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.“When we were young, we would take cattle to the hills for grazing and play with them. We would make a petla kai gun and shoot at each other for fun,” he said.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.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, because of social media.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.Sulaiman, who also works with stone and is involved in arecanut trading, continues making petlas.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. 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.Prashanth said enquiries now come from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, as well as Bengaluru, Mumbai and overseas. 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.“This existed much before the modern mobile games might have,” he said.The group made about 250 petlas this season, all of which were sold, with enquiries continuing to come in.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.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.
