April-2013 - Department of Information, Govt. of Karnataka

Annual Subscription ` 50.00 onlyKarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013Ambedkar- The Crusader

C O N T E N T SMarch ofKarnatakaVolume-50 Issue-4 Page-28 April 2013Editor- in -ChiefN R VishukumarEditorial Advisory PanelN BhrungeeshK Gopala GowdaEditorT C JagadambaPublished byThe Director of Information#17, “Vartha Soudha”Bhagawan Mahaveer Road(Infantry Road) Bangalore- 560 001Phone : 080- 22028012, 22028046Printed at:LAVANYA MUDRANANo. 79, 9th Cross, 5th Main Road,T.R. Mill Compound, ChamarajpetBangalore- 560 018Phone : 080- 26610563, M: 98454 10347e-mail :marchofkarnataka@gmail.comwww.Karnatakavarthe.orgAnnual Subscription` 50.00 onlySubscription amount may be sentthrough D.D., drawn in favour ofThe Director, Department ofInformation Bangalore- 560001Views expressed in the articles are notnecessarily those of the GovernmentMARCH OF KARNATAKAPageNo.481214162426Cover StoryAmbedkar and hisinfluence on KannadaliteratureS SrinivasIndigenous Cattle``Malnad Gidda’’ getsNational Breed StatusC V RaghavendraraoBasaveshwara Statuein the historic city ofLondonT C JagadambaSpectacular templeat KubaturM N Sundar raj“URU” –FolkDeities of CoastalKarnatakaB M ChandrasekharaiahRestoration of anancient temple atHosagundaPramod MelligattiPick A PearlIrpu Falls

Ambedkar andhis influenceon KannadaliteratureAmbedkar was a jurist, politicalstatesman, social reformer, activist,educationalist and journalist. Ambedkarserved as the first Law Minister inIndependent India and was the chiefarchitect of India’s constitution.S SrinivasMarch ofKarnatakaAPRIL 20134

The first Cabinet of Independent IndiaBharatha Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar(1891-1956.A.D.) was one among thegreatest thinkers which modern India hasproduced. He spoke and worked for thecause of the exploited, the voiceless andthe defenseless. Ambedkar was a jurist,political statesman, social reformer,activist, educationalist and journalist.As a corollary to his call for the dalithsto educate, organize and agitate for theirrights, he started several newspaperslike Mooknayak and Bahishkrit Bharath.He also founded the Independent LabourParty. Ambedkar served as the first LawMinister in Independent India and wasthe chief architect of India’s constitution.In his capacity as the Chairman of theConstitution Drafting Committee, hesaw that the new constitution guaranteedcivil liberties, social and economicrights for women and end all forms ofsocial and religious discrimination.Ambedkar wrote more than 50 bookson various subjects like history,economics, sociology, anthropology,religion, politics and governance. Thespeeches and writings of Ambedkar onvarious issues concerning the societyof the period in which he lived runsinto several volumes and have beentranslated into several Indian languageincluding Kannada.The rich history of Kannadaliterature has always adopted a propeople,humanistic view of life.Way back in 12th century A.D., thevachanakaras raised their voice againstdiscrimination based on caste. The firstdalith poet of that period was MadaraChennaiah. Three centuries later thecomposers of dasa sahitya exposed thehypocrisy prevailing in the society.5 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

In modern timesKannada literaturewas influenced byvarious literarymovementslike navodaya,pragatipara, navya,bandaya and dalithof which the lasttwo movementswere influencedby the thoughts ofAmbedkar.Birth of DalithaSahityaThe socialawakening among thedowntrodden peopleof Karnataka sawthe birth of DalithaSahitya, whereintheir thoughts,opinions, views onvarious issues wasput into writing.This happened inthe year 1979 whichincidentally was alsothe year in whichprogressive thinkersand writers started thebandaya movementwhich questioned thestatus quo of the thentraditional society.The same year thefirst conference ofDalith writers andartists took place atBhadravathi. In thegenre called bandayaand dalith literature,the main theme isAmbedkar’s idealismof building a societybased on liberty,equality and whereone leads a life withdignity and selfrespect.

The writers of the dalitha movement were inspiredby Ambedkar’s philosophy and made use of differentforms of literature like poems, stories, plays, essays,etc., to express their pain and passion, anguish andaspiration, and dreams and disappointments. Forthe first time the subaltern class found literature as ameans to express their suppressed voice.A new breed of writers like Dr. Siddhalingiah,Devanur Mahadeva, Aravinda Maalagathi, Dr.V.Munivenkatappa, B.T.Lalitha Naik, MogalliGanesh, Chenanna Valikar, Dr.L.Hanumanthiah,to name a few came up with their fierce writingpicturing the ordeals faced by the people belongingto the lower strata of the society. The bandaya/dalithasahitya movement was a revolt against the system,norms, convention and belief system of the traditionalsociety. Though the bandaya/dalitha sahityamovement were influenced by Ambedkar’s thoughtof liberty, equality and fraternity there is a differencebetween the bandaya and dalitha movements.The writers of bandaya movement subscribe toMarxist ideology and their aim is to fight againstinequalities prevailing in the society. The writers ofthis movement are progressive in outlook and belongto all caste and communities. On the other hand thewriters of the dalitha movement are influenced by theideals of Ambedkar and their aim is to fight againstthe caste system in general and untouchability inparticular. Being a dalith meant not only economicand political deprivation but also social ostracism. Inthis movement we find daliths who write about theirpain, ordeal and humiliation which they underwentfor being born as daliths.Enrichment of Kannada LiteratureThe writers of the bandaya/dalitha movementstarted to evaluate the values which the societyupholds or follows based on it fulfilling certainparameters like whether it is universal, humanisticand rational in its approach. The dalitha literarymovement gave rise to dalith consciousness and alsosensitized the society at large about the plight ofdaliths and the need to address it. Kannada literaturewas enriched with new content, dialect, style ofwriting and also exposed to the culture and customsof the daliths. The movement also reflected theaspiration of the laboring classes, the landless andthe socially deprived. The dalitha literary movementintroduced many new writers with new outlook andapproach into Kannada literary scene. MoKThe writers of the dalithamovement were inspiredby Ambedkar’s philosophyand made use of differentforms of literature likepoems, stories, plays, essays,etc., to express their painand passion, anguish andaspiration and dreams anddisappointments.7 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

Indigenous Cattle“Malnad Gidda’’gets National Breed StatusC V Raghavendra RaoThe famous dwarf variety of nativecattle found through out Malnadregion, considered rare cattle folk forits strength to withstand harsh climaticconditions of the hilly terrain ofWestern Ghats have been recognizedby National Bureau of GeneticResources of ICAR as a registeredbreed variety of the country.Malnad Gidda a short structureddwarf cattle breed plying a pivotal rolein socio-economic status of farmers ofthe region spread over in Shimoga,Chikmaglur, Udupi, Mangalore and inNorth Canara districts are accountedto be around 10 lakhs to 12 lakhsin number and are found to be indeclining trend.March ofKarnatakaAPRIL 20138

According to experts owingto extensive cross breedingprograms adopted in the countryand due to use of excessivechemical manure to producefodder, the native cattle breedpopulation has decreasedconsiderably over the years andsome breeds are facing extinction.The breed is mainly rearedby farmers for milk and manure.Excellent endurance and diseaseresistance capacity and capacityto withstand extreme climateof the region are considered asstrong features of this indigenouscattle breed.9 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

With a body weight less than 100kilo they have become inseparablepart of farm community yielding0.5 to 4 liters of milk per dayand helping to provide abundantmanure to farmers for adoptingorganic farming.Hitherto due to lack of properinformation and study this breedwas not included in the list ofrecognized cattle breed in India.Considering its importance andneed to develop these cattle folkKarnataka Govt. had allocatedduring 2009 budget a sum of twocrores to establish a research onMalenad Gidda at Sagar.The work was entrustedto KLDA (Karnataka livestock development agency) anindependent body. The resultshelped to develop a strongdemand for its conservationand development the studyhighlighted. The Morpho-Metric traits, reproductiveperformances Systematic geneticimprovement program, measuresfor conservation and strategies toimprove population of the breed.The national bureau of geneticresources (NBGR) after examiningthe need and importance accordeda rare honor of approving nationalbreed status to Malnad GiddaThe national body also hasapproved the demand byproviding a breed accessionnumber to the cattle. These cattlespecies are considered as secondhighest in the state.According to Prof. K PRamesh, senior scientist ofsouthern campus of NationalDairy research institute, Adugodiat Bangalore, the rare honor toMalenad Gidda is an importantmilestone in conserving anddeveloping these rare indigenouscattle of the region.Enthused by the rare honorto their pet cattle, villagersand farmers of entire Malenadregion have hailed the decisionand urged the govt. to establishthe proposed research institute atSagar immediately.The state govt. has earmarkeda sum of two crores in the budgetfor establishment of a separateresearch unit to be developed bycollege of veterinary sciencesShimoga. Few institutions andNGO in the state have taken upvoluntary initiative to conservelocal cattle breeds by arrangingGO-Shalas and their protection.MoKMarch ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201310

11 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

The Speaker of the British Parliament Rt Hon John Bercow was presented with a replica of Basaveshwara Statue in the WestministerParliament Standing from left to right Mr Baba Kalyani, chairman of Bharat Forge, Lambeth Councillor and Former Mayor DrNeeraj Patil, Speaker John Bercow, Keith Vaz MP for Leicester, Mrs Patil and Mr David Marks of the designer of London Eye.Basaveshwara Statuein the historic city of LondonT C JagadambaMarch ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201312Britain’s Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport hasapproved the planning permission to erect the statue of Basaveshwarain the London Borough of Lambeth.The Former Mayor of The London Borough of Lambeth CouncillorDr Neeraj Patil thanked the Speaker of the British Parliament forgranting the planning permission to erect the statue at the AlbertEmbankment.

A replica statue of Basaveshwara waspresented to the Speaker of the House ofCommons the Rt Hon John Bercow MP in theHistoric thousand-year-old Westminster Hall ofthe Parliament on 21st January 2013 at to markthe final step in Basaveshwara’s statue beingbuilt. It will now happen.Also present at this event were the Chairmanand Managing Director of Bharat Forge Mr.Baba Kalyani and the designer of the LondonEye Mr. David Marks.Dr Patil said that this project is aboutpaying tribute to the pioneer of World’s largestdemocracy in front of the world’s oldestdemocracy. The event was organised by thelongest serving British Parliamentarian of Indianorigin the Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP.The Speaker RT Hon John Bercow said, it’samazing and extraordinary that Basaveshwaraprofessed, espoused campaigned and advocatedgenuine democracy, human rights, genderequality way back in the 12th century evenbefore anyone in United Kingdom had eventhought about it.Basaveshwara was a 12th centuryphilosopher, statesman and a Kannada poet whoopposed the caste system in the Indian subcontinentwho served as a Prime Minister in theKaluchari kingdom.He was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of theWorld’s largest democracy who created a modelParliament called “The Anubhava Mantapa” inSouth India that not only had equal proportion ofmen & women but also had representatives fromall socio-economic backgrounds.In the year 2002, The Hon Prime Minister ofIndia Dr Manmohan Singh unveiled a statue ofBasaveshwara in the Indian Parliament.Earlier in March 2012 the London Borough ofLambeth had approved the planning applicationto erect the statue along the Albert Embankment.As per the planning regulations of UnitedKingdom and The Statue act of Britain 1854, anapproval from the Secretary of State for Culture,Media and Sports was mandatory in order toerect the statue of Basaveshwara in the historiccity of London.Tribute toBasaveshwaraby the speaker ofBritish Parliament“ Its amazing and extraordinarythat Basaveshwara professed,espoused campaigned andadvocated genuine democracy,human rights, gender equalityway back in the 12th centuryeven before anyone in UnitedKingdom had even thoughtabout it”.Speaker British parliament-RT Hon John Bercow.Dr Neeraj PatilThe man behind all this success is Dr NeerajPatil, who hails from Kamalapura town of GulbergaDistrict.Though he settled decade back in Londonhis heart always beats for Karnataka.This proud NRIis our real cultural ambassador. Dr Patil made us toremember the popular lines of our great poet ku vempu -------------ellaadaru iru entaadaru iruendendigu nee kannadavaagirukannada govina o muddinakarukannada tanavondiddare nee nammage kalpataruThe message of the poem is - No matter whereyou are or how you are, remember that you are aKannadiga and respect Kannada and KarnatakaMathe (mother). Dr patil through his deeds hasreally fulfilled the wishes of our great poet. MoK13 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

Spectaculartemple atKubaturM N Sundar RajPhoto: Jinaraja HegdeMarch ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201314

The enigma and the charm of our land continueto catch the imagination of many and attract touristsoffering something to ponder for every one. Shimogais dotted with many such temples. The most prominentamong them is the grand Kythabheswara temple atKubatur in Sorab taluk. It is believed that Kubatur wasa famous Kuntalanadu of legendary Chandrahasa.The rich architectural beauty of the temple attractsevery body. It was built in 1070 A.D. by KalyanChalukyas. The place once was the famous place andwell-known learning centre and a hub of activity forpeople from various walks of life such as musicians,sculptors, artists and scholars. Kubatur and Kotipuraare having historical importance with old monuments.This place was flourished from 9th to 16 centuryA.D. A stone inscription depicts that the place wascalled as ‘Sundarapura’ or the town of beauty. Theshrine of Rameswar was built by Rastrakuta kings.Fascinating Bhuvaneswari plate, beautifullycarved round pillars, idol of nataraja, Ashtadikpalas, a Navarnga with seven Godesses, astatue of Mahishamardhini, Nandi Mandapas arehoused in this temple premises. There are manystone inscriptions of bravery(Veeragallu) whichdepicts the heroic acts of the soldiers who died inthe wars.This place was once a centre of Jainism.Here Queen Malavadevi wife of KadambaKing Keerthivarman built Parswanatha temple.It is an example for Trikuta style, where thetemple has three sanctum sanctorum, in whichChandranatha,Shirasanatha and Parswanatha idolwere installed. Among the three idols the imageof Parswanatha is rich in architectural beauty.It is about 5ft.hight with five hooded serpent onthe head, beautifully carved. Maiden, Yaksha andYakshis and other icons are an example for theelegance and craftsmanship reflected in the stonecarvings.The village has patronized to other templeslike Vishista Chintamani Nrasimha, Vinayaka,Anjaneya, Someswara and Myalreswara. Someof the temples are renovated. Once this place hasAgrahara and a centre of learning. There is atemple of Dyavmma, a village deity.Besides the vast number of inscriptionson its walls and the finest images whichare unique and worth seeing. KotipurKytabheswara temple built during thereign of great Kalyana Chalukyasin 1070 A.D. is one of the prizedarchitectural gems. The Shivlingaat the Sanctum sanctoruminvokes Bhakti among thevisitors. The Navarang locatedon the outer corridor has fiftybeautifully carved PillarsHow to get thereKubatur is in SorabTaluk near Anavatti andhas a good motorable roadfrom Shimoga. Plenty ofbusses are available. MoK13 15 KarnatakaMarch ofNOVEMBER APRIL 2012 2013

“URU”Folk Deities of CoastalKarnatakaB M ChandrasekharaiahPhoto: YajnaThere is one religious field in wood carving as in terracotta, the folkdeities one comes across them all over the coastal Karnataka, somein abstract and some in quaint and even grotesque. Unusually largecollections of them are to be found in ancient temples in the forests ofDakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts and Udupi district ofKarnataka, need special mention. The oldest specimen amongst them isestimated to be about 800 years old and latest about 300 years. Theseare built up around a special cult called “Bhootha”, literally spirit of thedead.March ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201316

Their Chief characteristic is theirfolk abstract style, immense size, somefigures rise up to 20 feet and the widerange of animals including the bull,horse, cat, hen, tiger and elephant inactual life size, usually bold modeling,elegant body lines, startling expressivefaces and the intricately carvedornamentation. The pantheon consistsof local deities like ‘Masti’ and herhusband ‘Ghattika’, usually installed onthe village outskirts facing each otherand a host of other feminine deities,painted red for worship.Round about the region are craftsmenwho normally do the classical style ofcarving, but who can also still producethese strange figures which seem likefrom another world! The significantthing about this work is that it bearsno likeness to any carving done eitherin Karnataka or anywhere else in India.According to some experts it bears someresemblance to Nepalese wood carvingrather a moot point!17 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

Makkikattu, a tiny hamlet in Shiriyaravillage (near Barkur, which was theCapital of Tulunadu during VijayanagarTimes) in Udupi district is famous for itscollection of impressive painted woodensculptures ranging from 2 to 20 feet inheight and representing a host of deities.Really, they have interesting tales tonarrate!These icons were called ‘Uru’ in localdialect as they were arranged in a hallcalled ‘Urushale’. There are about 171wooden icons. On every Sankramana ofthe month a trance rite takes place hereand the annual festival is held in themonth of February or March on the dayon Sankramana.One of the most striking images inMakkikattu shrine is that of unicorn.The human body carries the head of abull with a single horn. The motif ofthe unicorn bull has been found in therelics of Harappa and Mohenjodaro ofthe Indus civilization. The Babyloniancivilization is also associated with theunicorn, which however is a horse witha single horn. It is believed that placeswith the symbols of unicorn are speciallyconsecrated and auspicious.These wooden icons represent thevanquished soldiers, horses, bulls,elephants of the Keladi Kingdom. Therulers of Keladi marched to seize thewealth of Barkur. When the Keladiarmy camped near Mekkikattu beforethe battle, the Barkur Chief who was thegreat devotee of Shiva, sensing troubleinvoked Nandikeshwara to protect hisKingdom with his super natural powers,immediately dumbness and immobilityoverpowered the Keladi soldiers. Thenthe army Chiefs consulted astrologersand they were advised to compensatethe loss caused to soldiers. Finally theplace was restored to normalcy. Tocommemorate this event, the Kingpresented wooden icons to the Shrine.A local legend goes that the sageJambukeshwara had his hermitageat Mekkikattu and he is said to haveconducted many sacrifices hereand also set up shrines dedicated tothe Pramathaganas of Shiva. SageJambukeshwara installed Okkodu(unicorn) Nandikeshwara havinga human body and head of a Bull -the vehicle of Lord Eshwara as theguardian spirit to protect the placefrom evil powers. Also, he establishedthe Bhootas in this place to safeguardthe sanctity of the place. The presidingdeity (Bhoota) of this temple is calledSri Nandikeswara or Akasha Nandi.It is interesting to note that thewooden icons of Mekkikattu shrinedisplay the influence of all religions ofthe region, i.e., Shaiva, Nathapantha,Jaina and Vaishnava faith. Theidols of Nandi, Nandikeshwara,Okkodu Nandi, Akasha Nandi andPanchamukha Nandi are symbols ofShaiva cult. The Jogi or Jogi purusha,March ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201318

The oldest specimen amongstthem is estimated to be about 800years old and latest about 300years. These are built up arounda special cult called “Bhootha”,literally spirit of the dead.and Lakula Danda are relatedto the Natha cult. Yakshi,Yakshiamma, Shaktiammacorrespond to the Jaina faith.Vaishnava faith has beenrepresented by the VaishnavaNandi and Garuda. Thereare also icons related to thevillage deities of the localtribes Chikku, Marluchikku,Abbaga, Dharaga, twinsister motif, Halasara Timma(Hunter’s deity).The tallest among theBhootas ‘Khecharahuta’ isabout 20 feet in height withfierce look, broad eyes, longtusks, unproportioned handsand legs. He is adorned witha long headgear and fourhands with a naked sword inone and another with a bloodshedding severed head.Another Bhoota ‘Trisira’,the three headed monster isdreadful, painted with deepred colour and fitted withdifferent weapons.Nearby to Mekkikattu,there is a temple dedicatedto Durgaparameshwarimounted on a PachamukhiNandi, i.e., a five headedbull. It is believed that theplace was accustomed withmother cult. MoK19 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

Justice Sri D H Wagela took Oath as Chief Justice High Court of Karnataka,from Sri H R Bharadwaj, the Governor of Karnataka at Rajbhavan Bangalore.A Still from the Kannada film `BHARTH STORES’.The film bags National Award, Selected as the Best Regional Film, Directed by P Sheshadri and producedby Basanthakumar patil.21 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

Restoration of anancient temple atHosagundaMarch ofKarnatakaAPRIL 201322Pramod Mellegatti

Hosagunda -a tiny village in Sagartaluk of Shimoga district-boasting of arich and vibrant cultural and historicalbackground spanning over six to sevencenturies-has of late emerged as oneof the key land marks beckoning theinquisitive visitors.The stone inscriptions thatare found in the dense forests ofHosagunda indicate that it was ruled bythe Shantara kings of the 12thcentury.The ruins of the palaces of the Gangarulers and the excavations in the regionstate that the region was inhabited byhumans in the Iron Age. Meanwhile, thestone inscriptions that were unearthedrecently revealed that the dynastyruled Hosagunda since 1110 AD, KingBhujabala being the first ruler. It wasbelieved that the Hosagunda kingdomthrived till 1320 AD.What has added to the importanceto Hosagunda, is western ghat range,the restoration of the ancient UmaMaheshwara temple- claimedto be the first of its kind- whichis being undertaken by theManjunatheshwara DharmothanTrust of Shri Kshetra ofDharmasthala. Incidentally it is the100th temple being restored to itsoriginal glory by the Trust.The temple which is beingrestored in strict adherenc to thereligious scriptures .The templewas documented thoroughly beforeit was dismantled for the purpose ofits restoration. Every care was takento such an extent that each stone orslab was numbered meticulouslyso that it was placed again in itsoriginal place.The restoration work is in thefinal stage and is expected to becompleted by the end of this year.Noted archaeologists and experts inother fields are actively associatedwith the temple restoration work.23 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

The Uma Maheshwari Temple, that wassaid to have been built in the 10th century, issignificant from the architectural point of view.The temple is spacious with 2,400 square feetand is built in the Chalukya style.The artistically sculpted pillars andwooden beams on the roof convey the skill ofsculptors. Figurines are sculpted artistically onthe walls in the temple which was known asthe ‘Khajuraho’ of Malnad. The ruins of thetemples—Veerabhadra, Mahisha-Mardhini,Kanchikalamma, Prasanna Narayan, andLakshmi Ganapati—which have also beenfound are in the process of being restored.Hosagunda, was the second capitalof Shanthara Dynasty, which ruled fromHosagunda from 11th century onwards forabout 300 years (according to Mr.B.L.Rice,preface to Epigraphy, Karnataka edition,chapter 8, 1904).According to the stone inscriptionsavailable in and around Hosagunda, the nameof the first King was Bommarasa who ruledfrom 1132 AD onwards. But, however thecoins belonging to the age of Ganga Dynastyand the land digging equipments belongingto the new stone age found during one of therecent excavations at Hosagunda indicatethat the history of Hosagunda dates back tothe new stone age.The entire capital township ofHosagunda, the rich heritage and varioustemples situated there are believed to havegone to ruins about 600 years ago if the lastavailable stone inscription on the Hosagundarulers of 1320 AD and the gigantic trees ofmore than 600 years surrounding the templearea in Hosagunda are an indication.Now the restoration work is underwaywith the help of the funds raised by the UmaMaheshwari Seva Trust under the overallsupervision of Sri Kshetra DharmasthalaManjunatheshwara DharmottanaTrust. UNESCO has also taken an interest inthe restoration method of this temple.Another significant work being doneby the Uma Maheshwara Trust is theconservation of the pristine forest in and

around Hosagunda with the active supportand involvement of the local people.Thereare trees that are as old as 500 to 650years. The wild vegetation and hundreds ofspecies of plants are found in the region inpristine condition. Over 100 trees located inthe region are found to be of a considerableinterest to the students of botany.Uma Maheshwari Seva Trust has beenengaged in educating the villagers onpracticalities of rainwater harvesting inorder to conserve water. Under the 10-year greenery plan, plants are planted inthe location. Every year, 108 species ofplants that are nearing extinction, are beingplanted in the nursery. Ayurvedic medicinalplants are given due importance since theplan was embarked upon three years ago.The Trust has published a book on thehistory of Hosagunda to help the researchersto conduct detailed research studies whilethe Department of Botany of the Ku vempu University has sponsored a study on theflora and fauna of the Hosagunda forestarea. MoK25 KarnatakaMarch ofAPRIL 2013

PickAPearlIrupuFallsIrupu falls is located inthe Brahmagiri Range inKodagu District borderingthe Wayanad District ofKerala. It is a fresh watercascade and is situated ata distance of 48 km fromVirajpet on the highwayto the Nagarhole. Thisfalls is also known as theLakshmana Tirtha Falls.Derived the name fromthe tributary of CauveryLakshmana Tirtha Riverwhich starts from thisfalls.A forest trail leadsfrom this falls to theBrahmagiri Peak inSouthern Kodagu.Irupu falls is a majortourist attraction as wellas a pilgrimage spot.A famous Shiva andRameshwara Templesare situated on the banksof the Lakshmana TirthaRiver, en route to thefalls. These templesattracts a large numberof pilgrims during thefestival of Shivaratri.The best time to visitthe falls is during themonsoons, when the fallsis at full capacity.

Justice Subhas Adi took Oath as New Upalokayukta from the Governor of Karnataka Sri H R Bharadwaj,at Rajbavan, Bangalore.

March of Karnataka APRIL 2013. RNI No. KAR KAN/2010/4081Regd No. KARN 34 CPMG/KA/BGGPO/2525/2012-2014 under WPP No. 55 Licenced to post at GPO Bangalore (pages 28) On 29th & 30th Every Month