Bott (pronounced with a “th”at the end) literally means to be scared are posts used to scare away birds from the ripening grain and also to ward off evil eye. It is made of Ponga Tree which is a parasite and is used mainly because it stays fresh for a long time without drying or rotting. On this day, people pitch bott in their paddy fields, near the wells, in front of cattle shed, on manure pits and other places. It is believed that Kodavas are caretakers of the land that belong to goddess Kaveri and the bott indicators are planted to mark and reaffirm possession of the land and ask the goddess to assess the work of the caretakers. The posts of the Bott are split at the top and Kaibili creepers (Kaibili is a thick creeper that smothers the tree it climbs and its cuttings remain green for a long time) are fixed on them. In certain areas of Kodagu, split bamboo or Kanda (a plant that grows about 6 ft tall with white flowers) plants are used instead. In some other parts of Kodagu, no Bott is pitched at all and each practice has a tale to tell.