Artistically tasteful ’mantapas’ made of donated items - Paryaya

Artistically tasteful ’mantapas’ made of donated items - Paryaya

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi , Jan 07, 2016: A beautifully decorated structure created with coconuts, arecanuts and maize cobs at the Horekanike Store Hall constructed on the eastern side of the Rajangana Parking Space has become a special attraction.

The  foodgrains, pulses, and coconuts donated by the devotees for the incoming Paryaya Mutt are stored at Badagu Malige at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple complex. However, as Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt will ascend the Paryaya Peetha at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple for a record fifth time on January 18, the organisers fore see donations at a higher order.

As such,  a Horekanike Store Hall has been erected on 34,000 square feet of land near Rajagana Parking Space. The Horekanike donations, which started on January 5, will conclude on January 16.

The store hall has 14 separate stalls for items such as coconuts, de-husked coconuts, tender coconuts, bananas, plantain leaves, pumpkin, yellow pumpkin, rice ‘murras’, rice, brinjal/eggplant, elephant yam, coconut oil and pulses.

This store hall has been entrusted to the  SKDRDP - Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development project . In order to make the store hall attractive, the members of the SKDRDP have created curio of agricultural and horticultural products.

As one enters the hall, one is greeted by this curio ‘mantapa’ made out of maize corns. There is a chariot made out of arecanuts.  A hexagonal shed made out of tender coconuts, and a paddy ‘kanaja’ next to it. All these structures are about 10 feet tall. There is also a four-foot-tall statue of Lord Krishna.

Mahaveer Ajri, regional director, Udupi region, SKDRDP, said that these structures were made out of agricultural and horticultural products so that people could not not only see the items donated but also know that it was possible to use them artistically.  The hall leads to the Adhokshaja Mantapa, where cultural programmes are held at 7 p.m.

People coming to the cultural programmes come here to appreciate the beauty of these curios  structures.