Grey skies, pouring rain, soggy fields and the stage is set yet again for Kodagu Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club’s Annual Monsoon event – the BAEL PANI.
A premier motorcycle club of the district, KJYMC is unique as it has only Kodava membership and two stroke motorcycles.
Tradition and culture are deeply interwoven into the fabric of the KJYMC’s existence and with the Bael Pani, the members join in the Kodava community’s efforts to revive the wetlands and our traditional culture of paddy growing.
A family event for the club – it is a happy get together in which men, women and children of the KJYMC family come together in the paddy fields of Kodagu to perform the traditional ‘naati pani’.
Usually set for the last weekend of July, this year’s event will take place on the paddy fields of Arapattu village in Karada.
One of the several ingenious initiatives of the club, Bael Pani is both a service project and family get together. Members contribute liberally towards the running of the entire event .
This money is utilised in hiring the saplings of paddy and to compensate the owner of the fields taken on lease.
Entire families of the KJYMC stand knee deep in the fields in the sun and rain, neatly planting the stalks of paddy to the sound of laughter and traditional songs.
Hard work completed there is always enough energy left for fun and games, including the traditional ‘naati otta’.
Later in the afternoon a sumptuous meal rewards the days good work.
It is worth mentioning that after harvesting the paddy all the rice collected is donated every year to a worthy cause identified by the members, making KJYMC‘s Bael Pani a charitable event also.
Starting in 2014 with the ‘Plantation Drive’ project the club has constantly undertaken eco-friendly projects and thus since 2020 the efforts have diversified into traditional paddy cultivation through the Bael Pani project.This event and it’s participation grows stronger with each passing year.
May our community and club grow long, tall, and strong like the golden stalks of paddy.
Codanda Ravin Chengappa, Member, KJYMC.
It’s good to note that KJYMC has been conducting this event for 10+ years. This is a good initiative that should be measured by the actual increase in area of paddy cultivation at Arpattu, year after year. It can become a model for paddy cultivation if everyone in their area actually cultivate their paddy fields
Excellent write up..Well said it’d the way KJYMC Bikers team organises and I am also a proud member of KJYMC Been participating in this event regularly from last 3 yrs continously Dr Ravin Chengappa has described above we are a one family KJYMC BIKING FAMILY..