Udupi : The “Aatidonji Dina- Ponjovene Kuto” (A day in the month of Aashada – Women’s meet) organised by the Udupi Taluk Mahila Mandaligala Okkoota, the Department of Kannada and Culture, the Buntara Sangha, and the Lions and the Lioness clubs, focussed on the vibrant culture of Tulunadu here on Tuesday.

The programme began with the members of various mahila mandals performing folk songs and dances. The audience loved these performances.

But the major attraction was the lunch with mouth-watering dishes of Tulunadu. These dishes were prepared by about 30 mahila mandals of Udupi taluk.

The dishes included moode, arasina yele kadabu, tojinka palya, halasina kadabu, patrode, kasuvina chutney, timare chutney, hurali saaru, chilimbida adde, saute padangi gasi, tojink vade, uppad pacchir palya, halasina mulka, halasina toley, kanile kadle gasi, tevu padape gasi, pejakayi chutney, along with rice and buttermilk. The dessert was a tasty payasa.

Sheela K. Shetty, vice-president of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat and president of Udupi Taluk Mahila Mandaligala Okkota, said that a few decades ago, the months of “Aashada” and “Shravana” were regarded as difficult or tough in Tulunadu. Despite this, people collected nutritious vegetables found during these months and cooked dishes from them.

However, now the standard of living had improved and these months were no longer considered tough. “Our intention in organising this event is to see that the younger generation does not forget our traditional, tasty and healthy dishes. Hence, we have been holding this programme for over 17 years now,” she said.

Inaugurating the programme, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former MP, said that the most of the dishes prepared by the mandal here were not available in any hotel. These dishes were unique to Tulunadu.

These dishes should be documented as with passing times, there was a fear of some of them being forgotten. So too the younger generation should be made aware of the indoor game of “chennamane”, he said.

V. Manohar, music director, said that even the “padadanas” and folk songs sung in Tulu should be documented. He also sang a few lines of a couple of songs to the delight of the audience.

Vidyalata U. Shetty, district convener, Lions, Girija S. Shetty, president of Lions Club, Malpe, K.J. Shetty, president of Buntara Sangha, Sarala B. Kanchan, Vasanti Rao Koradcal, and others were present.