You would get to hear the wafting of the  sweet lyrical sound of the flute of Lord krishna which itself is a  tickling experience.  Thefestival called “Chinna Thappa”  is being celebrated here in a small hamlet called Ayyangeri which is hid in the scenic locales of the district, the festival is well marked with certain distinct practices such as :  Avalakki Bhojana, Krishna Pooja, Meditation formed the integral part of the ceremony where several rituals were in the 3 day long festival here.

A small village called “Ayyangeri”  is found  about 40 kms (6 kms to Bhaga Mandala) on the way to Bhaga Mandala  when you pass through Napoklu in Madikeri from Kodagu the main Town.  “Chinna Thappa” is a special way of offering pooja to the ancient flute of Lord Krishna, where the flute is of top prominence and priority as per the practices of this strange festival unheard anywhere else.

Surrounded by hills, coffee estate and agri- fields, you find this scenic spot dotted with many houses which is “Ayyangeri”,  where there is  Krishna Temple.  Here  “Chinna Thappa”  is held once in a year

forming  the centre of attraction for the people. Besides, what is noteworthy is that here alone you would find only one village in the entire district which  houses Krishna Temple.

This festival is observed by Golla Community every year in Summer for 3 days through different rituals and customs of theirs.  There was a temple once of Lord Krishna near a house behind and every day the

flute- bearing Lord Krishna’s statue was offered pooja.  Eventually now this place has  turned out to be a grand temple now.

The flute worshipped here allegedly belonged to Lord Krishna himself, they claim.  There is a small story to prove how that all happened.

Earlier in this place which is dotted with hillocks, cattle  grazed in the meadows.  Every day Mother Yashoda sported new clothes to Lord Krishna and gave a few eats to Bala Rama and engaged them into to the job of  tending to the flock of cattle there.  Joining the Golla children who came there grazing their cattle, playing the flute all the while Lord Krishna spent his days here blissfully, they maintain. But when Lord Krishna had left for Mathura, he had forgotten  to take his flute along with him. So, this flute came to be cherished  by the people and that is how the entire history comes alive of this place now.

According to another source, the people believe that  in earlier days when Cheenganda and Biddiyanda family elders tilled the fields, when the flute of Lord Krishna came afloat in the river, Biddiyanda Family

people carried the flute home and started worshiping it.

This flute is wrapped in white cloth so that it is not sighted by the tourists here. Hence, excepting the VIPs,  those who blow the flute, no one else has any idea as to how the flute looks like.

 The villagers observe this “Chinna Thappa” festival without amiss every year like a ritual.  The peepul tree is worshiped before the celebration kicks off.  No one is supposed to kill any animal, eat non veg, or observe weddings until the festival gets over.  No one is supposed to sleep on any cot until the ceremony gets over. Everybody is expected to consume Avalakki (beaten rice) compulsorily here!

Dare Pooje, Pattani, Bhandara all such 3 day progarmmes are held in a distinct manner. Before the day of the festival,  people sport traditional attire and visit the temples. Chande sound pierces the silence here.  Sri Krishna’s flute wrapped in white is brought out on this occasion for display. It is then brought to  “Urmand”, a paddy field where pooja is held by the villagers and devotees those who come from far and near.  In the evening by sun set, the VIPs visit the ‘Kallu Hole’ which exists to the left.  The next day in the temple at  7.30  to 3.30 in the noon, ‘Dhare Pooja’ is held. Later the flute is brought back again to the temple.

The Second Day being the day for ‘Pattani Festival’, in the morning pooja programmes are held. By noon all the VIPs, 1 each from ‘Biddiyanda’ & ‘Cheenganda’ families  will blow flute that had been wrapped in white and they  walk till Urmand during this time the flute is blown near the fields nearby.

They then leave for ‘Naleyanda Mani’,  where the bullock fight takes place. Women draped in white  carrying tray laden with rice, flowers, light  they reach Urmund.  Here the bullock race is held thrice. The

coconut tied in the  Peepul tree would be shot and the bundle would be loosened. The flute would be blown at specified places while on the way to Mani. The bullocks are run at this time. Later all will leave

for the place where ‘Dhare Pooje’ was held and here where they take bath themselves and give bath to the idol then they and return to the temple where the ‘Pattani Festival’ comes to a decisive end.

On the final day, God would be offered  ‘Bhandara’, during which hundreds of litres of oil would be offered to the deity forming a part of the ritual.  Food will be served in the noon along with the pooja

ceremony,  where the 3 day long festival grinds to a halt.   “China Thappa” festival doesn’t match any of the festivals observed by any of us, so it is an unforgettable experience altogether for the devotees

for its great ambience and its distinctness.