The lyrical names for rainfall in Malenadu

“For generations, people in Malnad have understood the monsoon not as one long spell of rain but as a succession of distinct phases, each associated with a nakshatra or ‘rain star,” wrote Radhika Hegde in a lyrical essay in Deccan Herald

“For generations, people in Malnad have understood the monsoon not as one long spell of rain but as a succession of distinct phases, each associated with a nakshatra or ‘rain star,” wrote Radhika Hegde in a lyrical essay in Deccan Herald.

India News

I emailed Radhika after reading her article and we spoke about how cuisine and climate are interlinked in Malenadu or Malnad. The name itself means “land of rains.” Traditional agricultural practices everywhere are linked to climate and the monsoon cycle, but here in India, farmers also link it to the Panchanga or the Vedic calendar.

In Malenadu, they have specific links to the rain stars or the “mallay (rain)” nakshatras. This localised weather system divides the year based on the sun’s transit through specific nakshatras or constellations. Each transit lasts a fortnight and brings its own unique pattern of rain, temperature, and wind. Farmers initiate tasks like sowing seeds or spraying areca nut trees around these periods. If you look at old Panchangas, it showcases how farming is connected to the constellations since time immemorial. Written records show that the 1923 edition of the Mysore calendar showcases the five aspects of the panchanga: tithi (lunar day), vara (weekday), nakshatra (star constellation), yoga (sun-moon alignment), and karana (half of a tithi), and how they link to crops.

As Radhika mentions in her article, the sun enters the Mrigashira nakshatra around June 7, marking the early and gentle monsoon rains. Called Mrigashira Karte in traditional calendars, this creates the perfect weather for sowing millets and herbs. Following this, the sun goes to the next constellation or the Arudra nakshatra, where the monsoon builds up to the heavy, non-stop torrential pours. This fills up the streams, completely drenching the parched earth. The next nakshatra, Punarvasu, brings reliable and sustained rainfall, perfect for transplanting paddy crops into fields. Pushya, which comes after that, is characterized by relentless rain and powerful gusty winds. Ashlesha brings heavy raindrops, like “pouring rice” per an folk account. The next month, Magha is known as “Sheetah Maghe” for its bitterly cold downpour. Purva Phalguni (called Pubba), the next nakshatra, is known for its thunder, lightning, and rains that start and stop chaotically. And so it goes till Swati nakshatra (which happens to be my father’s star) when the monsoon winds down.

Generations of farmers have distilled these observations into catchy and rhythmic couplets and proverbs, called Gade Maathu in Kannada. Most are lucid and compact, like this one here:

“Ashwini male bidre, arishinake melu.” (Early rains in Ashwini provide the perfect head start for turmeric crop).

One of the most interesting dishes that I have heard about but not tasted is the chigli chutney made from kempu iruve or red weaver ants. There are videos on YouTube documenting this. “I haven’t had it but we know that a lot of tribals (such as the Siddhis and Soligas) have it,” says my friend Shubha Bhat, who grew up near Karkala. Someone climbs up a tall tree to capture a weaver ant’s nest and then tosses it into a bag. The bag is then emptied into a pot over a fire with some salt thrown in. Once cooked, the ants are ground up with garlic, bird’s eye chili, coconut, salt, and maybe some tamarind. The assumption is that the protein-rich chutney helps ward off cold and cough in the winter.

Other unusual dishes include a stir fry made with young bamboo shoots and dishes made with mara kesu or reddish Colocasia leaves. “It occurs only in the rainy season and is made with leaves that grow on the trees,” says Radhika. Similar to a patrode, the mara kesu patrode involves rolling the flour in a banana leaf and steaming it.

The abundance of leaves means creative use. Kaalu kadubu for instance is where jackfruit leaves are stitched to hold the batter of kadubu, which is like idli. But as Radhika says, a variety of gourds and vegetables are grated into the kadabu and steamed like an idli. Accompanying the kadubu is a ghassi or sambar made with pumpkins, melons and gourds. “As children, we used to hold the giant Colocasia leaves above our head to protect ourselves from the rain,” says Shubha. A creative solution for the monsoon indeed.

(Shoba Narayan is Bengaluru-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications).