| Bisu Parba | |
|---|---|
 Bisu Kani at Puttur | |
| Official name | Bisu Parba |
| Observed by | Tuluvas |
| Type | Religious, Social |
| Observances | Bisu kani Bisu Parbo |
| Begins | dawn |
| Ends | after 24 hours |
| Related to | South and Southeast Asian solar New Year |
Bisu Parba is a new year and harvest festival of Tulunadu. It marks the first day of Paggu, which is the first month of Tulu calendar. [1] [2] It falls in the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar, on 14 or 15 April every year.
For residents of Tulunadu, this is a significant annual festival. It is a kind of worshipping nature. According to popular belief, today is lucky for starting new ventures. The people of Tulunadu celebrate the Bisu festival as a symbol of prosperity from the past year and hope to prosper throughout the upcoming year. This festival is known as "Bisu Parba" in Tulunadu. [3]
Get up early in the morning on the day of the feast and put it on the bed in the chamber of God or in the hall. Light the foot lamp and put it in two ends, keep banana leaves and placed one cup of rice, two betel leaves, one semi dehusked coconut with muganda, a bunch of Ixora coccinea (also known as jungle geranium Tulu: Kepula poo) stick of sandalwood, and wet the sandalwood which totally called suthye dipuna. In front of this suthye grown vegetables, flowers, hinges, fruits, gold ornaments, mirrors.
All the householders pray together and worship God in front of the Bisu Kani. They reconcile with family members as well as strengthen relationships between seniors and juniors. The juniors receive the blessings of the elders on this occasion. Touching the feet of elders is an age-old Indian tradition that is considered to be a mark of respect as well as a blessing. This gesture can be seen in almost all Tuluva families on this occasion. The elders of the house give money to all the minors and they enjoy the feast. Every year, it is a source of good fortune. As part of the Bisu festival, special worship is held in daivaradane chavadi, temples and the sacrificial festival of God. It is common to prepare and enjoy a traditional dish for this special day. Everybody has to go to every house and enjoy the food with the blessings of the elders. The owner of the house puts the Bisu kaṇi (arrangement of fruits and vegetables) on the roof of the house.
The festivals in Tulunadu highlight the farmer's life and his affinity with the land he tills. [4] On the day of the feast, bed of wooden in the chamber of God, daiva or in the hall. Light the foot lamp and put it in two ends, banana leaves placed on floor or bed of wooden is accommodate one pot of water, one cup of rice, two betel leaves, one semi dehusked coconut(with muganda), a bunch of Ixora coccinea (also known as jungle geranium Tulu: Kepula poo) stick of sandalwood, and wet the sandalwood which totally called suthye dipuna. In front of this suthye grown vegetables, flowers, hinges, fruits, gold ornaments, mirrors. tenants were taking the grown vegetables to his boss (Tulu: Danikulu) such as brinjal, cucumber, sambar southe, pumpkin, ivy gourd, long yard beans, bottle gourd, okra, and fruits such as jackfruit, banana, cashew apple, jambu nerale, mango, pineapple. Arecanut and coconut, the part and parcel of local life, was also part of the Kani. [5]
On the occasion of Bisu people are resting at home and preparing special food for breakfast on the day which is mostly "Moode recipe" (English: Screw Pine) which is similar to Kadubu and "Uddina dōse recipe" (lentil dosa). For lunch, cashew nut and green gram curry (bijata kajipu), cucumber puli kajipu, ivy gourd dry palya fries and Payaso is served with steamed boiled rice and other accompaniments. Prepare a Tuluva inspired brunch this "Bisu Parba" and enjoy with the members of the family. [6]
Bisu parbo is auspious day for Tuluvas, so on this day morning they keep a side new paddy seeds. [7] In the evening sowing procedure is carried out on the chin(Tulu:Puṇi) of field. Put the paddy seed on the side of the mulch and shade it with Aporosa villosa (Tulu: Saroli) leaves. And tenants take permission for continuing the practice of planting the following year.
In adjacent Malabar region a festival called Vishu with similar customs and ritual significance that of Bisu Parba is celebrated on the exact same date. Spring harvest festivals such as Bihu, Vaisakhi, Puthandu etc. too coincides with Bisu Parba. [9]
Bihu is of three types and it is an important cultural festival unique to the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October or November, and 'Bhogali' or 'Magh Bihu' observed in January. The festivals present an admixture of Tibeto-Barman, Austroasiatic and Indo-Aryan traditions entwined so intricately that it is impossible to separate them—festivals which are uniquely Assamese to which all communities of Assam had contributed elements. The Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three, celebrating spring festival. The Bhogali Bihu or the Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, with community feasts. The Kongali Bihu or the Kati Bihu is the sombre, thrifty one reflecting a season of short supplies and is an animistic festival.
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Tulu Nadu or Tulunad is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva', speakers of Tulu, a Dravidian language, are the preponderant ethnic group of this region. South Canara, an erstwhile district and a historical area, encompassing the undivided territory of the contemporary Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka State and Kasaragod district of Kerala state forms the cultural area of the Tuluver.
Havyaka Brahmins also and originally called Havika Brahmana are a Hindu Brahmin community native to districts of Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina kannada and coastal Karnataka, and the Kasaragod district of Kerala. Havyakas are known by their unique culture and language. They fall under the Pancha-Dravida Brahmin category are followers in general of mostly Yajurveda and some Rigveda and Samaveda Shakas. They follow the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankaracharya.
Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi is also the date for the Indian Solar New Year.
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Puthandu, also known as Tamil New Year, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar that is traditionally celebrated as a festival by Tamils. The festival date is set with the solar cycle of the solar Hindu calendar, as the first day of the month of Chittirai. It falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar. The same day is observed elsewhere in South and South East Asia as the traditional new year, but it is known by other names such as Vishu in Kerala, and Vaisakhi or Baisakhi in central and northern India.
The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic and ethno-cultural group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka and part of Kasaragod district in Kerala, with Mangalore, Karnataka being the commercial hub. The Census report of 2011 reported a population of 1,846,427 native Tulu speakers living in India.
The Shivalli Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin community in Karnataka. They are divided into two groups, the first of who follow the Dvaita philosophy founded by the Vaishnava saint Madhvacharya of Udupi are called Shivalli Madhva Brahmins, and the second of who follow the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankara are known as Shivalli Smartha Brahmins. Majority of Shivalli Brahmins are Madhvas and only a few of them are Smarthas.
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Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu (also called Xaat Bihu is a traditional ethnic festival celebrated in the Northeastern Indian state of Assam and other parts of Northeastern India by the indigenous ethnic groups of Assam, and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. The festival is of mostly aboriginal origin comprising Tibeto-Burman and Tai elements. It usually falls in the 2nd week of April, historically signifying the time of harvest. Every year it falls on the 14th day of April. The holiday unites the different native communities of Assam regardless of their backgrounds and promotes the celebration of ethnic diversity.
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