Historically Kodagu comprised 35 small naads. These were grouped into three bigger naads: Elnaad Surlabi, Mendele naad and Kiggat naad.
Roughly, the naads to the north of the river Kaveri (and approximately south of Patti River) was considered to be Mendele naad and the naads to the south of the Kaveri was called Kiggat naad.
The Patti River is also called Hatti hole. It almost formed the border between Elnaad Surlabi and Mendele naad. It flows between Madapura and Suntikoppa and joined the Harangi river and dam reservoir. The Harangi in turn joins the Kaveri.
Surlabinaad was called Elnaad Surlabi because it consisted of seven small naads. Mendele naad consisted of 14 naads and Kiggat naad consisted of 14 naads. All these total up to 35 small naads.
However, now Kiggat naad is a smaller place and consists of only seven naads. The remaining seven naads were joined to Mendele naad. The Lingayat Rajas of the Haleri dynasty who ruled from around 1600 to 1834 reorganised the original naads completely.
The seven naads or hoblis of Elnaad Surlabi were Kodali, Bilhada, Nidhata, Yedavanaad, Surlabi gadi naad, Ramaswami Kanive and Nanjarayapatna. This roughly formed the Nanjarayapatna or Somwarpet Taluk. The main towns in this region are Somwarpet, Kushalanagara, Madapura, Kodlipet and Shanivarsanthe.
The original fourteen naads of Mendele were Madikeri-Haleri naad, Ulugulimudigeri naad, Horuru-Nurokkal naad, Kagodl naad, Kuyyankeri naad, Beng naad, Hudikeri Kantha Moo naad (comprising three naads, simply called Moonaad or Murnad), Thaavu naad and Padi naal naad (comprising four naads and simply called Naal naad or Nalknad). The main towns in this region were Madikeri, Bhagamandala, Suntikoppa, Murnad, Napoklu and Kakkabe. This region roughly formed the Madikeri and Padinalknad taluks during the British Raj.
The original fourteen naads of Kiggat were Thavalageri Moo naad (a set of three naads), Anjikeri naad, Mare naad, Pattgatt naad, Bottiyat naad, Ammathi naad, Ede Naal naad (a combination of four naads), Bepp naad and Kadiyat naad. Today, the seven naads of Kadiyat naad, Bepp naad, Ede naal naad (four naads) and Ammathi naad are part of Mendele naad. Thavalageri Moo naad (the three naads), Anjikeri naad, Mare naad, Pattgatt naad, and Bottiyat naad, remain in Kiggat naad.
The seven naads which were moved from Kiggat naad to Mendele naad, is a transitional region between Kiggat naad and Mendele naad where both subcultures mix. Therana wedding ceremony and Boad name festival is celebrated in these seven naads and the seven naads of Kiggat naad but not elsewhere.
During Boad festival, the villagers will wear different disguises and go from house to house before finally reaching the temple. Kadanga-Maroor in Kadiyat naad, Chembebelloor, Maggula, Kukloor and Arji in Ede naal naad, Kavadi and Bilugunda in Ammathi naad, Kunda and Hebbale in Bottiyat naad, Kottageri in Pattgattnaad and Hudikeri in Anjikerinaad are some of the villages where Boad festival is held.
The therana wedding ceremony is where the person to marry has their palms and feet marked with therana (henna) by their relatives. This ceremony is held during the oorkuduvo, a day before the main wedding. The therana wedding ceremony is observed in Ede naal naad (in Maggula and other places), Ammathi naad and Kiggat naad but not in Kadiyat naad.
Mendele dialect of Kodava thakk used to be spoken in Mendele naad and Kiggat dialect of Kodava thakk in Kiggat naad.
Baithurappa was the chief god of Ede naal naad, Ammathi naad, Bepp naad and Kiggat naad. Igguthappa was the chief god of Padi naalnaad. Palurappa was the chief god of Kuyyankeri naad. Payyavurappa was the chief god of Kadiyat naad.
In the past, Baithur (Vayathur), Payyavur and Thirunelli temple places were in Kodagu. Now they are in Kerala. Just like how Igguthappa is the main god to Naalnaad, Baithurappa is the main god in Kiggatnaad. Since time immemorial, every year, or after a certain number of years, each family in Kiggatnad would send their representatives to the Baithurappa Namme (which happens in January). They would carry the ayudha (weapons), such as the kadthale (sacred zig-zag blade sword), kaththi (sword), thurekol (cane) of their guru karona (ancestors), but not the gejje thand, to Baithurappa temple. Every thiralekaara who is possessed by a god, other than Maari, goes there. The person possessed by Baithurappa takes the weapon, blesses it and gives it to the respective representative. In the night there will be anuvaada or a spiritual discussion.
