Halepet resident Tippanna Badiger, a septuagenarian, said that Dyamavva Devi was regarded as a deity for the whole of Bagalkot city.
BAGALKOT: In the mid 1980s, the dreadful prospect of the city's submergence in the backwaters of the Almatti Dam compelled the residents of Bagalkot to halt the jathre to Dyamavva Devi, the city's presiding deity. Now, over 35 years later, with the second wave of the pandemic striking the state, the residents of the Killa neighbourhood in Bagalkot city are contemplating reviving the forgotten tradition.
General secretary of Sri Gramadevi Seva Samiti Shrikant Pattar said that the Killa neighbourhood was now left with just 827 households. "It was not among the localities identified for relocation. When it floods, the area turns into an island, with only one road connecting it with the rest of the city. Life has been hard recently. We lost 200 people to Covid-19. This apart, we have also had to deal with reptiles such as snakes, scorpions etc after the district was flooded. People have been under considerable duress here," Pattar told TOI.
HUBBALLI: SSK Savaji Hotels Owners’ Association (Hubballi) has been formed to popularise Savaji food across the country and also to get GI (geographical indication) tag for the traditional Savaji food, one of the delicious and popular nonveg cuisine of north Karnataka. The association, a state-level body, has over 200 hoteliers as members now.
Savaji food is popular in north Karnataka districts, mainly Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot and Koppal. Looking at it popularity and taste, many big hotels have also included Savaji food in their menu.
Association president Ramu Habib said it’s high time to brand Savaji food. “Savaji food is a traditional cuisine prepared using homemade ingredients and masala. Many people visit Savaji-serving hotels just to enjoy it,” he said, adding: “To popularise it across the country, we have decided to get it GI tag, and we have involved 200 hoteliers for this. We will tour all the districts in Karnataka, and bring all hotels serving Savaji delicacy under the association and make efforts to get the coveted tag.”
HUBBALLI: Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation’s decision to drop the idea of laying synthetic athletic track in Nehru Stadium has not gone down well with the city’s sport enthusiasts.
Sports enthusiasts are alleging that HDMC has dropped the project yielding to pressure from politicians. While the government is encouraging students to take part in sports activities by introducing Khelo India programme in all schools, the HDMC is trying to discourage sports enthusiasts from taking part in sports, they alleged.
Speaking to STOI, 15-year-old Arjun, whois preparing for Khelo India School games said, “I am deeply hurt with the decision of authorities. We do not have suitable infrastructure to prepare for athletic events here”.
Photo for representative purpose only
YADGIR: Here’s some good news for the people of Kalyana Karnataka, the region which has remained industrially backward as compared to other parts of the state.
The state government has allotted land for seven projects of pharmaceutical companies that are investing Rs 123 crore at Kadechur village in Yadgir district. These units are expected to create 633 jobs for youths. These proposals are expected to get clearance from the single window clearance committe (SWCC) chaired by large and medium industries minister Jagadish Shettar by the end of April.
Shettar told TOI that the government has already given nod to 16 pharmaceutical and drugs industries that are investing Rs 962.5 crore and will create 3,000 jobs. “Now land has been allotted to seven more industries. Responding to our pro-industry measures, 7-8 investors are coming forward every month to set up their units in the state. The proposed pharma park has also evoked interest among pharmaceutical companies of Hyderabad, Mumbai and other cities. We visited Kadechur in January and reviewed the developments there. Many industries have already started construction,” he shared.
HUBBALLI: The large expanse of land utilised for the cultivation of the ‘King of Fruits’ - the mango – Dharwad resulted in the district being assigned.
HAVERI: With only 6,900 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in stock as on Monday evening, the vaccination drive in Haveri district could be hampered unless the district receives fresh vials quickly, healthcare workers said.
The district administration has sent in a requisition for 2.5 lakh doses. As on Monday, the district received a total 85,680 doses of which 78,750 doses have already been administered.
Some beneficiaries returned home without receiving the vaccine on Monday itself due to a shortage at the Haveri district hospital. “I returned home as the hospital said they did not have vaccine doses and staff advised us to come back on Tuesday,” said Mounesh Arkasali, a resident of Ijarilakamapur.
HUBBALLI: After rendering exemplary services in the state, Karnataka home guards will now help conduct fair elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assembly elections. The state government has sanctioned around 10,000 home guards for Tamil Nadu elections and 1,000 for Puducherry.
The home guards in Karnataka are trained in all aspects, including assisting police during major security arrangements. A total of 10,000 home guards will be deputed on Tamil Nadu elections duty from 23 districts headquarters in Karnataka, and 1,000 home guards will be deployed from Bangalore North and South for Puducherry.
According to sources in the home guards department, Tamil Nadu government has arranged transportation through which the home guards reached to the deputed places. The home guards, including more than 1,000 women personnel, will deployed for the election duty at 23 places in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Tiruvarur, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore.
HUBBALLI: Union minister Pralhad Joshi’s recent statement on installing a big statue at Unkal Lake has triggered a controversy with activists wanting the statue of Channabasavanna, one of 12th-century sharanas, at the waterbody.
The erasing of ‘Channabasava Sagar’ from a board there is the bone of contention. The lake was already named after Channabasavanna in January 2003. The erasing of his name form the board recently has left activists and the residents of Unkal and Hubballi upset.
Activist S V Patil said that he has a copy — obtained under the RTI Act — of the resolution taken at the HDMC general body meeting in 2003. “As per the proposal made by then BJP corporators, the lake has been named after Channabasavanna. However, Vivekananda’s statue was installed six months after the passing of this resolution,” he said, adding: “There are historical evidences suggesting Channabasavanna’s stay at the lake 900 years ago. He and other sharanas had spread vachanas from here. There is also an evidence of Ambigara Choudayya, another sharana, staying here. Neglecting all these facts, efforts are on to saffronising the lake now. Small temples of Ganapati and Nagadevata have also come up in the premises of Channabasavanna Temple located on the lake bund. These temples contradict the principles of Basavanna and sharanas who are opposed to idol worship.”
The revised government order says the equipment at gyms shall be sanitised after every use.
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Sunday relaxed norms for gym operators allowing them to function with 50% occupancy, only two days after all gyms were ordered closed in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases.
"A number of representations were received by the chief minister to relax the restriction with certain conditions... It is now decided that gyms will be allowed to remain open with the condition that the occupancy at any time cannot exceed 50% of the capacity," the Sunday order issued by chief secretary P Ravi Kumar reads.
Despite the pandemic and economic slowdown, Karnataka has almost reached its target in liquor sale.
HAVERI/ HUBBALLI: The prolonged closure of bars and prohibition on sales of alcoholic beverages in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of Covid-19 in the beginning of the 2020-21 financial year had raised fears among officials in the excise department over their revenue targets being met.
However, sales have been anything but sluggish in some of the districts in North Karnataka. Haveri district, for instance, has registered record sales of beer across the state, with 96.1% of the stock being cleared in the recently concluded financial year. Kolar (94.4%), Chitradurga (90.7%) and Chikkaballapur (90%) have slotted in behind Haveri in second, third and fourth slots respectively.