The Gowri-Ganesha festival is a much-awaited festival in most parts of the State for various reasons. Especially so in the rain-drenched areas of Malnad, where festivities begin about three to four days before the actual festival.

Slowly emerging out of their homes after the long spell of monsoon, people gather in front of commercial establishments, especially shops, to share their experiences of monsoon. Even as they are busy chatting, they visit the shops closeby, buy coconuts, test them for the hardness of their shells by tapping on them gently and get ready for ‘Kaayi kuttuva aata’ (dashing the nuts), the big game of the season.

This game that involves two people is played only during the Gowri-Ganesha festival. As soon as one person kneels down on the ground, prepared for the game with the coconut of his choice, he will very soon get a competitor. Both the players then start the game and dash their respective coconuts against each other till one of the coconuts break. The person whose coconut lasts the many hits it receives emerges winner. The prize the winner is entitled to is the coconut of his opponent and, of course, the money that was at stake. Once the game starts, it goes on till late in the evening as many people join in and compete against each other. Even though this game involves only two players, spectators too join in the fun and lay their own bets. Hundreds of coconuts win and hundreds lose the game. However, the shop keepers selling coconuts make a huge profit at the cost of these players.

According to the farming community of Malnad region, the festival of Gowri-Ganesha is not complete without this game. The coconuts used to play this game are called ‘Gowri Kayi’ and these are smaller in size as compared to the regular ones, and tougher too. Picked exclusively for this sport, these coconuts sell at a premium during the festive season.

Another popular game played in this season, again involving coconuts, is ‘Gurikayi’ (aiming the coconut). In this game, the player has to aim stones at a coconut placed about 20 feet away. The player who is able to break the coconut with his hit emerges winner and is given the coconut he breaks. The player can aim as many stones at the coconut, while each throw costs a rupee.

Profits and losses apart, these games played during the festival are an inseparable part of the festivities in the Malnad region.

The coconut that the winner takes home is almost considered as the prasad of God by the people of Malnad. These games are mostly played in Sakaleshpur, Mudigere, Somwarpet and in several parts of the coastal district.

Translated by Chethana Dinesh