Kailpoldh Festival Celebrated with Traditional Fervour in Kodagu

In keeping with the age-old customs, Kodava families and other communities in Kodagu performed special poojas at their homes.

Madikeri/Ponnampet: The vibrant Kailpoldh festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm across various parts of Kodagu on Tuesday. 

In keeping with the age-old customs, Kodava families and other communities in Kodagu performed special poojas at their homes, venerating weapons and agricultural implements. These rituals are a symbolic gesture of the community's connection to their agrarian lifestyle and warrior heritage. The festival saw families cleaning and decorating their homes, with the focal point being the worship of guns, swords, and farming tools.

Several organisations across the district also hosted public events to celebrate the festival communally. In Ponnampet, the Kodava Hitarakshana Balaga of Kiggatt Nad and the Ponnampet Kodava Samaj came together to organise a grand celebration at the Kodava Samaj premises. The event drew large crowds, eager to partake in the traditional festivities.

Kailpoldh, traditionally a time to honour the tools used in agriculture and weaponry, is also an occasion to strengthen the bonds within the community. The Kodava Samaj president, Kalimada Motaiah, and the vice president of the Kodava welfare group, Chakkera Ramesh, led the celebrations dressed in the traditional Kodava attire known as 'kupya chale'. They performed the ceremonial pooja to the agricultural implements, including ploughs and yokes, which hold significant importance in the agrarian lives of the Kodava people.

The worship of weapons, including guns and swords, was also conducted with much reverence. In a symbolic gesture of safeguarding their land and crops, gunshots were fired into the sky, echoing the community's readiness to defend their livelihoods.

As part of the celebrations, vehicles, too, were adorned with garlands of flowers, signifying respect and gratitude towards the tools and machines that assist in daily life. A procession of these decorated vehicles paraded through the main road of Ponnampet, adding a festive spirit to the town. The sight of the procession, accompanied by the sounds of traditional music and the firing of guns, encapsulated the essence of the Kailpoldh festival.

Kailpoldh, is a day that not only highlights the agricultural roots of the Kodava people but also celebrates their martial traditions. The festival is a reminder of the community's resilience and their deep-seated connection to the land and their heritage.

Throughout Kodagu, the day was marked with various such events, both within homes and in public spaces, underscoring the importance of preserving and continuing the rich cultural traditions of the Kodava people. The Kailpoldh festival, with its blend of reverence for both agriculture and martial spirit, continues to be a significant celebration in Kodagu, bringing together people of all ages in a shared cultural experience.

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