Mangalore: Global warning and freek changing weather have combined to create clouds that keep drenching the part city, without the usual thunderbolts and lighting flashes, but only fierce winds that could uproot trees or cause landslides on hill areas.
After the traditional mass festival of Gokulastami and Gowri-Ganesha Puja, the agrarian society of the Konkan coast looks to food grains crops being harvested in fields after rains stop in September.
The Chaturmasya(rainy) period observed by Hindhu monks and and Mathadhipathis also ends in September,with Seemollanghana(crossing the borders by religious hands) by Sept.15.
Among Christians, the birthday of St.Mary (Moher of Christ) known as Monthi Fest is of great significance, because she currently heads the International Catholic Community.The Konkani-speeking communities fleeing Goa, to escape Portuguese colonial persecution, settled down on the Kanara coast for 5 centuries now and have amalgamated with local people as farmers, landlords and village panchayath officials.
The Catholic community as 3 earliest Churches in Rosario near Bunder, Monte Marino at Farangipet,and Mother of Mercy at Ullal. The untouched Church in 1780s under Tippu Sultan’s “Captivity” era was the Farangipet Mariano Church on the Mount.
Sept.8 is the traditional harvest festival day of ‘Monthi Mariano’ or feast of the Mount. The festival is also observed in Bangalore on a grand scale by thousands of Tamil/Kannnada devotees of Mary at St.Mary’s Church in Shivaji Nagar on Sept.8.
It is a 9 day festivity from Kasaragod to Karwar (Aug.30 to Sept.7) on West coast among Roman Catholic believers who were agricultural labourers, harvesting 3 to 4 crops in an year on the coastal Tulunadu/Kanara districts.
Obviously the agricultural produce was the central point of this festival in Suggi (Sept.) with children taking part in large numbers enthusiastically and adults turning nostalgic on old Kunbi memories of Goa.
Mangalorean NRI Christians have taken his crop-cutting festival of Novena (new food grains to cook and eat) ever seas.
A treasured statute of “Infant Mary” is brought out and decorated on a palanquin, in procession around both in Mangalore and Bangalore.
Daily programes are worked out by youths and local bishops. A Konkani song (hymn) is sung and flowers are showered on Mary’s form.
The open yards of the Catholic Church are filled to the brim by ell dressed humble devotees praying to God and St.Mary for favours to xians.