Hethai Habba celebrated!

Hethai Habba

Hethai Amma, the Purest One, in Your Blessings,

lie our well being!

Hethai Habba is always on the first monday (SOVARA), the most sacred day of Badagas, after the full moon (paurnami – HUNNAWAY ) that falls in the Badaga month of ‘Hemmatti‘ ie (Tamil) Margazhi month. This year it was celebrated on 27 Dec 2010.

Incidenrally, the Badaga months are

1) Koodalu, 2) Aalaani 3) Nallaani  4) Aani 5) Aadire  6) Aadi 7) Aavaani  8 ) Perattaadhi 9) Dhodda Devige 10) Kiru Devige 11) Thai 12) Hemmatti

 

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] proceed to Hethai Gudi (mane) in Beragani on thr preceeding FRIDAY by foot.

Hubbathalai - Proceeding to Hethai Mane

Every house in the hatti has to pay five HANA (25 paise coin) in earlier days 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. This money (coins) – KANNIKE – tied in a white cloth will be handed over to the Hethai temple at Beragani/Pedduwa.

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 ).

Hethai kararuga Adda bubbadhu

The unique (BadagaATHIKKODU ) “ 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.

These men will return back to their Villages on the next monday – THE HETHAI HABBA DAY – to a grand and ceremonial welcome after attending to various rituals / ceremonies at Beragani & Gasu gui. Usually there will be ‘ Anna Dhana ‘

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

This year though the grand ‘finale’ is on the 27th Dec,2010 when lakhs of Badagas in their whites will throng these holy places with cars and other vehicles 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.

This is the only day the deity – HETHAI – will be shown to the public for a few seconds

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Balan Nanjan :

I am proud to be a Badaga but, unfortunately, nearly for two decades I could not attend Hethai Habba. I hope at least this year I would be able to attend it and get Hethai’s blessings. For me JP Anna’s web site is a great source of information about our community and schedule dates on Hethai Habba.

I only wish that each and every Badaga must get education and reach the highest standard of life without losing the richness and originality of the ‘Badaga Culture’. Could something be done by all of us to stop the addiction to alcohol, especially in villages, which swallows a major part of Badaga’s economy?

[The  email was recd on Sun, Dec 26, 2010 at 1:27 AM]