Basel Mission Christians are a community of Tulu speaking minority Protestant Christians originally hailing from coastal Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasargod, Kodagu, Hubbali – Dharwad districts and Mumbai region. They have formed their own Association in Bengaluru called as Basel Mission Christian Association with a view to conserve their traditional Tulu culture. Rev August Manner, a German Missionary of Basel Mission authored Tulu dictionary and Tulu Bible way back in 1863. He was also the author of BhuthaVidya, a treatise on Tulu culture. Even today Basel Mission families use to sing Tulu hymns backed by German tunes at their devotions as well as during church services.
As usual, harvest festival, is a big event for coastal Tuluvas. The same culture is still followed by Basel mission families wherever they settle.
Harvest festival usually begins with thanksgiving prayer followed with fellowship lunch with family and friends. Spending the day with sports, games and other events are an annual event.
Thanksgiving offerings are their tradition so as to remember God for providing proper environment for harvest. They offer liberally for the churches or other place of their devotion by way of donations or variety of commodities i.e., freshly grown vegetables, rice & pulses, sugarcane, fruits and other valuable items. These will be auctioned after the harvest festival service. Members will buy these items through auction certain many a time more than ten time of cost. They use freshly grown rice on that day.
BMCA members celebrated their “Harvest Festival “in Bengaluru on Friday at St. Joseph’s College of Arts & Science grounds. Celebration started with prayer from Rev. Vijaya Prakash Ashwal. President Noel C Noronha, Secretary Stanley L Maben, Kiran Kaunds, Joint Secretary monitored the day’s events. Eric Paul and Leela Bangera monitored the sports and competitions. Sports events were for all ages ranging from five years to senior citizens. Bursting the balloon, running race, picking chocolates, Shoe lace tying were for children. Musical chair, breaking the pot etc., were organized for elders.
Food counters were opened with variety of food items. The attraction of the celebration was auction sale. Variety of items: flower pots, vegetables, cookies, wines, food items, live chick etc.donated by the members were auctioned. Bidding was hectic. Highest bidders pleasantly contributed for the cause of association. Treasurer Grace Anchan oversaw all the coupons sales.
Harvest festival celebration was concluded with fellowship lunch. Traditional coastal lunch, a blend with boiled rice, kadale-manolicury was speciality of the lunch. Members spent their day with family and relaxed, enjoyed palatable food, fun, frolic entertainment by upholding their coastal culture in a traditional way.
BMCA Celebrated Harvest Festival
