When rain and sun play hide n seek

TRIPUNITHURA: The Thiruvaathira Njattuvela is back. In Malayalam, the word Njattuvela refers to a period when paddy saplings  or njaru are transplanted from nurseries to the fields.According to the Malayalam calendar, every year groups of 14 days are earmarked as Njattuvela, each one bearing the name of a star. The calendar follows the lunar cycle.Thiruvaathira Njaattuvela is the most crucial period of the year, as it promotes early growth of saplings. This year, it falls on the new moon day of the Malayalam month, Midhunam which began on Wednesday (June 22).Thiruvaathira Njattuvela is considered to be the flourishing period for all living things, both plants and animals,” said Vijayan, a traditional farmer. From time immemorial, Malayalis believe that it is the apt time to plant saplings and add organic manure to plants. “In this particular season, the metabolic activities of living things would be very fragile,” Vijayan, also a traditional practitioner, said.“Another fact is that it is not necessary to carry an umbrella during this period, as the shower will last for only five to 10 minutes. Drizzles are always followed by clear sky,” he said.  “Thiruvaathira Njattuvela brings an equal amount of rain and sun rays for the plants. This is an apt time to redesign the base of  the coconut trees to enable them to absorb manure and groundwater,” said Kunnappilly Narayanan Bhattathiri. “Our ancestors called that process as thadam edukkal. In paddy fields, fresh saplings are  transplanted. Folk songs (njattupaattu) sung by traditional farm labourers to ease work strain echoed in the fields during this period, he recalled.  It is said that the strong belief in Thiruvaathira Njattuvela persuaded Travancore King Marthanda Varma to boldly face the East India Company’s attempt to loot pepper. “The company can take pepper and other spices from our state. But they can never take our Thiruvaathira Njattuvela (which is the growing season of pepper and other climbers),” the King is believed to have said once. “Later, people made a shift from paddy cultivation to rubber plantation as it demands little care and more yield,” Bhattathiri said.