Halligattu and the BOAD Festival

Halligattu is a village with a distinctive annual tradition: in the third week of May, the BOAD Festival is celebrated in honour of Sri Bhadrakali and the other village deities. The festival includes special rules before the main celebration, prayers, night-time rituals and a procession on Sunday afternoon. Each custom has its own time and place; band kali also has a clear limit on who may take part. For a trip focused on culture, the date provides a specific point of reference; however, the different parts of the festival take place in different ways.

Customs Before and at the Start of the Festival

As early as the week before the main festival, villagers announce the Namme katt at the Bhadrakali Temple. During this time, they must not harm plants or animals; there are also restrictions on foods that may be eaten. These rules apply to the period before the main festival and differ from the rituals on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, the celebration begins in the sacred grove of Polavappa. There, a Panika is possessed by the spirit of Polavappa and blesses the villagers. Late in the evening, the village men gather in the sacred forest of Gundiath Aiyappa, pay homage to the guardian spirit and pray to Gundiath Aiyappa.

Night-time Rituals and Procession

Late at night, villagers gather at the Chammatira Ain mane for Kali. Men dress up as figures such as Choole, Vadda and Kindari Jogi and dance to talli paat. During this, Bhadrakali is invoked; she possesses a man from the Machiyanda family. The night-time gatherings differ both in their participants and in what takes place: men gather in the forest to pray, while villagers come together for Kali and the men dance.

On Sunday afternoon, two Kudure representing the village deities are decorated and carried, together with the Moga, in a procession to the Bhadrakali Temple. During Kali, the village men, together with Kali and the goddess, visit the Ain mane of Machiyanda and Mooklera. In the past, Kali went to every house in the village; today, it is limited to three Ain mane.

During band kali, villagers dance in a field near the temple and throw earth from the sacred pond. This custom has an explicit participation limit: only the village men may take part; guests and women are excluded. This restriction applies to band kali, not to all festival activities.

Planning the Timing of Your Stay

The BOAD Festival provides a clear point of reference when choosing when to travel: it takes place every year in the third week of May, while Namme katt falls in the week before the main festival. The Saturday rituals and the Sunday afternoon procession mark further specific times. If you would like to plan your trip around this village tradition, you can arrange your stay in Halligattu to fit this schedule and take the dates into account when choosing a holiday rental.

Discover more destinations: Badagabanangala, Kandanakolli, Kalakeri Nidugane Rural, Kadagadal, Somwarpet, Bittangala, Napoklu, Abyathamangala.

See the broader travel overview: Kodagu.