File pic of women offering puja to the idols of Pandavas made of cow dung as part of Deepavali festival
As Deepavali rituals get under way across North Karnataka, even the humble cow dung has become a sought-after festive commodity. With fewer urban families keeping cattle, demand for fresh dung used to make Pandavas or Hattevva figurines and to perform Balindra puja has pushed prices to nearly double this year.
At Navanagar Market, seller Sushilavva said 500 grams of cow dung, priced at Rs 20-30 last year, now costs at least Rs 50. Documentary filmmaker and publisher Goolappa Aralikatti said the practice is associated with the Pandavas’ return home after 13 years of exile in the Mahabharata. For Vidyanagar resident Prasanna Gangur, buying dung at the market is simply more convenient than travelling 8-10km to find fresh supplies for Balipadyami rituals.
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Shekappa Badappanavar, a farmer from Gokul village in Hubballi who owns six cows and calves, said several urban families book supplies from him in advance. We believe good fortune comes to us when it is used for pooja and rituals,” he said. He said the shift reflects declining dependence on livestock and increasing mechanisation of agriculture.
Sellers collect fresh dung a day or two before Naraka Chaturdashi and pack it in carry bags for buyers. For many families, however, getting the dung is still about sharing a ritual rather than making a sale. “We give it for free. Traditionally, Pandavas or Hattevva figurines made from cow dung are placed above the main entrance or on either side of the doorsill. It also symbolises keeping evil away and protecting family members from separation or exile. But organic farmer Parashuram Yattinagudda sees a larger story in the growing market: families once surrounded by cattle now have to search for cow dung. Download the TOI App.
Four families from Jagadish Nagar collected theirs on Sunday.