Mangaluru: The Aatidonji Dina-Ponjovene Kuto (A day in the month of Aashada-Women’s Meet) was organised by the Udupi Taluk Mahila Mandaligala Okkoota, the Department of Kannada and Culture, the Buntara Sangha and the Tulukoota here on Wednesday.

The programme began with members of various Mahila Mandals performing folk songs and dances. However, the highlight of the programme was the lunch with mouth-watering dishes of Tulu Nadu. These dishes were prepared by 22 Mahila Mandals of Udupi taluk.

The dishes included moode, urpel aritha nuppu, kudut saar, arepudadya, pelakkayida gatti, bareda ire, uppad pachchir kajiu, manjold iretta gatti, patrode, pelakayida mulka, menta payasa, benjan, uppad, tevuda chutney, chilimbida adya, kukkuda pejakayida chutney, nurge soppuda kajipu, kendadadya, nurge soppuda vade, kanile padangi soute gasi, timireda chutney and pelakayida pichchir.

In her introductory remarks, Sheela K. Shetty, vice-president of Zilla Panchayat and president of the Udupi Taluk Mahila Mandaligala Okkota, said that about five or six decades ago, the months of Aashada and Sravana were regarded as difficult or tough in Tulu Nadu. Despite this, people collected nutritious vegetables found during these months and cooked dishes from them.

Since the standard of living of people had gone up, these months were no longer tough. “The objective in organising this programme was to create awareness in the younger generation so that they do not forget our traditional, tasty and healthy dishes. We have been organising this programme annually for the last 18 years,” she said.

Inaugurating the programme, K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, said that the Aatidonji Dina programme brought out the uniqueness of Tulu Nadu. The Aati [Aashada] month had certain dishes unique to it.

The Mahila Mandals had prepared these dishes to provide lunch for about a thousand people here. These dishes had not been prepared by caterers, he said.

It was essential that the younger generation, which was fond of junk food, was told about it and it had these tasty dishes. They should also be told about games such as “chennamane” and other rural sports, he said.

Nalini P. Rao, president of the Udupi Taluk Panchayat, Jayakar Shetty Indrali, president of the Buntara Sangha, Sarala B. Kanchan, Radha Das, and others were present.