PATTA AND POTTA In Malayalam PATTA means the leaves of palm treeslike coconut, aracanut etc. It is also called Matal. Elephants domesticated are given theseleaves for eating. Elephants also like sugar cane and its leaves. Duringfestive occasion they are given sugar cane. Elephants also like Pineapple.
In barber’s language a very close cutting of hair iscalled Pattavettal.Normally barbers ask our requirement, whether cutting or shaving. If we desiretonsure, close cutting or pattavettal, we have to tell them. For arrack in Kerala in villages Patta was an indirectname. In TamilPatta or better Pattaza means the right of a property given by government. Governmentcan issuepatta of its land allotting to hill tribes etc. In Kerala after transaction details come to village office and LAND TAXis collected. Most keepthis receipt as pattayam. Persons from Revenue side can clarify moreon the information. Patta also mean holy ash applied with width in theforehead. Holy ash mixed with slightwater and applied with three fingers on the forehead. Though instructions areto apply holy ash like this, nowadays most apply dry ash with single finger inthe forehead. Potta means the grass grownalong with soil cut and taken about one foot diameter. While mud compound wallsare made (Kayyala) potta is provided on the top. If we have to grow grass in an area likelawn, potta is cut in pieces and placed over the area after slightly digging,manuring and watering and fixing with light force. The Korean grass for lawn iscut and fixed close in the area proposed. After two weeks or so the grass wouldstart growing. The grass has a property- After cow graze; it againgrows some times more smoothly. InTemples the area outside thalakkal (through which circumambulation is done)grass is grown in major temples. We can see cows grazing and grass againgrowing. The driedskin after wound is cured will fall after a time from it and new skin will appear. This is alsocalled potta. People would be tempted toremove potta on itching. But doctors warn not to do so. In local language in some areas in Tamilnadu potta isused to mean female sex. Pottakkinar,Pottakkuzhi etc. are dangerous pits and spots. For abandoning a person sometimes the usage-“Pottakkuzhiyil thalluka” (Pushing in pottakkinar) is used. Potta is alsoused to mean the outer skin of coconut, aracanut, palm, jackfruit, mango etc. trees. After cuttingthe trees the potta is removed and the outer wood is used for various domesticuses like beams, cross arms etc. Coconut wood is used for uttharam, kazhukkol,pattika etc. Aracanut wood is used handles for powrah, koonthali etc. Palm wood is harder. Many times two or three palm wood without removingpotta is laid to cross small streams. (Coconut wood/Aracanut wood) One can see reddish colour after outer skin isremoved from jackfruit trees. It is told we should not remove potta from livingtrees. It can fall of its own. The only exception is coconut trees. At periodicinterval some potta and wood is cut for easiness for climbing up the trees. Writer- R. Gopala Krishnan dated 26-12-2013. Reposted on9-1-2021 after editing and updating information. R. Gopala Krishnan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1295667258.135376.1610202967602%40mail.yahoo.com.
