12/14/2023 0 Comments Mappillai samba rice near meIt was at Nanban that I picked up my last batch of Mapillai samba rice which has now become my favourite rice varietal. Many outfits like Chennai-based Sempulan (CIKS) work with local farmers to grow and process traditional rice varietals that began to disappear from the state in the 1970s and 80s. Nanban is one of many organisations across the state that have gone back to sustainable or organic farming. He directed me to Nanban Farm Products which typifies Tamil Nadu's rediscovery of traditional ingredients and rice varietals. Our conversation drifted to the region's rich rice cultivation heritage. On my last visit to Thanjavur, I sat down with Satish the General Manager at Great Trails Resort, a riverside retreat located on the banks of the Vennar River a distributary of the iconic Cauvery River. A line in my father's family was involved in rice cultivation in the delta region in Umbalapadi near Thanjavur. Rice is more than just a crop here it's held in reverence and the state's farmers continue to be celebrated in popular culture. This is one of oldest zones for rice cultivation anywhere in the world and is steeped in legends that celebrate Tamil Nadu's staple. The Cauvery delta region has long been considered Tamil Nadu's rice bowl. Many of these suitors spent weeks on a diet of a special kanji (porridge) made with this heritage rice varietal that is rich in minerals and nutrients. So, just like Popeye needed spinach for strength what did the potential suitors need to ace their weightlifting game? The same village headman told me about the secret ingredient back then - a red grain rice called Mapillai (translates to bridegroom) Samba. The lifting of the Illavata Kal is still a sport that you will find at a few villages in Tamil Nadu during Pongal festivities in January. That's certainly heavier than what I'm used to lifting during weight training routines at my gym. I didn't even attempt to carry the stone when the village headman informed me that it's likely to weigh about 110 kg. You might have heard about contests that surround a Swayam Vara, but it is unlikely you would know about this contest from Tamil Nadu where men had to lift a spherical stone to win the hand of the bride.Īlso read: Madurai Kizhangu Pottalam: Try These Delicious Potato Parcels From Tamil Nadu It was also here that I learned about the tradition of the mapillai kal or the illavata kal. These larger-than-life statues are usually at the entrance of a village and are regarded as custodians of the village. On a drive from Chettinad in Tamil Nadu to Pondicherry, I stopped to shoot pictures of an imposing Karuppasami on the outskirts of a village near Pudukkotai.
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