Keddaso

thumb|Keddaso – Festival of worshipping Mother Earth Keddaso also spelled Keddasa (Tulu: keḍḍasa), or Bhumi Puje, is popularly known as the "festival of worshipping Mother Earth" in the Tulu Nadu region of South India. Mother Earth (Bhoomi Devi) gets menstruate and the day is celebrated holistically in Tulunad in the name of ‘Keddasa’. This is an important four-day fertility worship celebrated in the closing days of Tulu month Ponny (Gregorian month February). This festival shows the environmental awareness of the people residing at that region.

==Rituals== Keddasa normally falls in the month of February and is celebrated over three days named Keddasa, Nadu Keddasa and Kade Keddasa. This celebrated in the winter of this region, where its believed that Bhoomi Devi gets menstruated and becomes fertile for farming. For three days, the Goddess undergoes Ashaucha and takes rest. People in the region do not perform any farming activity to give the Mother, who is also same as mother Earth, rest According to popular belief as women menstruate, which is a sign of fertility, so also Mother Earth menstruates. So all three days of the festival are considered to be the menstruating period of Mother Earth. During the festival all agricultural operations remain suspended. As in Hindu homes menstruating women remain secluded and do not even touch anything and are given full rest, so also the Mother Earth is given full rest for three days for which all agricultural operations are stopped. During Kade Keddasa an elderly lady of the family performs the ritual, where she makes Sarnadde; unique dish of Tulunad and plates it in front of Tulasi katte. Early morning she wakes up and puts cow dung (ambi) around Tulsi katte and lights lamp. Along with it she keeps Kumkum, Shikakai in front of the katte. She pours coconut oil to the soil as a symbol that she is putting oil to mother earth, before she goes to bathe herself.