(Inset photo courtesy : Rahul Aursang)
In this age of nuclear families,
though there are no increased obligations that leads to generational divide, it
has to be indubitably acknowledged that it is the MEMORIES that fill the
glasses and plates in the family reunions and get together blending the
emotions of family members of all the generations.
On one such family get
together,my uncle(my dad’s elder brother),caught up telling us stories.Dopa,as
we cousins fondly call him,( Dopa ದೋಪ
is short for Dodappa ದೊಡ್ಡಪ್ಪ
in Kannada,translates to English as Dad's elder brother or uncle).My
uncle,being the eldest of all,knew most of the stories of my grandfather’s
father(Great Grandpa),Devashya Subbappa Gowda, as he spent a lot of time with him while
helping him take care of the agricultural farms and accompanying him while going out for fishing
and hunting.In fact,it was my Great Grandpa who first introduced my uncle to
English alphabets. My Great Grandpa had primary school education. He was born in
the year 1889.The importance of education had not been prominent yet. My
uncle served as the Assistant Deputy Director,District Food and Civil Supplies in Mangalore,Dakshina Kannada District.He is currently living his after retirement life reading books on Kannada
Literature and Indian history.Being an Arts Major,my uncle Devashya
Chinnappa Gowda, has a very keen interest in reading books.
. . . . . . . . . . .
The rest is History......
In those times of 1960s-70s,when
technological developments hadn’t yet made an impact in rural areas of
Yedamangala ,Sullia Taluk,currently in Dakshina Kannada district,activities such
as fishing,hunting,traditional cock fight(Kori Katta,Koli Anka),buffalo race(
Kambla) were the only form of entertainment and sport for the families that
were solely dependent on agriculture. Bhootharadhana, Daivaradhana and
worshiping the Hindu deities formed the basis of family customs,beliefs and
traditions.Our family belonged to the Vokkaliga Gowda community.There are
theories that we may have come down from Sakleshpur more than 300 years
ago.These events form the aftermath of the invasion of Kodagu by Tipu killing thousands of
people.While some of them settled in Sullia,the rest went to Kodagu(Coorg). The
major difference between Gowdas from Mysuru,Bengaluru, Hassan,Shivamogga(Shimoga)
region and Gowdas from the coastal
region is that the latter follow 'gothra' (hattu kutumba, 18 gothra) system
during marriages.Majority of the population in Sullia belongs to Vokkaliga
Gowda community.Some have also settled in nearby places like Puttur,Bantwal and
Uppinangady.They speak two languages ,Tulu and Arebashe.Arebashe,also known as
Gowda Kannada, is a mixture of Kannada which is unique to Vokkaliga Gowda
Community which happens to be the business language in Sullia and Madikeri and
even the other population speak it now.Hence,we came to be known as Tulu
Gowdas,coastal Vokkaligas and Kodagu Gowdas.Initially,coastal Vokkaliga Gowdas
relied solely on agriculture.Though they were landlords who owned large
pastures of land,they did not gain recognition in an alien place which they
made home about 300 years ago due to lack of education.A majority of Gowdas
took part in an historic revolution that took place in 1837 known as Amara
Sullia movement to gain freedom from the British. Since there were not much
educational opportunities available in Sullia during the earlier times,the
community had started migrating to nearby port city,Mangalore(Kudla as we
fondly call it in Tulu) since Mangalore started flourishing as an education and
industry hub and became a centre of trade.
The scenario has changed drastically now.There are many educationalists,philanthropists,politicians,
engineers,doctors and businessmen in the community now. Powered by the visionary leadership of Sri
Kurunji Venkatramana Gowda, Sullia has been converted into a modern learning
center of the country.D V Sadananda Gowda has emerged as the central railway
and law minister,26th Chief Minister and BJP Karnataka State President.People
have migrated to Mangalore,Bangalore,Mumbai,Delhi and in fact,all over the
world in search of greater opportunities.
. . . . . . . . . . .
My Great- Grandpa’s fishing story
This story is what my uncle told
me.
My great grandfather loved
fishing a lot. Well,for him,fishing was an art and a talent.The art of making
the perfect fishing pole and fishing net and talent of catching the fish and
possibly bringing home fish to eat.Some days ,there was a good catch and other
days,there would be nothing at all.The day for going fishing was decided, the
lead was bought and molded by melting it.Once the casting was done.Ropes were
used to make the perfect fishing rods,sinkers and fishing nets.Frogs and
earthworms were collected to be used as
baits to catch fish. Handling fishnets was an expertise that every fishing
enthusiast tried to master.Some of them were experts in handling their fish
nets. Others would simply try to throw their nets.If their nets got stuck in
the rocks or the bush,the fish nets would loosen and tear and would be no
longer usable.My Great Grandpa was the one who taught my uncle to make a
perfect fishing rod and a fishing net.
My great grandpa would go fishing
with his brothers,friends and some helpers.My uncle who was 18 years old then
,would also accompany him. They would pack their food and set out on foot to
the river bank in the evening.When they used to reach the designated spot it
would already be dark .It was the age of kerosene lanterns and not high beam
torches.Lanterns were kept a little far away to scare away wild animals in the
night.It was a practice to stick a tree branch into the silt ground in the
river to mark the level of water because sometimes it would rain in the hills
upstream and the water level would increase downstream all of a sudden.
It was a Thursday.25th November
1971.The destination was the Urumbi river site.It was the place where the two
rivers Kumaradhara river and Gundya(Yettina hole or Kempe hole) river
joined.The Urumbi river site is close to the Pandava’s Pond.Mythologically,it is believed that the Pandavas lived in this place for some time.
Once they reached the designated
spot,the nets were tactically placed.It was an excellent fishing ground amidst
thick forest.Some of them kept guarding
the place,others kept a watch on the net and few others dozed off under the
tree and the river bank.Time passed and it was almost dawn.My uncle woke up but
was sad as there was no catch yet.It was time to pack up and return.Everyone
started retrieving their nets.My uncle
went to collect his net too.He was shocked to find a big fish trapped in it.He
called out to everyone.His happiness knew no bounds.It felt like an bountiful
catch. Everyone came to his help.The big fish was making all its efforts to
escape from the trap.Since the fish scale is slippery,sand was used to gain
grip to hold onto it.After an apparent tug of war between my uncle and the fish, the
fish was caught.It was an eel-like fish known as Malejji in Tulu.There were smiles on everyone’s face.The last minute victory made an everlasting impact on
everyone.
The catch was brought home.My
Great Grandma cooked the fish for all of them.It was 26th November 1971.My
Great Grandpa was served the fish curry in his brass plate and glass bowl.He
relished on the food.And so did everyone who gorged on their prized catch.
It was 27th November
1971.Saturday.My Great Grandpa, as was his routine ,he took bath in the morning
and watered the Tulsi plant. But on that day,after he watered the Tulsi
plant,he collapsed near the Tulsi Katte( Tulsi pot) .My Great Grandpa died at
the ripe old age of 82 . Grandpa lived a good and long life . To this
day,everyone remembers him that he died doing what he loved most- relishing the
fish he caught. He was a friend to all and made a place in everyone’s heart.He
was able to be a spark that changed the course of history in the family .I am
very proud of him.
Sometimes we take our lives and
the lives of those around us, mostly for granted. We assume that our friends
and loved ones will always be there. Why is it that we always value things and
people only after we've lost them?The right thing to do is to make the most of
the time with them.
Do you realize that we too are
making a history?
Sometimes man makes history and
sometimes history makes the man.....
- - Manisha Devashya
