And one such way, followed traditionally and scientifically, is consumption of dishes made from a highly medicinal plant.

Dishes prepared from bamboo shoot are also the highlight of ‘Kakkada padinent’ I Prajna GR

Madikeri :

Monsoon in Kodagu is synonymous with chilly weather due to continuous rainfall. While the traditional houses in the district are equipped with fireplaces to warm up the ambience, the people of Kodagu follow certain indigenous ways to stabilise the body temperature. And one such way, followed traditionally and scientifically, is consumption of dishes made from a highly medicinal plant, locally known as ‘Maddu thoppu’ (medicinal leaves). And this festival of leaves was celebrated on August 3.

With scientific name ‘Justicia Wynaadensis’, ‘Maddu thoppu’ grows abundantly as a bushy shrub in the humid tropical belts of Kodagu. “In 1921, botanist J S Gamble, former official of the forest department, had recorded the abundance of this plant in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats – from South Canara, Kodagu to Wayanad, Eastern Nilgiris and South Malabar,” says Ulliyada Daty Poovaiah, ex-president of Kodava Academy.

With slender stems and hunter green leaves, they grow like an army of soldiers at places where there is scanty sunlight. They earn special status during ‘Aashada masa’ in the Hindu calendar, also known as ‘Kakkada masa’ in Kodava calendar. This month begins on July 17 and ends on August 16. “The ‘Kakkada’ month is considered inauspicious and no important ceremonies or celebrations take place during this one month,” says historian Bacharaniyanda Appanna.

While tradition says that this month is inauspicious, there is a reason behind it. This monsoon month demands complete attention in the paddy fields and since Kodagu is an agriculture-based district, every household involved themselves in agricultural activities and there was no time for any other kind of celebrations,” explains Daty.

And the continuous work on farmlands in cold weather demanded one to be fit, which is when ‘Maddu thoppu’ came into attaining special status during this inauspicious season. ‘The presence of numerous phyto components lends credence to the use of the plant as a medicinal herb by the local community,” states Dr Latha  D in a study conducted on this medicinal plant. With anti-microbial effects, they fight various pathogens that spread widely during the monsoons. “While Justicia Wynaadensis has high medicinal value and is used widely in Ayurveda medicine, the plant attaining maximum medicinal value on the 18th day of ‘Aashada’ month is more of a belief,” explains Ayurveda doctor Udayashankar. 

And hence the people of Kodagu religiously follow the ritual of plucking the leaves of ‘Maddu thoppu’ on the 18th day of ‘Kakkada’ and indulge in a variety of elaborate cuisines. “The plant is believed to give 18 types of medicines during this month and a variety of dishes including ‘Maddu thoppu halva’ and  ‘Maddu thoppu’ porridge are prepared using pure, traditionally extracted honey. (The plant is believed to lose its medicinal components one by one after the 18th day).

Along with this, a variety of dishes are prepared from country chicken, colocasia leaves, bamboo shoot, crabs, jackfruit and are laid alongside paddy-arrack, which are all believed to stabilise the body heat during chilly monsoons,” explains Daty. This marks the celebrations of ‘Aati padinent’ (padinent translating into 18th day in Kodava language), which falls on August 3 every year. While the presence of Justicia Wynaadensis in the backyards of houses is reducing after urbanisation, they are still widely present on the peaks in the district.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by Prajna GR / Express News Service / August 05th, 2018