Memorial centre beckons serenity seekers

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he couple was grief-stricken after losing their only child to cancer at the age of 17. Post tragedy, they chose the spiritual path to move on in life.  They would frequent the nearby Sai Mandir, with an ardent prayer for the strength to bear the loss. 

     In the course of time, it occurred to M. Srinivasa Pai, a civil engineer and his wife, Nirmala Pai, that they should construct a facility themselves that could infuse serenity and peace. They just could not contain the thought that was growing stronger by the day, Fortunately, they were able to acquire an adjacent quiet site for the purpose.  The dream project was developed with the sole intention of mitigating the pain of the nightmare in their life.  Thus, has come up the Amit S. Pai Memorial Vivekananda Dhyana, Yoga and Seva Mandir at Pervaje, on the outskirts of Karkala in Udupi district.

     The facility has been constructed majestically over a period of nine years.  True to the objective of the couple, today it has emerged a sought-after destination for people who seek peace and tranquillity away from the hustle of the daily life. 

     What catches the eyes here is the construction undertaken without altering the rugged landscape that spans about half an acre.  A meditation hall with appropriate seats provides a space to look inward. The mellifluous tunes in the background create a perfect ambience. Statues and paintings of deities and sages greet visitors. Some artefacts have been brought from as far as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and even China.  Aesthetically laid out installation art in open draws the young and the adult alike. The murals - most of them situational - created by artist Venki Palimar succeed in evoking a smile or a serious thought. Perhaps no aspect of life is left untouched in the arts portrayed here.  It has a full-fledged kitchen and a dining hall, as well as an open-air hall. As we come across the smiling portrait of Amit Pai in many places, we cannot help but empathize with the couple’s untimely loss.

     The centre organizes programmes such as bhajan, discourse, and yoga round the year.  The birth and death anniversaries of their beloved child are marked by Bhajan and other spiritual programmes. Besides felicitating the academic toppers every year, the centre hosts Vivekananda Jayanti, Independence Day and such other programmes of national significance.  It serves a venue for well-intentioned initiatives as well. Open to public since 2023, the Dhyana Mandir can be visited from 6 pm to 8.30 pm, including on Sundays.  

      Wallowing in sorrow does no benefit. It leads to nowhere but into deep pits of despair.  The spiritual and creative vent Srinivasa Pai and Nirmala found for their grief has turned out to be beneficial to society.  It, no doubt, has renewed the purpose of their life.  Sailing or sinking - the choice is always with the captain of the ship.

                                                                                                                          - Sanoor Indira Acharya

 

 

 

Ambe: Rebel against royal customs

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ama Tuluver Kala Sanghatane, Natkadur, Mudradi, has come out with their new production Ambe written by Saraju Katkar.  I got an opportunity to watch the period drama -   perhaps the second show of the production - at Sri Bhuvanendra College, Karkala recently.

     The play offers a fresh perspective to the oft-told old story from the epic Mahabharat.  Vividly unfolded are the apprehensions and grit of Ambe, the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi.  The rebellious Ambe, despises the prevailing system of swayamvara.  She views it as auctioning of brides with little consideration to their opinion. Whoever has the capacity, be it young or old, can win a princess, but not necessarily her heart.  She longs to have a life of a commoner instead of entrapped in royal customs.

     Father, having resigned to the situation and King Salva who had kindled a spark of warmth in her heart rejecting her, Ambe finally tries to embrace the situation thrown at her by asking Bhishma to marry her.  When Bhishma refuses the offer, being taken the oath of celibacy, she is overwhelmed with a feeling of revenge against Bhishma, whom she blames for the impasse she has landed in. She self-immolates only to be born as shikhandi, a eunuch, forcing grandsire Bhishma to renounce arms; eventually leading to his death in the battle of Mahabharat.  

     Using puppets for minor characters is a new experiment in the play directed by Salian Umesh Narayana.  A prominent puppeteering hand in the background is symbolic of the control of others over the lives of the sisters Ambe, Ambike and Ambalike.  The credit goes to Chandranatha Bajagoli.  Music by Digvijaya Heggodu has succeeded in reinforcing the emotions.

The performances of Vani Sukumar in the role of protagonist Ambe and Sukumar Mohan as Bhishma are flawless. Sugandhi Umesh Kalmadi, could transform into various roles with ease. Every actor in the role justified his/her role. However, the role of a present-day couple look irrelevant to the plot and they dancing to the tune played by a transistor fails to gel with the period drama. Sage Parashurama’s appearance would have been made better as he looks a bit gauche with awkward makeup and costume. 

                                                

                                                                                                      - Sanoor Indira Acharya 

C.E.Kamath Institute for Artisans - Bringing dignity to men & materials

 

                     

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he well laid out C. E. Kamath Institute for Artisans will certainly capture your attention as you pass by the picturesque hamlet Miyar near Karkala on the National Highway 169.  It is one of the three similar institutes launched by Canara Bank’s Centenary Rural Development Trust under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.  The other two training facilities are at Bidadi near Bangalore and Karaikudi near Madurai. 

 

     The institute in Karkala, as in other two centres, has not only shaped the stones and metals but also many lives for better since its inception in 1997. Besides readying the underprivileged/uneducated youth to lead a dignified life, the unique initiative also helps preserving the traditional craft by rekindling interest among the youth.

          As you enter the sprawling campus, you just can’t help but savouring the aesthetically arrayed sculptures done by the trainees. Creativity is writ large on every nook and corner of the four-acre plot.

     The institute offers an 18-month training programme in wood and stone carving as well as metal carving. Though pottery too was a course here, it was abandoned due to lack of admission. Starting with theory and drawings, the training ends up with transforming the apprehensive trainee into a confident artisan. A minimum seventh standard pass and aptitude judged by test and interview are the criteria for admission.

                                            

       

 

           

                         

     Under metal carving, sheet embossing and casting is taught here. “Since the idols are made through lost-wax casting process, these are intact and preferred for religious purposes”, says the instructor.

     The classrooms and workshops are spacious. Free accommodation and food are provided.  Materials and tool kits too come free. In order to groom them as well-rounded personality, the trainees are exposed to computers, English speaking, soft skills, sports, recreational activities and entrepreneurial competency.

     The creative pieces done by the students during training period that have been displayed in an enclosed gallery speak volumes about the quality of training and proficiency of the trainees.  Some pieces are for sale at a nominal price.

     Some, for whom these crafts are totally alien, have been drawn into it and have become successful too. Some have come to hone their family’s traditional craft works vis-a-vis entrepreneurial acumen. Irrespective of the reason, the fact remains that almost all have excelled in their chosen fields and there are many success stories.

     The Bank offers them loan to set up their units in order to enable them gainfully engaged once they finish their training.  In its 26 years of existence, it has trained around a thousand youth from different parts of the country.

     Thanks to the effort of Canara Bank, many school dropouts  who would have ended up doing menial jobs, have found a dignified life.  The training has instilled confidence which only a formal higher education would have given them. 

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                                                                                                                - Sanoor Indira Acharya

Parashurama Theme Park: New Landmark

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 rocky hillock known as Umikallu at Bailur near Karkala, nondescript until recently, has emerged a centre of attraction among the locals and outsiders alike. Parashurama Theme Park developed atop the hillock is attracting hordes of visitors.

    Lord Parashurama is considered the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Besides, Parashurama holds much significance in this part of the land, as it was he who is believed to have created the land called “Tulunadu” by acquiring the land underwater the Arabian Sea. The theme park, located 12 km away from Karkala, has come up as an obeisance to Lord Parashurama.

          The 33-foot bronze statue with a valiant pose befitting the sage – an axe in a raised hand and a bow in another hand - draws the attention of the people from far. Once you climb the 450-ft hillock you have a breathtaking view of the rugged terrains and greenery around as well as the road connecting Karkala and Udupi.

     In addition, the complex has an audiovisual gallery.  Embossed canvases depicting the life of Parashurama, right from his parents Jamadagni and Renuka until he got the seawater receded post conquering the Kshatriyas are arrayed in the gallery.  It has also got the facilities of an open-air theatre for cultural programmes with a seating capacity of 500 and a meditation room.

     However, a restaurant, housed in the same complex, should have been at an annexe. MLA Sunil Kumar, the then Minister for Kannada and Culture, was instrumental in setting up the park spread at an area of about five acres.  

 

              - Sanoor Indira Acharya

 

Sri Kalakama Parashurama Temple, Mala

      Sri Kalakama Parashurama Temple is yet another landmark at Mala, a picturesque hamlet nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats. The original shrine, said to belong to the seventeenth century, has been renovated and developed by the devotees whenever there arose a need. 

 

     Lord Parashurama, here, is  worshipped by the Chitpavan Brahmin community which has made Mala its home upon migration from Maharashtra.  It may be noted that Chitpavan Brahmin community is settled in other parts of the undivided Dakshina Kannada district too. 

     The temple has a distinct construction style, unlike the worshipping centres of Tulunadu.  The colourful motifs on the ceiling and paints in vibrant hues lend it a Maharashtrian influence.  What makes the temple further unique is the absence of a separate teerthamantapa and dhwajasthambha, hallmarks of the temples in the coastal belt. 

 

     The steep incline in front of the temple is beautifully landscaped with a long flight of stairs and a small tank at the bottom.  The temple has a hall and a rangamantapa, providing a venue for the social gathering and also, perhaps, to showcase the talent of the culturally rich community. 

                          

      Lakshadeepotsava on the full moon day of the lunar month of Karthika marks the annual festival of the temple.  

     The divinity apart, the serene atmosphere around infuses a kind of tranquility among spiritual seekers and nature seekers alike.  A perfect spot to unwind.

 

Covid Crisis: Padutirupathi Cricketers bats for the needy

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hey do not just play cricket. They too are into philanthropic activities as their famous brethren elsewhere.  Meet Padutirupathi Cricketers, a group of young cricket enthusiasts of Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community.  This Karkala-based troupe, besides cricket, has extended a helping hand to the needy on many occasions.

     The lockdown in the wake of Covid – 19 is another occasion for the local GSB youngsters to serve the society.  They provide food to the medicos, paramedics, officials and workers whose service is essential to combat the ruthless spread of the novel Corona virus. Besides, patients in hospitals, their attendants, stranded homeless labourers and the poor too are on their food-supply radar.  Though the prevalence of Covid -19 cases is relatively low in Udupi district, no stone is left unturned in diagnosing and nipping the spread of the disease at the outset.

     The hardship of the personnel at a checkpost to get some food and water propelled a few members, mostly businessmen, in the group to rise to the occasion. They started providing food to them from the day 4 of the first phase of the lockdown. What started as a small gesture has, today, grown into an efficient network, supplying lunch packs to as many as 500 people in and around Karkala. The Police, government hospital, nursing homes, health workers, staff at various government offices, patients and quarantined people are the beneficiaries of their benevolence.   “Our purpose is to keep the people indoors and stay put at their locations, instead of coming out looking for food,” says Prakash Pai, a member.

     The vegetarian lunch comprises rice, sambar, palya, pickle and butter milk. Sometimes payasa and other delicious items are included upon request by the sponsors.  Padutirupathi Cricketers dispatches about 150-200 breakfast packets. The menu varies with items like Idli-chutney, Puliyogare, Buns and Upma-avalakki on different days. The team also provides dinner to the inmates at the quarantine facility.  In addition fruits are offered to patients sometimes.

     “Their service is a godsend to the staff, patients and those who accompany them. Our special requests for toddlers too have been promptly met without any delay,” opine in unison K V Padmavathi and Nayana Jayanth, staff nurses at the government hospital. “Even the people at the quarantine facility too are happy to have variety of good food,” adds Nayana.

     In all 30-40 members of Padutirupathi Cricketers involve themselves in the task.  They cook, pack and carry them to the respective locations in their own two-wheelers and four wheelers.  Govindaraya Pai, a member, has offered the premises of his home for the purpose. The volunteers abide by the lockdown guidelines by maintaining physical distance, wearing mask etc. at every step of this food supply chain.  The youth slog from seven in the morning until around 4 O’clock in the evening.

     “The daily expenses of the hygienic and healthy GSB food may come upto Rs 10,000,” says Vittaladas Shenoy, president of Padutirupathi Cricketers.  The labour of each member, of course, is not counted. Their valuable service is priceless.   Looking at the zealous and selfless service of the team, many have come forward with donations.  Offers come in the form of cash and kind. Now many other organizations too have joined hands. The burden now is shared, if not equally. True, no good work hits a road block owing to paucity of funds.

     Considering the clean kitchen as well as hygienic and healthy food, the administration too did not have a second thought in giving the go ahead.  Now it is mightily impressed with the committment of Padutirupathi Cricketers.  Tahsildar of Karkala Purandara Hegde profusely thanks the youngsters for their noble gesture in this hour crisis.  “Their generosity to provide food to all who are nowhere to turn to during the ongoing lockdown period is commendable,” says the Tahsildar.

     The troupe indeed has turned itself into a troop in the war against the Corona virus.