Sulaiman,79, of Basrur in Udupi district, who has been making petlas for around 43 years
Sulaiman,79, of Basrur in Udupi district, who has been making petlas for around 43 years Sulaiman,79, of Basrur in Udupi district, who has been making petlas for around 43 years Sulaiman,79, of Basrur in Udupi district, who has been making petlas for around 43 years Sulaiman,79, of Basrur in Udupi district, who has been making petlas for around 43 years Mangaluru: The sharp ‘tap’ sound of the petla is making a comeback as social media brings the bamboo pop gun back into the spotlight amid Sri Krishna Janmashtami and Vitla Pindi celebrations.
Historian Tukaram Poojary said the petla was essentially a folk toy used by children in Tulunadu during the monsoon, when the required forest produce was available. We would make a petla kai gun and shoot at each other for fun,” he said. “When we were young, we would take cattle to the hills for grazing and play with them. A hard fruit or pod, known as petla kai, was placed inside a hollow bamboo tube and pushed with another bamboo piece to produce the loud sound. Ale mara kai was traditionally used, while mapala kai was another option. If these were unavailable, keppala kai from the keppala plant could be used. In Udupi and parts of Dakshina Kannada, the petla has become associated with Janmashtami and Vitla Pindi.
The group made about 250 petlas this season, all of which were sold, with enquiries continuing to come in. Because of social media, sheik Suleman Saheb of Basrur,79, who has made petlas for about 43 years after learning the craft from elders in his family, said demand was higher this year,. He said that social media has introduced the toy to those who had never seen it, and revived childhood memories among those familiar with it. Stay updated with the latest Mangaluru news.
Sulaiman said very few people now make petlas. Makers in places such as Katpady and Kokkada had brought them for seasonal sale, but their numbers have declined sharply, he said, adding that making one is labour-intensive, involving metalwork, an internal mechanism and collection of the fruit or pod, making production difficult. He said the toy has been associated with Sri Krishna Janmashtami for generations, with its cracking sound traditionally used around the time of Sri Krishna’s birth. Prashanth said enquiries now come from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, as well as Bengaluru, Mumbai and overseas. “This existed much before the modern mobile games might have,” he said. He said that it is traditionally associated with Sri Krishna Janmashtami, as the sound was used to mark the joy and celebration surrounding the birth of Sri Krishna.
Sulaiman, who also works with stone and is involved in arecanut trading, continues making petlas. He is also teaching the craft to his grandson to ensure it survives, and help keep this old tradition alive for future generations. At Kaup, Prashanth Poojary and his friends have taken up petla-making to revive the tradition and meet seasonal demand. However, sourcing suitable bamboo and forest produce remains difficult. Makers have adapted the construction where necessary, while retaining the traditional mechanism, and importantly, the original sound. Download the TOI App.