and the loose end pinned at the right shoulder. The men have many distinctive practices such as carrying ceremonial knives, and martial war dances. Cuisine Boiled rice (koolu) is a staple food of the Kodavas for lunch and dinner. Coconut, jackfruit, plantain, mango, and other fruits and vegetables are widely used. Ghee is used in well-to-do families and on festive occasions. Rice in the form of Kanji or Koolu was served at meals along with curries and other additional dishes during olden days. Non-vegetarian food was not objectionable and alcoholic drinks as a rule weren't prohibited. Pork, chicken, and river fish are commonly consumed as also are varieties of game meat. Pork is a common dish at many households and the famous Kodava 'Pandhi Curry' (which is almost deep Brown in color due to the use of garcinia cambogia vinegar called Kachumpuli) is served along with 'Kadumbuttu'(steamed rice balls). Sweet dishes like akki payasa are prepared during festive occasions. Other special dishes include otti (rice roti), paaputtu, thaliya putt (similar to idli), noolputtu (rice noodles) served with traditional Coorg chicken curry dominated by coconut and other masala, bymbale (bamboo shoots), wild mushrooms, various leafy vegetables, ferns, crabs, thambuttu (a sweet specially prepared during their harvest festival called puthari), raw mango curry, tender jackfruit curry, jackfruit seeds curry, traditional sauce,etc. Society Organizational structure Kodava settlements in Coorg are in the form of Okka family groups that are scattered across agricultural and forested holdings, where traditional Ainmane houses form focal meeting points in the rural landscape. The emergence of townships, as such, has been a relatively recent phenomenon and many of the main towns in Kodagu are inhabited by recent migrants and non-Kodavas. Social Status The Kodavas enjoyed equal status with the Nairs, Bunts, Vokkaligas and Vellalas in the Hindu caste system. Festivals Kodava festivities center around their agriculture and military tradition. Originally most of their lives were spent in the field: cultivating, harvesting and guarding their fields from the depredations of wild animals, or otherwise they were either waging war or hunting for game. Their new year was originally celebrated on Bishu Changrandi (called Vishu in Kerala). The Kodavas began to celebrate a few Hindu festivals such as Ugadi, Ayudha Puja (Dasara, also called Navratri, Vijaydashami, Durga Puja or Dussehra) and Mahashivaratri under the Haleri Rajas(1602–1834). However Kodavas traditionally celebrate the following three main festivals peculiar to Kodagu alone (two are