WORLD COCONUT DAY ON SEPTEMBER.2

WORLD COCONUT DAY

ON SEPTEMBER.2

September 2 will be observed as World Coconut Day to make people understand that this crop has a vital role in poverty reduction and to provide nutritional and health security, which are the prime need of this hour," says P. Rethinam, Executive Director of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, headquartered at Jakarta.  Coconut is associated with the socio economic aspects of millions of people who directly and indirectly depend on this crop. It provides food, food security, livelihood security, export earning, import substitute and comprehensive protection to small holders and other agro-industries depending on it, according to Dr. Rethinam.
Endowed with 48.5 per cent lauric acid, equivalent to mother's milk, the coconut oil with medium chain fatty acids, will have to play a greater role in developing resistance to children and to all human beings to safeguard against HIV/AIDS virus, SARS and viral, fungal, bacterial, protozoal diseases, which is faced by mankind. Because of its unique property by providing food, nutrition, drink, health, aesthetic sense, building material and other useful household material, coconut is described as "Tree of Life", "Heavenly Tree," and "Tree of abundance."
On World Coconut Day, the importance of this tree should be propagated. "Our mission is to make the coconut industry more competitive by increasing productivity with better management, organic recycling, replanting and also by adopting an integrated farming system coupled with community processing, product diversification, value-addition and by-product utilisation," says Dr. Rethinam.

Coconut Day Festival is also known by the name of Narali Purnima. It is celebrated mostly by the fishing community in Maharashtra who offer their prayers for their safety to the Sun-God Varuna. Coconut Day festival or Narali Purnima is celebrated on full moon day in the month of Shravan each year with loads of fun by the people of Maharashtra. The fishermen express their endless love for the ocean by offering coconuts to the sea-god Varuna. The festival arrives at the fag end of the monsoons and the fisherman’s offering of the coconuts symbolizes the end of the monsoons and ultimately the end of their troubles.

It also symbolizes the beginning of the new fishing season. They please the gods before venturing out in the waters in their decorated boats. They pray to the sea-god to guard them from all the dangers and allow them to sail unharmed. Boats are painted, little oil lamps are lit and set afloat in the water, coconut are broken against their bows as an offering to the Sea God and the seas are strewn with garlands of flowers on the commencement of new fishing season begins.

                                                        Prof. John Kurakar