Chamarajanagara: The tribal Soliga community of Kauli Halla in Hanur Taluk of the DIstrict celebrated traditional Rotti festival with great enthusiasm on Friday January 6.
The speciality of the Rotti Festival is that after months of waiting for the harvest, everyone gathers together to make Rotti from the first harvest millet, and also make an offering to God. They also have meal with the people.
This is also one of the important festivals of Soliga community who worships Mahadeshwara deity. The first harvest of millet is to be offered to God and they do not use the first crop of millet until the offering is made to God. And they strictly ensure that no one else takes it away. After this each family collects one kg of millet, clean it and make flour.
The flour is mixed well and the rotti is prepared in leaves. Then it is cooked on top of the previously put fire. Tens of tribesmen are involved in rolling the rotti and cooking it. Tribals make rotti with about five to six hours of hard work. After offering the rotti to the God, they perform puja and pray for good rains and abundant crops in the coming days and also chant praying to cure diseases.
The community prepares Pumpkin dish, rice and peas sambar to be eaten with rotti. Another special feature is the participation of other communities in the Soliga rotti festival. Tribals of each colony prepare Rotti on each day and a large number of people will gather and celebrate Rotti festival on the Biligiriranga hills.
