Appreciation, understanding, passion, obsession, institution and disintegration." Vijayanath Shenoy thus sums up his journey of building Hasta Shilpa Trust's Heritage Village with museums and art galleries in Manipal, which was thrown open to public formally in May this year. But when he says this, tears well up in his eyes.
It is difficult to read the emotions behind the tears. His mind and words drift from the questions posed to him. After a long pause, seeing the public footfall in the premises, he says, "Relief from pain..."
Vijayanath, who is the face of Heritage Village, has grown up with his dream to establish it, from 1998. Vijayanath, who is in his eighties, explains the tasks on hand for him to take the project to newer heights. He never gets tired of talking about his dream and projects to develop the Heritage Village as a world-class destination. Letting the public visit the Village does not mean it is a picnic spot or a tourist destination, he categorically says. "It is a university to learn the way to respect and preserve heritage and culture, which ultimately have an impact on human bonding," he says.
The Village was open for public viewing from May 14 to 31. In just 15 days, as many as 215 people visited the Village to see the grandeur of the traditional structures. The guided tour lasts for two hours. Of the 30 structures, visitors are allowed to enter the premises of eight, while 12 can be seen from outside.
Rich tales
Each house, palace and places of worship here tells a story, reflects history and rich culture of the bygone era. Each structure also indicates the socio-economic status of its one-time occupants, and more than anything else, their taste for fine living, religious beliefs and family bonding. Over and above, it is wonderful to listen to the efforts made by Vijayanath to secure each and every building.
There is an emotional story attached to the 19th century Kunjur Chowki Mane, which stands in a vantage position in the premises. The house once belonged to a Shivalli Brahmin family. Over the decades, the house became abandoned. And, finally, the heirs of the property handed over this invaluable asset to the trust. It is always an emotional trip to the family members whenever they step in here now.
Listening to the history of Harkur Olagina Mane which belonged to a Bunt family of Kundapur, glorious past of Kamal Mahal of Kukanoor of Koppal district, Deccani Nawab Mahal and Mudhol Palace Durbar Hall with appropriate background classical music is an experience in itself. The majestic Basel Mission Museum has a collection of various terracotta products manufactured by Basel Mission Tile Factories.
Watching the intricate wooden carvings and interiors at Kamal Mahal of the Vijayanagar empire can never be a tiring exercise, while the Deccani Nawab Mahal reflects the luxurious but tasteful lifestyle of the Nawabs in the 19th century near Humnabad.
One can easily get lost when one steps into Raja Ravi Verma museum and Thanjavur Paintings Museum. The coastal Karnataka's rich folk culture including Bhootalaya, Naga Mandala, and Kola among others comes alive in the Museum of Folk Arts. It has conserved ancient and contemporary arts in various forms. Each every object is well-kept and one can hardly see gathering of dust on any artefact.
Well, words and lenses cannot do justice to describe the assets in the Village. Also, words fumble when one tries to thank Vijayanath for dreaming so big and giving a shape to it keeping the future generation in view. A single visit of a couple of hours to the Village can only make one get a glimpse of the rich culture that once prevailed in parts of the Coast, Malnad and North Karnataka. But to go beyond that, one needs to have an aesthetic mindset. Yes, the place is a gold mine for research scholars.
The Heritage Village is spread over six acres of leased government land in Alevoor in Manipal. With a little coaxing from the Udupi deputy commissioner, Vijayanath finally took a decision to allow people to visit the Village. All these years the trust quietly did its work of acquiring, relocating and nurturing century/decades old houses across Karnataka, in the Village. Vijayanath, who is the secretary of the trust, at times single handedly and sometimes ably supported by members of the trust, has fought ruthless destruction of invaluable structures by their owners.
Not only that, he has convinced the owners to part with their properties, bought them by paying huge prices and relocated them to the Village for the present and posterity. What Vijayanath and others have done is recreate the heritage structures with precise engineering measurements. The restoration has been done after extensive research. Now the documentation of each and every structure and artefacts is on.
Slices of history
Harish Pai, treasurer of the trust, works in tandem with Vijayanath. He, along with Thomas, Shanti D'Souza and Ramesh Mallya conduct guided tours for the visitors. It is wonderful to walk with Vijayanath listening to the stories associated with spirit gods in wood (bhootas) displayed at the open folk art gallery. They have been collected from various places in the coastal districts. Every street here has a craft bazaar with a collection of antique items.
What next? Harish says there is plenty of work to be completed but the trust is not in a hurry. With the generous funding by the Norwegian Embassy and other embassies, the trust, over the years, has assembled slices of history. With the financial assistance of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, certain infrastructure facilities have been developed in the Village.
But more funds are required. "If we get at least Rs five to six crore, then we can put up proper security system here, which is very essential. There are many wood structures, which need high maintenance because of the humidity. Also, each and every structure needs a water-proof protective cover during the monsoon," he points out.
Harish is optimistic that people with vision and money would help. Just to get funds, the trust cannot compromise on its set goals, he says. The trust, which has 13 members on board, is now looking at completing work on the craft village, where live demonstration by artisans can be witnessed. Collection for a textile museum has been completed. Some more structures with artefacts would be assembled in the years to come.
Vijayanath has faith in youngsters to take care of the priceless creations here as well as take forward the trust's vision. But he wants individuals dedicated to the cause to join the mission. As Harish says, what is required is a movement to save the architectural legacy to preserve art, culture and traditions for posterity.
Entry tickets to Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village are available on bookmyshow.com. Tickets are not sold at the counter. A maximum of 15 people are allowed per session. The Village is now closed for monsoon and will reopen on September 1.
It is difficult to read the emotions behind the tears. His mind and words drift from the questions posed to him. After a long pause, seeing the public footfall in the premises, he says, "Relief from pain..."
Vijayanath, who is the face of Heritage Village, has grown up with his dream to establish it, from 1998. Vijayanath, who is in his eighties, explains the tasks on hand for him to take the project to newer heights. He never gets tired of talking about his dream and projects to develop the Heritage Village as a world-class destination. Letting the public visit the Village does not mean it is a picnic spot or a tourist destination, he categorically says. "It is a university to learn the way to respect and preserve heritage and culture, which ultimately have an impact on human bonding," he says.
The Village was open for public viewing from May 14 to 31. In just 15 days, as many as 215 people visited the Village to see the grandeur of the traditional structures. The guided tour lasts for two hours. Of the 30 structures, visitors are allowed to enter the premises of eight, while 12 can be seen from outside.
Rich tales
Each house, palace and places of worship here tells a story, reflects history and rich culture of the bygone era. Each structure also indicates the socio-economic status of its one-time occupants, and more than anything else, their taste for fine living, religious beliefs and family bonding. Over and above, it is wonderful to listen to the efforts made by Vijayanath to secure each and every building.
There is an emotional story attached to the 19th century Kunjur Chowki Mane, which stands in a vantage position in the premises. The house once belonged to a Shivalli Brahmin family. Over the decades, the house became abandoned. And, finally, the heirs of the property handed over this invaluable asset to the trust. It is always an emotional trip to the family members whenever they step in here now.
Listening to the history of Harkur Olagina Mane which belonged to a Bunt family of Kundapur, glorious past of Kamal Mahal of Kukanoor of Koppal district, Deccani Nawab Mahal and Mudhol Palace Durbar Hall with appropriate background classical music is an experience in itself. The majestic Basel Mission Museum has a collection of various terracotta products manufactured by Basel Mission Tile Factories.
Watching the intricate wooden carvings and interiors at Kamal Mahal of the Vijayanagar empire can never be a tiring exercise, while the Deccani Nawab Mahal reflects the luxurious but tasteful lifestyle of the Nawabs in the 19th century near Humnabad.
One can easily get lost when one steps into Raja Ravi Verma museum and Thanjavur Paintings Museum. The coastal Karnataka's rich folk culture including Bhootalaya, Naga Mandala, and Kola among others comes alive in the Museum of Folk Arts. It has conserved ancient and contemporary arts in various forms. Each every object is well-kept and one can hardly see gathering of dust on any artefact.
Well, words and lenses cannot do justice to describe the assets in the Village. Also, words fumble when one tries to thank Vijayanath for dreaming so big and giving a shape to it keeping the future generation in view. A single visit of a couple of hours to the Village can only make one get a glimpse of the rich culture that once prevailed in parts of the Coast, Malnad and North Karnataka. But to go beyond that, one needs to have an aesthetic mindset. Yes, the place is a gold mine for research scholars.
The Heritage Village is spread over six acres of leased government land in Alevoor in Manipal. With a little coaxing from the Udupi deputy commissioner, Vijayanath finally took a decision to allow people to visit the Village. All these years the trust quietly did its work of acquiring, relocating and nurturing century/decades old houses across Karnataka, in the Village. Vijayanath, who is the secretary of the trust, at times single handedly and sometimes ably supported by members of the trust, has fought ruthless destruction of invaluable structures by their owners.
Not only that, he has convinced the owners to part with their properties, bought them by paying huge prices and relocated them to the Village for the present and posterity. What Vijayanath and others have done is recreate the heritage structures with precise engineering measurements. The restoration has been done after extensive research. Now the documentation of each and every structure and artefacts is on.
Slices of history
Harish Pai, treasurer of the trust, works in tandem with Vijayanath. He, along with Thomas, Shanti D'Souza and Ramesh Mallya conduct guided tours for the visitors. It is wonderful to walk with Vijayanath listening to the stories associated with spirit gods in wood (bhootas) displayed at the open folk art gallery. They have been collected from various places in the coastal districts. Every street here has a craft bazaar with a collection of antique items.
What next? Harish says there is plenty of work to be completed but the trust is not in a hurry. With the generous funding by the Norwegian Embassy and other embassies, the trust, over the years, has assembled slices of history. With the financial assistance of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, certain infrastructure facilities have been developed in the Village.
But more funds are required. "If we get at least Rs five to six crore, then we can put up proper security system here, which is very essential. There are many wood structures, which need high maintenance because of the humidity. Also, each and every structure needs a water-proof protective cover during the monsoon," he points out.
Harish is optimistic that people with vision and money would help. Just to get funds, the trust cannot compromise on its set goals, he says. The trust, which has 13 members on board, is now looking at completing work on the craft village, where live demonstration by artisans can be witnessed. Collection for a textile museum has been completed. Some more structures with artefacts would be assembled in the years to come.
Vijayanath has faith in youngsters to take care of the priceless creations here as well as take forward the trust's vision. But he wants individuals dedicated to the cause to join the mission. As Harish says, what is required is a movement to save the architectural legacy to preserve art, culture and traditions for posterity.
Entry tickets to Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village are available on bookmyshow.com. Tickets are not sold at the counter. A maximum of 15 people are allowed per session. The Village is now closed for monsoon and will reopen on September 1.