Karavali– to–Konkan

ಕಡಲಾ ತೀರದ ಹೊಂಗೆಯ ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ ತೆಂಗಿನ ಬನದಾಗ

Last week-end our road trip was to Udupi and back.

Some things that I always revered along the coast before the development guys destroy it I think it is prudent to share it.

Gangolli bridge

The coast of Tulunaad is intercepted with rivers and rivulets joining the great ocean. The confluence. One also sees the confluence of culture here.

ಕಡಲಾತೀರದಹೋಂಗೆಯಮ್ಯಾಲೆತೆಂಗಿನಬನದಾಗ… the memories of sitting on the river banks in the blazing summer sun, with our feet in the water of a parched river, grandmothers and great aunts chiding about the same seem so far away now

The fading insignia of Mysore wodeyars

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I remember my grandparents saying travelling fromTraasi to Mangalore, meant an entire day’s journey as every bridge had to crossed by boats. These bridges were built during the lateRaaj period and early independent India. The Ensign of the Mysore Kings is embossed and asTulunaad, or thenDakshina Kannada (Present Udupi) was part of Madras presidency the bridge work was done by British companies based in Madras.

Ratayatra at Chitrapur

The outpost at Mirjan was given to the Arab traders, by the kings of keladi; the Arab traders settled or had second homes along Bhatkal to further north. The population here is a mix of local fisher folk and the Arabs. This is also the strong hold of the Chitrapur Konkani’s where the Konkan gradually begins to blend with karavali. The People of the terrain to almost Hangarkatte speak dialects of Kannada that is rich in Persian influence.

One of the stories we read in the children’s magazineChandamama was the story of the sculptors from Orissa how they were the finest. The story spoke of a sculptor whose son outshone him but when the boy realized that the man who he had displaced was his father the boy sacrifices himself by jumping into the pond. (The cynic in me calls this suicide) but the halo of artisans from Orissa has stayed on. These sculptors are now invited to carve for the newer temples that are been constructed.

artisan Kasinath Jena at work

Kasinath Jena is one such sculptor. He had fundamental training at Orissa in his community. From there he landed in at a quarry , where he fine-tuned his art. He says what he learnt new was the art of polishing and finishing a sculpture which is not the part of traditional sculpting.Kasinath has migrated north search of work is now in…. carving sculptures for the Gokarna temple. He says the best stones come from Karkala and that he is being commissioned for a lot of work along the coastline.

Honnavara Bridge

Carving of Hanuman by Kasinath Jena for Gokarna Temple

Changing times and over flooding of Goa with domestic tourists sends the tourists further south to the rural towns on the Karavali belt.  The younger generation that is more enterprising has converted small family homes into tourist homes in sync with the Karnataka tourism rural tourism concept.

More Traveller’s Tales at http://www.carconnect.in.