The Magical Three-Eyed Coconut
Have you ever noticed that a coconut has three dark spots that look like eyes? In Tulu culture, people believed these "eyes" were special and magical!
When a baby was born, mothers would take a coconut shell and make a small hole in one of these three eyes. Then they would fill it with warm water and gently pour it over the newborn baby. Why? Because pouring water directly from a pot might be too harsh for a tiny baby's soft skin. The coconut shell lets the water trickle out slowly and gently — like a natural baby shower!
The Sacred Cradle
Look at this beautiful wooden cradle! It might look simple, but it's actually very special. Traditional Tulu cradles were made from 5 or 9 different types of wood. Each type of wood was chosen carefully to protect the baby and bring good luck.
Here's something amazing: the people who used these cradles came from communities like the Koraga, Mugera, Billava, Banta, Mugaveera, and Kulala — the original residents of Tulu Nadu. They were masters at working with wood!