ʻO Ms. Kalai, he kanaka mahiʻai ma ka mokuʻāina hema o Tamil Nadu, India, e kamaʻilio e pili ana i ka ulu ʻana i ke kō a me ke koʻikoʻi o ka ʻahaʻaina hōʻiliʻili Pongal ma Ianuali. ʻO ke kumu o Pongal e hōʻike aku i ka mahalo i ke akua lā no ka ʻohi ʻana a hāʻawi iā ia i nā hua mua i ʻohi ʻia. Ua hānau au a noho au ma kahi kauhale liʻiliʻi kokoke i Kavandhapadi. I ka lā hana au ma ke kula, a i ke ahiahi mālama au i ka mahiʻai ʻohana. He mau mahiʻai hoʻoilina koʻu ʻohana. ʻO koʻu kupuna kāne, ka makua kāne, a me kekahi o nā kaikunāne e hana nei i ka mahiʻai. Ua kōkua au iā lākou i kā lākou hana i ko lākou wā kamaliʻi. ʻIke ʻoe, ʻaʻole au i pāʻani me nā pepeke, ʻo kaʻu mau mea pāʻani he ʻiliʻili, lepo a me ke kuruwai. Ua pili nā pāʻani a me nā leʻaleʻa a pau i ka ʻohi ʻana a me ka mālama ʻana i nā holoholona ma kā mākou mahiʻai. No laila, ʻaʻole ia he mea kupanaha ua pili au i koʻu ola me ka mahiʻai. Hoʻoulu mākou i ke kō a me nā ʻano maiʻa like ʻole. No nā moʻomeheu ʻelua, ʻo ka manawa oʻo he 10 mau mahina. He mea ko'iko'i loa ke 'ohi 'ana i ke kō i ka manawa kūpono, i ka wā e piha ai i ka wai i hana 'ia ai ke kō. ʻIke mākou pehea e haʻi ai i ka wā e ʻohi ai: Huli ka waihoʻoluʻu o nā lau kō a lilo i ʻōmaʻomaʻo ʻōmaʻomaʻo. Me ka maiʻa, kanu pū mākou i ka karamani (he ʻano pī). Eia naʻe, ʻaʻole kūʻai ʻia lākou, akā noho mau no kā mākou hoʻohana. He 2 bipi a makou, he bufalo, he 20 hipa a he 20 paha moa ma ka mahiai. I kēlā me kēia kakahiaka waiu wau i nā bipi a me nā bufalo, a laila kūʻai aku au i ka waiū ma ka hui kūloko kūloko. Hele ka waiū i kūʻai ʻia iā Aavin, kahi mea hana waiu ma Tamil Nadu. Ma hope o koʻu hoʻi ʻana mai ka hana, waiu hou au i nā bipi a i ke ahiahi kūʻai aku au i nā mea kūʻai maʻamau, ʻo ka hapa nui o nā ʻohana. ʻAʻohe mīkini ma kā mākou mahiʻai, hana ʻia nā mea āpau - mai ka lūlū ʻana a hiki i ka ʻohi ʻana. Hoʻolimalima mākou i nā limahana e ʻohi ko a hana ko. No ka maiʻa, hele mai kahi mea kūʻai aku iā mākou a kūʻai mai i ka maiʻa ma ke kaupaona. ʻO ka mua, ʻoki ʻia nā ʻohe a hele i kahi mīkini kūikawā e kaomi iā lākou, ʻoiai e hoʻokuʻu ka wai i ka wai. ʻOhi ʻia kēia wai i loko o nā pahu nui. Hoʻopuka kēlā me kēia cylinder i 80-90 kg o ke kō. Hoʻomaloʻo mākou i ka keke mai nā ʻohe kaomi a hoʻohana iā ia e mālama i ke ahi, kahi e hoʻolapalapa ai mākou i ka wai. I ka wā e hoʻolapalapa ai, hele ka wai i nā pae he nui, e hana ana i nā huahana like ʻole. ʻO ka mua ka molasses, a laila ka jaggery. Loaʻa iā mākou kahi mākeke kō kūikawā ma Kavandapadi, kekahi o nā mea nui loa ma India. Pono e hoʻopaʻa inoa ʻia ka poʻe mahi kō ma kēia mākeke. ʻO ko mākou poʻo poʻo nui ka lewa. Inā liʻiliʻi a nui paha ka ua, pili kēia i kā mākou ʻohi. ʻOiaʻiʻo, i loko o ko mākou ʻohana, hoʻomaka mākou i ka hoʻolauleʻa ʻana iā Mattu Pongal. He mea ole kakou me ka bipi ole. I ka wā o ka ʻahaʻaina, kāhiko mākou i kā mākou mau bipi, hoʻomaʻemaʻe i kā mākou hale papaʻa a pule aku i ka holoholona hemolele. No mākou, ʻoi aku ka nui o Mattu Pongal ma mua o Diwali. Me nā bipi ʻaʻahu ʻia, hele mākou e holoholo ma nā alanui. Hoʻolauleʻa ka poʻe mahiʻai a pau iā Mattu Pongal me ke koʻikoʻi a me ka nani.
2022-11-11