Celebrating the season of new beginnings this Bisu, 2021

There is no time like Spring,

When life’s alive in everything,

Before new nestlings sing,

Before cleft swallows speed their journey back

Along the trackless track –

God guides their wing,

— Christina Rossetti

Welcoming the harvest and the new season is done during the ‘Bisu parbha’ of the Bunt community in Mangalore and Udupi. Simply put, it is the ‘harvest festival’ of Tulunadu. Reminiscing those days when as a child, my father would wake up earlier in the morning and go to the ‘grama’ temple and pick what we termed the ‘koral’, the ear of the paddy, which was given away by the main priest of the temple. This ‘koral’ was placed in the centre chavadi and then worshipped on the day. Along with the ‘koral’, were placed on the banana leaf, mango leaves, betel leaves, jackfruit, flowers, banana, areca nut, and all other vegetable grown back home. Evidently, this is the time to pay gratitude to Mother Earth for all that she blessed people with. The ‘koral’ was then split into smaller portions and tied at all important places in the house starting with the ‘pattasale’. The afternoon lunch was sumptuous with rice being the new rice cooked and various dishes cooked with the new vegetables grown along with the sweet dish, which was popularly the payasam. The spread was first offered to the ancestors and thereafter served to all the members of the family and special guests who were invited. Interestingly, in this ‘Bisu’ festival is the wishes and forwards received from all wishing you a ‘happy Plava Ugadi’. Where does ‘Plava’ come from and what does this mean….a layman’s understanding here and that which invites thoughts from all…..

‘Plava’ is one of the sixty years as listed in the ‘Samvatsara’ and the 35th in the list goes my reading. That took me back to the Tulu calendar years which has 12 months and which go by interesting names such as: Paggu (April-May), Besa (May-June), Kaartel (June-July), Aati (July-August), Sona (August-September), Nirnaal (September-October), Jaarde (November-December), Peraarde (December-January), Ponny-Puyinthel (January-February), Maayi (February-March) and Suggi (March-April). All these 12 months align with various agricultural activities that take place in a year. So where does ‘plava’ fit in? That took me back to the study of the Solar and Lunar calendar and the conclusion that the people of Tulunadu follow the Solar calendar and hence ‘Sauramana ugadi’, the study of the differences between the two calendars had no place for ‘plava’ either.

Deriving meaning from mythology: the word ‘ugadi’ is a combination of two words: ‘yuga’ meaning ‘era’ and ‘adi’ meaning ‘the beginning’ and thus begins a new year in the ‘kali yuga that we live in. One of the mythological stories speaks about how this day is celebrated as a festival since this was the day when Lord Brahma the creator of the world commenced the creation of the Universe. Belief is also that our one year is equal to one day of Lord Brahma and hence when we begin the new year, Brahma begins a new day. Brahma thus presides over ‘yugas’ which is equal to 5 years or what is called ‘samvatsara’. One ‘yuga’ has 5 years: samvatsara, parivatsara, idavatsara, anuvatsara and idvatsara.

’Samvatsara’ is the Hindu year and another mythological story related to the origin of the ‘samvatsara’ reads as to how Narada is transformed into a woman and while as a woman she gives birth as Naradi to 60 sons. At the end of the sixtieth year, Naradi is fed up with her sons and hence prays to Lord Vishnu for a change of form from Naradi to Narada. Vishnu hears her prayers and transforms her back while giving each of her sons the power to enjoy one year at a time in the kingdom's ruling. These 60 sons of Naradi are called: Prabhav, Vibhav, Shukla, Paramoda, Prajapati, Angira, Shrimukha, Bhava, Yuva, Dhatu, Ishwar, Bahudanya, Pramathi, Vikrama, Vrisha, Chitrabhanu, Subhanu, Taran, Prartiva, Vyaya, Sarvajit, Sarvadhari, Virodhi, Vikriti, Khara, Nandana, Vijaya, Jaya, Marmath, Durmikha, Hemalambi, Vilambi, Vikari, Sharvari, Plava, Shubakrit, Hhobhana, Krodhi, Vishvavasu, Parabhava, Plavanga, Kilaka, Saumya, Sadharana, Virodhikrita, Paridhavi, Pramadi, Ananda, Rakshasa, Nala, Pingala, Kalayukta, Sitdharti, Raudri, Durmati, Dundubhi, Rudhirodgari, Raktakshi, Krodhana and Akshaya.

Interpretations of ‘Samvatsara’ also have it that it is the time taken by Jupiter or Brihaspati to cross the journey of one zodiac sign. So when Jupiter crosses the entire zodiac of 12 signs, then we have 12 ‘samvatsaras’. Hence, based on the distance of Jupiter from the Earth during his sojourn we experience auspicious or inauspicious rays and therefore the effects of each ‘samvatsara’ are different on the year. Jupiter’s sixty years cycle is also known as the ‘Jovian’ cycle. Each ‘samvatsara’ carries its own essence and this is easier to understand b the year that went by for instance. The ‘samvatsara’ for 2020 is ‘sharvari’ and had a particular essence to the year. The word ‘sharvari’ meaning ‘night or twilight’ has connotations of something murderous or pernicious or darkness and hence that year will bring in a calamity and that which we have experienced in the form of the pandemic that affected the world.

Looking ahead, Ugadi 2021 is the year ‘plava’, which means ‘a small boat’, and is the 35th year in the ‘samvatsara’. Hopefully, this small boat would enable us to sail through the turbulence that we are facing now. Happy Bisu Parbha to all!