words are not enough: May 2006

Rain brings memories

Feels like i'm walking in the rain
I find myself trying to wash away the pain
Cause i need you to give me some shelter
Cause i'm fading away
And baby, i'm walking in the rain
-John Ray

From last four days, rain has started to lash south kanara district, which has not only cooled the earth but also dampened my memories. Every year, its does so. Especially the AATI MALE(rain in June end-July), during the same period, we loved to go out with friends, classmates and play water splashing games.
I came from Kasargod district, in which there is a place called Maniyampare(the name is rightly put since there we find laterite stone spread all over). Maniampare has got so many small ponds or PALLA and it was best water game place for children and offcourse for buffaloes.

It was in the same period, when it was raining cats and dogs, we had to travel considerable distance to reach school. Still we were enjoying our journey to school. After school, home going was still more pleasurable. Mother used to prepare hot coffee and snacks, most of the times tukdi made of jack fruit.
Our garden has so many ponds and small streams, where with my friends, i used to play whole day during holidays.
After getting cold and fever, mother used to care much, make me sleep in bed fully cover with woolen bed sheet and sit by my side. God it was the best feeling in ones life getting care by mother!
Still my mother is with me. She still loves me, but my job makes me out of home most of the time. Now also its raining heavily, i rush to perform my duty. Then when nostalgia rushes to my mind, work becomes easier. This may be the feeling of several.

Bandaje falls enchants

You are a hardcore trekker, and want a hard place to conquer.
You like to see the evergreen forests, and shola clad mountain peaks of western ghats.
You dream to have a cool bath amidst thick forests, where nobody can have a peep:)

Then here the famous Bandaje Falls welcomes you! western ghats provide ample oppotunity to the trekkers for admiring awesome nature and each place in the ghats is different in its feature. So Bandaje too is quite different and a 365 days flowing falls. Eventhough a famous falls, this spot is clean and tidy, and nature is left unharmed, mainly because piknic freaks dont dare to come over here. As the onward journey to the upper part to the falls is pretty tiresome, which expects tremendous energy. So those who love nature are the usual goers to Bandaje falls. If you start from Mangalore, towards Chikmagalore, you have to get down at Somantadka 4 kmts from Ujire. Its 2.5 hours journey from Mangalore to Somantadka by bus. You can hire a jeep at Somantadka and go to Valambra, which is the starting point of trek. In valambra you will find A Gowda house, the owner is Venkatraman Gowda, who usually provides all necessary information and bottlefull of water too. From there you have to a couple of kilometres in hot sun and this journey is tiresome. But once you enter the thick forest area, you dont have the problem from scorching sun. But its the height, which poses all kinds of difficulty for not only to the beginner, but to the experienced trekker too. Usually after tiresome trek of around 5 hours exhausted, you reach grassland which is stark except a few palm trees. In another one hour, you will have a glimpse of the falls, and another half an hour, you will be right near the falls. You can swim in a pond just a few metres above the falls, and can refresh all your tiredness. Bandaje jumps to a valley nearly 200 feets deep. One can trek to the bottom of the falls too, for that that you have to deviate in your journey when you find a water stream below, and follow the stream, which takes you to the bottom.
Our trekking team stayed atop hill listening to the sounds of beckoning hills, roaring falls and chirping birds. The next morning we saw a dramatic sky around, which altogether brought so much joy and spirit.

Dont we need shady trees?

They always have been the targets in the gallop of a country. Be it highways, or pipelines, dams, mining…in all these big projects, we have cut lakhs of trees.

Karnataka state has not lagged behind in this national phenomenon.

Recently we have another dream project, which has already set in, the fourlaning of national highways. The stretch of highway between Suratkal and B.C.Road of Bantwal taluk is being upgraded in to fourlane road. Main purpose of the project is to meet the demand of vehicle traffic and port connectivity.

As expected we had our trees cut in the initial stage of the project. As many as 600 big trees are cut. Using powerful bulldozers, within a few hours IRCON, the agency, which has got the fourlaning contract, cleared the tree cover beside the road.

It is true that we need our roads to be widened, and if required, we have to cut trees. The important thing is our departments forget to replace the tree cover once the project is finished.

So we have been losing out greenery, which is of utmost necessity to human beings to survive.

Digital printers-Threat to screen printing?

Screen printing, which boasts of printing virtually on any kind of surface, is on the verge of being eliminated out of the business in mangalore city.
Around 70 odd screen printers in the city are facing a grave future due to a stiff competition by the ultramodern digital colour printing technology and the entry of mini offset machines in the printing arena.
Earlier, screen printing was an easiest choice among the consumers in printing. Generally those who wanted to print visiting cards, invitation cards, stickers were largly pulled towards screen printing. But the onset of mini offset printers and the latest digital based laser printers, with reduced printing cost is proving to be a doom for screen printers.

Digital popular : The colour laser printers are being installed in every corners of the city, which provide high resolution multi-coloured prints, on glossy papers have grabbed the attention of the customers.
Eventhough these printers came 3-4 years before, its only in the last 2 years, they are spreading their wings in full speed. At least 20-25 colour laser printers are operating in the city. For an A 3 size multicolour print the charge around 30-40 Rs.
People generally get attracted towards this high tech printers since they get prints relatively faster than any other kinds. Another reason behind is the sheer fine quality.

Less Investment : In 1984-85, most of the screen printers started functioning in the city. The prime reason of early, quick expansion of this business was requirement of meagre investment. In as less as 5000 Rs, one could start a screen printing business.
The screen printing technology involves a small screen print instrument, and chemicals and ink. It is as simple as that of an art shop, does not require large machinary. People could walk in to the shop and order for 100, 125 cards. The screen printer would not take more than 5 hours to furnish the demand.
Screen printing enterprise had given employment opportunity for urban and rural youth, that too, women in particular. 'But now our future seems to be fading away, and we fear this business may not last more than 2 years' apprehended Premnath Shenoy, who is running this enterprise in Car Street from last 18 years.
As many as 300 people were in our field before. But unable to meet the stiff competition from the latest printers, mini offset printers, they most of them have moved to other profession, he laments.
Now only those who have a passion for this old type, and a few cashew industries come to screen printing. Cashew industries give bulk sticker orders to the screen printers.
Government industries should give bulk orders of stickers, and other printing orders to screen printers to save us from the closure many screen printers opined.

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First rain of joy off course with a few grave notes!

ts something like your dream….a little bit like a mother pouring water on her young child…You crave for it especially in the areas where it sweats a lot….

The first rain which anyone welcome with utmost joy. Children love getting under the downpour, playing in it, even though their mothers will not allow them to. The elders too, like it especially the redolence, the first rain spreads over.

We in cities in the name of development, pile up enough dirt allover the buildings, the trees if any remaining, which can be cleansed only by the first rain! It cleanses the roads, buildings and scum and sludge layers on the grizzled petty shops and hoardings.

Happiness not for all ! : Like other cities, Mangalore alias Kudla also experienced its first rain on May 4^th which in general brought enough happiness to people, but not so for some specific reasons.

The development drive taken up by some apartment builders in mangalore and the seashore areas of Hosabettu and Chitrapur, causing nightmares to the residents there. A main stream which takes the rain water from the low lying areas of Hosabettu is now filled with soil, for building purpose. The villagers are appealing continuously the district administration for taking necessary steps.

These low-lying areas, which were once paddy fields, and now kept idle. Since the farmers families have hardly any interest in cultivation, they find it better alternative to sell the land to all-powerful apartment builders.

The residents of Hosabettu and chitraputr are also alleging that the Tavarekere a lake which is under government’s hand could fall in to the builders hand. So they have asked DC of dakshina kannada to preserve the lake.

The problem of unscientific land filling is sure to pose grave problems to local administration. The problem is not only seen in Hosabettu, but also in Jeppu, Kottara and several other areas, where loads of soil is being dumped in the way of streams. And there is a possibility of Mangalore becoming Bangalore at least with regard to drainage system concerned, if not in development.

So the first rain has come with a clarion call to administration, to get ready for coming mansoon.

No show off, just you and me! blessings from all!

Hundreds of truly blessing hearts around...rhythmic beat of 'chenda' (drum type of musical instrument) and 'valaga' (another musical instrument)...encouraging words of your close relatives...what else you want when you enter in to a wedlock!
When the dusk set in the sky, 125 pairs et in Dharmasthala a town in South Kanara district of Karnataka.

This has been a regular scene in Shree kshetra Dharmastala since 34 years. The welfare project, which aims at simplifying and applying a kind of brake on costly marriages.

The Dharmastala which is known for its 'anna dana', 'vidya dana' and 'nyaya dana'(three type of charity work daily meals programme, free education and disbursing justice), and the mass marriage ceremony is equally famous among Heggade's other welfare programmes.

Even though the marriage is held under the auspices of Dharmasthala Heggade, The couples are allowed to obey their own religious practices. After that religious head from Kshetra preaches the oath, which stresses that the couple would not indulge in a manner, which will spoil them, or they would not get in to bad practices.

Earlier this, Dr.Veerendra Heggade distributes Mangalya to each of the couple. Under a single roof, more than hundred couple exchange garlands on the eve of Godhooli muhoortam, which is believed to be a very good for marriages.

There will neither be any show offs from unnecessary personalities, nor the exhibitionism from rich class.
The main intention behind arranging mass marriage is to promote simple marriages says Dr.Heggade. In the earlier times, the working class, primarily agricultural labourers had been in pathetic situation, and the young brides and bridegrooms had to face financials problems. Then it was thought that only mass marriage is a way to solve such a problem he says.
Heggade is happy for the issue that many temple trusts and associations are keen on arranging such mass marriage ceremonies.

Pix: R.K.Bhat