Without a title from Manjitha

Photo courtesy : Mr.Belli Jayaprakash, http://badaga.wordpress.com/hethe-habba/


The last day of two zero one zero and I am in Manjitha for almost a week,say starting from last sunday, We call it Hetthai Habba, celebrating our Grand mother which happens once a year(sometimes twice a year). Peoples from Six villages will go divine for a month, carrying their ancestors walking sticks and walk all villages where they have been invited. Every village with great hospitality celebrate their arrival and in return the holy people (Hettakkarru)bless the village with happiness and prosperity, just before the last day they visit Manjitha, that was last sunday.
At Manjitha they called the holy power with songs and playing buguri(flute kind of instrument), followed by food and food, I should mention this of all the six villages in our region , Manjitha is notable for its Avai Udhaka( beans khorma), ahh hard to resist, Monday peoples from all six villages make our walk to Jagatha(nearby village)carrying big umbrellas representing each village,and there in jagatha from a hill above they carry our goddess statue to the sanctum sanctorum. With music and dance happiness covers every where and every one.
With all these in mind and thousand and thousands of people surrounding, the Atchikke (dish made from battha- grain )filled my mind, back home my granny is ready with ragi pancake, and atchikke .I met all my friends and friends , its just the words , and just the visuals before me, all my mind is full of you know what. I know getting atchikke is a once a year affair , but no can deny how delicious it is.
Its thirty minutes walk , I rushed to my granny place only to see the worst part which awaited at home. from a platefull of atchikke a couple of years before to just four to five table spoon of atchikke today is really worst.. no place to cultivate or no one wants to cultivate, it do not grow or peoples do not want to grow, Whatever the reason it is, with handfuls of atchikke in my mouth, thinking next year Hettai habba brought worries and worries... for the cause of Atchhikke.

click the link below for more on atchikke

http://sathishmanjitha.blogspot.com/2009/05/from-manjitha.html