Fun and frolic mark 'Kunde Habba'

The peculiar ‘Kunde Habba’ took a jubilant start in South Kodagu on Tuesday.

The festival will be celebrated by the tribal community in Deverapura for two days.

Marked by fun and frolic, the people belonging to Yarava and Bettakuruba tribes too have been observing the festival, though it is meant to be a popular festival of Jenukuruba community.

Apart from the people from Srimangala, Kutta, Nalkeri, B Shettygeri, Birunani, Balele, Karmadu, Titimati, Konanakatte, Ponnampet, Palibetta and Siddapura, those who have migrated from Piriyapattana and Hunasur too will take part in it.

Highlights of festival

Weird attires and vulgar abuses are the highlights of Kunde Habba. Wearing weird make-up and getting dressed up in women’s clothes, men hurling abuses and singing vulgar songs demanding money from people is also part of Kunde Habba.

Surprisingly, women do not take offence of the disrespectful remarks as it is part of the ritual. On the concluding day of the festival, the money collected will be contributed to the donation box of Bhadrakali temple in Devarakadu in Devarapura on Hunasur Highway.

There are allegations that non-tribal people who have started observing the ‘Kunde Habba’ in the due course of time have failed the main purpose of the festival. Initially, the festival was exclusively observed by the Jenukuruba tribal community.

“As consumption of liquor during the festival is banned by the Police Department, the festival has lost its sheen from the last two years,” J K Kalinga from Karmadu said.