Bhoomi Hunnime

History

Since ancient times, the mother earth has a special place among farmers. The earth is considered to be the bearer and revealer of divine life. She is the mother of every life that has ever taken birth from her and has lived upon her.

Aneka Ratna Sampanne Bhoomidevi Namostute||

The gifts of mother earth are unlimited and she never fails to provide innumerable needs of all the creatures that live on her. And, she has been doing this tirelessly and endlessly for thousands of years. The food we eat, the water we drink, clothes we wear and many medicines that cure us — are all sourced from mother earth. The air that sustains us is from the trees that are rooted in her soil. Every single ingredient we consume gives us an idea of the enormity and expanse of her bounty. We are all greatly indebted to her. The concept of repaying debt has been inherent to our culture and philosophy. This hallmark tradition continues till today.

Therefore, Bhoomi Hunnime celebration is considered as an expression of joy of giving back to mother earth in gratitude.

Customs

On the festival day, we go to our farming land early in the morning to worship mother earth. The small part of the land is cleaned and sprinkled with water and decorated with rangoli. Mother earth is worshipped with Kunkum, Arishina (Halidi), akshata, and flowers. Naivedya is done by offering milk, fruits, and sweets. Aarati is done chanting shlokas, mantra, and singing devotional songs.

On the occasion, we refrain from digging, drilling, or tilling the land, and pray mother earth to help us to have better yields.

Festive dishes