4 - Rice

Summary

Rice, being in cultivation from ancient times, is one of the oldest food crops and the staple food of the people of Kerala. The Greeks learnt of the crop from the Arabs, who had contact with the Kerala coast as early as the third millennium bc. The time honoured national festivals of Kerala like Vishu and Onam which are observed since ancient times have their origin in agricultural activities especially those related to paddy. Rice is also intimately associated with many religious and social ceremonies of the people of this region from time immemmorial.

Seasons

Two and sometimes three crops of paddy are cultivated in North Malabar on the same land, with the cultivating seasons corresponding to the rainy periods of the tract. The three indigenous seasons for rice are Virippu (April-May to September–October); Puncha (September–October to December–January) and Thapuncha (December–January to March–April). The third crop season is referred to as Kolakka in Kasaragod district.

Any account of the rice seasons is not complete without mentioning the age-old astronomical basis on which agricultural seasons and calendar of operations are prescribed for cultivating rice and various other crops in Kerala. The year is divided into 12 months, the names of which correspond to the 12 signs of the Zodiac (Rasis). The agricultural year commencing on the first day of Metam (Aries) is again divided into 27 parts (on an average 13.5 days each) with each part known as njattuvela (meaning ‘period of the Sun’) given the name of each of 27 Nakshatras or lunar mansions through which the moon passes in her monthly journey through the stars.