಬಾವುಟೆ ಕೈಟ್ ಪೂತ ಮಾಲೆ                  ||4||

--- ಕರ್ತವೆ:  ಹೊಸಬೆಟ್ಟು ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥ್ (ಪುಣೆ)

Hosabettu Vishwanath, Pune