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The sun has risen and people are walking to the fields. As the rays turn everything on the ground gold, they start plowing. But were there only laborious tasks? Along with it came songs which gave people a rhythm to carry forward their day and work. In this and many ways, farming and folklore has stronger connections from time immemorial. Having volunteered at Ragi Kana, a farmer's rural market, the realization was poignant. From farm-related proverbs to products to practices, folk is ingrained. Such aspects are discussed in the below paragraphs.
Tamizh has a rich resource of proverbs spanning across various domains. Apart from witty and sarcastic ones for entertainment, it also serves the purpose of passing down knowledge through its simplest structure. A few proverbs on farming are explained below.
எள்ளுக்கு ஏழு உழவு. கொள்ளுக்கு ஒரு உழவு.
Translation: Seven plows for sesame and one for horse gram.
Explanation: Sesame plants are believed to need seven plows, whereas millet plants are seen as less demanding and so one.
நாலாறு கூடினால் பாலாறு
Translation: The confluence of four rivers lead to Palaru.
Explanation: The Seiyar which originates in Javadhu hill, the Bhima river which originates from the Bhiman waterfall in the same hill, the Mrigantha river which originates from the Mriganda river, and the Kamandala Naganadi which originates from the Chen Bhagat dam joins the Bay of Bengal with the Pala, thus the four confluences give rise to the saying Palaru.
River Palaru (first)
Source: Dinamalar
மழையடி புஞ்சை, மதகடி நஞ்சை.
Translation: Rain at the right time gives ripe paddy; sun at the right time gives ripe rice.
Explanation: This emphasizes the importance of timing in agricultural activities. Adequate rainfall during the growing season results in ripe paddy (unhusked rice), while sunshine during the harvesting period ensures ripe rice (husked rice).
புஞ்சைக்கு நாலு உழவு, நஞ்சைக்கு ஏழு உழவு.
Translation: Seven plows for Nansei land and four for punsei lands.
Explanation: Nansei is the land largely used for cultivation of paddy. Punsei is the land largely used for non- paddy like Pulses, money-crops, Vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. Since paddy requires more water, it is said to need 7 times of plowing while for non-paddy crops, 4 would do. Punsei is also known as “Vaanam partha boomi” meaning the land that looks for the sky as the rains would be sufficient for these crops.
Punsei Land (middle); Nansei Land (last)
Source: Podhunalam and Agri Farming
As Sumeru is the best of mountains,
Garuda the chief of birds,
And a lord of the earth the most exalted amongst men,
So is painting the best of all arts.”
~ Vishnudharmottara Purana, Part III, Chapter 43
The word ‘mural’ etymologically refers to the Latin ‘murus’ meaning ‘wall’. Thus “Mural Art” refers to paintings on walls. ‘Kerala’ mural art refers to the artform that developed over a millennium ago in the Indian state of Kerala, with both classical and folk traditions centred on local art forms like local art forms like Koodiyatam, Kathakali, Ottanthullal, Theyyam, Thera and Kalamezhttu. This art form has now moved from the temple walls to the contemporary home in the form of framed pieces of art gracing the wall.
The earliest Citrasutras texts that describe this art form include the Vishnudharmottara Purana, Nagnajit’s Chitalaksana and Brhat Samhita (Nardi).
Sources:
Nardi, Isabella, et al. "On Measuring Images: a Critical Analysis of the Theory of Talamana." Sahrdaya: Studies in Indian and South East Asian Art in Honour of Dr. R. Nagaswamy (2006): 253-66.
The Kishkinda Trust – Empowerment through Conservation
The trust focuses on preservation and conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Anegundi, based on the three pillars of The Environment, Culture and Arts & Crafts.
The trust has taken multiple initiatives including in –
Sanitation (making Anegundi open defecation free), composting of biowaste, collection and segregation of waste, dissemination of dry waste,
Educating through performing arts through creative workshops in drawing, painting, theatre etc.,
Creative and cultural industries using raw materials of banana and water hyacinth to make beautiful products as shown in the image below,
The trust promotes responsible tourism, and emphasises conservation and adaptive reuse, and
Revival of folk traditions including folk art and food.
Image Source: https://www.amazon.in/PRINTELLIGENT-Kerala-Krishna-Traditional-Painting/dp/B077C624C7
Image Source: https://tktkishkinda.org/tkt-crafts/
Kerala, renowned for its greenery and versatility of land types boasts about its rich cultural heritage as well. Exploring the nexus between culture, myth, and agriculture reveals a fascinating landscape where ancient rituals and beliefs shape the agricultural myths in this region, familiar to the pagan beliefs.
Rituals in Kerala, especially the ones in North Malabar embody a blend of magic and religion, reflecting the agrarian community's deep-rooted beliefs in supernatural forces influencing agricultural prosperity. The beliefs aren't always rooted in any particular religion's myth, rather formed as the answer to the curious human minds during ancient times. When agricultural knowledge was limited, magical rituals were performed to ensure bountiful harvests. Ritualistic sexual intercourse in crop lands during the initial sowing period symbolized the union of human and crop fertility, aiming to enhance agricultural productivity. Fertility festivals like Nira, Puthari, and Kothaammoorippaattu, along with rituals such as Uchaaral velakal, persist in North Malabar, showcasing the interconnectedness of plant fecundity and human well-being.
In Kerala's agrarian landscape, symbolic representations and worship of food grains play a pivotal role in farming rituals. Paddy grains, revered as symbols of prosperity, are imbued with divine significance, with the paddy inflorescence symbolizing Shree Bhagavathi, the Goddess of prosperity. Rice is considered as Annapoorna Devi. The ritual of welcoming the Goddess and dispelling scarcity, where girls collect symbolic materials and offer them to the land beneath the Strychnose tree, epitomizes the reverence for agricultural abundance and the belief in the transformative power of rituals.
Beyond the realm of agricultural practices, Kerala's folklore is enriched with mythical beings associated with farming. The legend of Karimbana Yakshi, a supernatural entity believed to guard coconut plantations lives in blackboard trees. Tales of Yakshis, spirits, and deities inhabiting the natural world evoke a sense of wonder and reverence for the land, shaping agricultural practices and beliefs for generations.
From magico-religious ceremonies to symbolic worship and mythical guardians, Kerala's agrarian heritage is a testament to the enduring influence of culture on farming practices. As modernity advances, these traditions serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted connection between humans and the land, urging us to cherish and preserve our land, which itself is called Bhoomidevi.
Essentially, the intent of folkloristics is to disentangle the multitude of associations that combine people with their cultural heritage. Folkloristics probes extensively into the everyday practices that construct our lives, including the anthropocene event of cultivation in human history. From hymns sung in farms to the rituals practiced during harvest festivals, farming is more than just sowing and ploughing. Farming is about the folklores connected to it. With its countless rituals and customs, folklore creates a collective awareness that goes beyond personal experience. It serves as the link between humans and the environment, their ancestors, and one another. The echoes of our common culture in the melodies of harvest songs and the reflection of age old proverbs formed through folklore are what folkloristics tend to explore. The farming elements in mural arts, the craftsmanship of everyday products like kulhads and the farming rituals in different parts of the world embrace the creative, interconnected, and infinitely varied essence of humanity.