KOCHI: Thiruvathira Njattuvela, the best time to plant any kind of seedlings, is on till July 5. Farmers need not follow any already-set farm methods in this season, which commenced on June 22, as it is known as the flourishing period of crops.
Three hundred and sixty-five days of the year are divided into groups of 14 days, that is called Njattuvela, which means ‘njayarinte nila'((position of the sun). For some other farmers, the term Njattuvela is described as the time to plant njaru(saplings). Whatever the meaning is, the first Njattuvela called Aswathi Njattuvela starts on Medam 1 or Vishu day. When it comes to agricultural practices, among all Njattuvelas, Thiruvathira Njattuvela is important as rain pours in without a break in this period. The average duration of a Njattuvela is nearly a fortnight (14 days).
Bush pepper, mango seedlings, coconut seedlings, saplings of various fruit-bearing trees, areca seedlings and many more will take roots better without any fertilisers during the period.
“During my childhood days, Thiruvathira Njattuvela used to be celebrated as a festival. You could hardly find a house without cultivation in those days. People completely made use of the uniform availability of rain and sun,” recollects K Kumaran, 60, a farm employee. "But now, nurseries use Njattuvela as the best time to market saplings," he says.
Farmers these days, are not happy with the commercialisation of Njattuvela.
Still, for the peasants in the rural hamlets of the state, Njattuvela is a time to replant pepper. This is also a time in which animals and plants require extra care.
“Till I attended a seminar conducted by the Department of Agriculture, I was ignorant about the importance of the period,” says Roopesh Kavil, a young farmer.
He also urges the Department of Agriculture to conduct a special session for school and college students in the district to give them an idea about the Malayalam months and climate changes.
Says Manalil Mohanan of Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), "For our forefathers, calendar was a luxury. They were that much accustomed to nature. Unfortunately, the present generation lacks ‘agri-culture,' without which life itself is impossible," he says.
For the KSSP, organising various programmes during Njattuvela is an attempt to evoke the agrarian past of the farmers.
It has become a trend in the city to conduct agricultural expos ahead of Thiruvathira Njattuvela.
For several farm enthusiasts in the state, this is a golden opportunity to get quality seedlings without much search for them.