Codava National Council Marks 31st Edmyar New Year Celebration with Traditional Rituals

The day began with ritualistic worship of Mother Earth in the paddy fields of Bettathur village, located in Bengnaad, Kodagu.

MADIKERI: The Codava National Council (CNC) celebrated the 31st annual Codava New Year, Edmyar 1, on Sunday with a symbolic ritual to honour the Codava tribe's deep-rooted connection to nature, heritage, and identity. As per the Codava calendar, Edmyar 1 fell on April 13 this year.

The day began with ritualistic worship of Mother Earth in the paddy fields of Bettathur village, located in Bengnaad, Kodagu. The ceremony was hosted at the fields of Kupadhira N. Mohan, where CNC Chairman N.U. Nachappa Codava personally conducted the traditional ploughing of the field using bullocks.

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“This ritual signifies our reverence to Mother Earth and our enduring bond with the soil,” said Nachappa. The Codava tradition forbids tilling by oxen on Mondays, prompting the community to mark the occasion on Sunday this year.

Several members of the Koopadhira clan, including Koopadhira Pushpa Muthappa, Koopadhira Cauveramma, Bhavya Machaiah, and others, witnessed the ritual, reaffirming the tribe’s communal and cultural values.

The CNC has long advocated for the recognition and preservation of Codava identity, traditions, and rights. Nachappa reiterated the council’s key demands, which include geo-political autonomy under Articles 244 and 371 of the Constitution, recognition of Codavas as a Scheduled Tribe, inclusion of their language 'Codava Thakk' in the Eighth Schedule, and continued constitutional protection of their religious customs such as gun ownership under Article 25.

The council is also seeking international recognition for Codavas as an indigenous ethnic group under UN conventions and for the Codava folkloric heritage to be included in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

“The annual Edmyar New Year celebrations are not just rituals; they are our living assertion of identity and a call to safeguard our way of life through constitutional and international recognition,” said Nachappa.

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