Ankola Komarpants' Suggi - Article from The Hindu

Suggi dancers express their gratitude

From the Hindu

This folk dance form is on the verge of extinction

“Suggi kunitha”, a local seasonal folk dance, has begun in the coastal taluks of Uttara Kannada district. The troupes of the Suggi dancers move from one village to another during the paddy harvest season till the festival of “Holi” to perform the dance as a gratitude to the God for the successful harvest.

History

The Suggi dancers wear traditional dresses and headgears. The dance has historical background as it was used to create awareness among the masses against the British rule during the Independence movement.

Communities

In Uttara Kannada, the Suggi dances were performed by the Hallakki Vokkalu, Patgar, Namadhari, Komarpanth, and Ager who were mainly agriculturists. After 12 years, the Kshatriya Komarapantha community of Avarsa in Ankola taluk has taken up the Suggi dance and their first performance was at Harwada. Of the 45 Komarapanth families in Harwada, 29 families had participated in the Suggi.

Rest of the families accompanied the Suggi dancers in fancy dresses, beating the drums. With the younger generation not taking up agriculture anymore, the Suggi dance is on the verge of extinction. But the people of different communities had been encouraged to keep their folk art alive.

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It is performed in coastal districts during the harvest season

It was used to create awareness during the Independence movement 

Suggi of Ankola Komarpants

During the Week preceding the Holi Festival, the Komarpants of Aversa, Belekeri, Hattikeri, Bhavikeri, etc villages, take part in this Community Ritual of "Suggi". Suggi means "Harvest Festival". It is meant for appeasing the Gods for a better Crop on the next year, and also to show their gratitude for the Harvest that they have got in the present year.

Each Komarpant family spends money like Rs.2000-00 to Rs.6000-00 for each “Turaai” - decorative head-gear, depending on their spending capacity. This head-gear decoration is made by some Vokkaliga persons of their village, and is worn on an auspicious day before the Temple of the family deity/God.

One male member from each family of the Komarpants from this region has to participate in the Suggi Ritual. And each family whole-heartedly does participate. After wearing this headgear- Turaai, each person with one assistant/stand-by male member of the family, walk to all villages around Ankola taluk and perform the Ritualistic Suggi Dance before each Temple/God of that village and in the courtyard of the villagers. For the entire period, they stay away from their respective houses, cooking their own food outside and strictly adhering to traditional codes of conduct. 

Only after the Suggi period of one week or so, the men remove the Turaai before their Temples, and return to their homes, on the next day of the Holi Festival. This is a unique tradition even now being followed by the Komarpants of Aversa/Ankola taluk. It is believed that Honouring the Suggi Dancers is equivalent to honoring the Gods, for better Harvest and for keeping deadly diseases/epidemics at bay.

This tradition had recieved wide publicity in the local Newspapers, this year, as compared to the preceding years. It is the Duty of the each member of the Komarpant Community to encourage and preserve such Unique Traditions, that keep the community United as a Whole.

This year - 2010, about 135 people wore these beautiful Turaai's.