Talk:Badagas

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Hethai Habba

Hethai Habba is always on the first MONDAY (SOVARA)after the full moon (paurnami - HUNNAWAY ) that falls in (Tamil) Margazhi month, that is the 9th day after eight days of ‘Kolu’. This year the Hethai Habba is on the 8 Jan 2007 .

It is not fixed on a particular day like say X-Mas which is always on 25th December of every year & hence the Hethai Habba day with ref to English Calender changes every year.

Like in every year, from various hattis the male members in their traditional dress [white turban - MANDARE, MUNDU & Badagaru SEELE along with the family DHADI (stick)- see the photo] will proceed to Hethai Gudi (mane) in Beragani on FRIDAY, the 5th of Jan 2007 by foot. Every house in the hatti has to pay five HANA (25paise coin) in a ceremonial function called HANA KATTODU in the village Hethai Gudi ( also known as SUTHUKAL - a stone under a Bikke mora tree that is worshipped - see the photo below). This money (coins) - KANNIKE - tied in a white cloth will be handed over to the Hethai temple at Beragani.

The villagers will give a warm and respectful send off to those proceeding to Hethai Mane (- they would have followed a very strict code of conduct like not eating non vegetarian food or consuming alcohol). As they (including many young boys) proceed away from the village, women spread white sheets (mundus) on the path and all those (men, women & children) not proceeding will prostrate ( adda bubbadu ) and they will be blessed ( harachodu ) by those ‘hethai kararu’. The unique (Badaga ATHIKKODU ) ” Ye Ha Ho ” will be loudly uttered.

As you listen to this ‘ Ye Ha Ho ‘ you can feel goose pimples rising, eyes welling up with tears and the heart filled with thoughts of the ALL POWERFUL HETHAI with both happiness and awe.

They will attend to many ceremonies & functions at Hethai Mane - Beraganni /Pedduva/Gasu Gui .

These men will return back to their Villages on the next monday (the 8th of Jan 2007) - THE HETHAI HABBA DAY - to a grand and ceremonial welcome. Usually there will be ‘ Anna Dhana ‘ at their villages.

Every BADAGA (male & female) must visit Hethai Mane gudi (temple) either at Beragani or Pedduva at least once to have this unique experience and get the blessings of HETHAI during this fantastic festival called Hethi Habba.

The visit can be on any day during the ‘kolu’ period that is from 01 - 01 - 2007 to 08 - 01 - 2007 this year though the grand ‘finale’ is on the 8th Jan, 07 when lakhs of Badagas in their whites, will throng these holy places and their cars and other vehicles would have been parked for a few kms on the all available roads. There will be many more thousands of non Badaga devotees also.

EVERYONE WILL BE SERVED FOOD ( HITTU ). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 61.246.124.125 (talk) 08:11, 9 January 2007 (UTC).