Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Jul 6: It was a day of unforgettable fun for the residents of Alevoor and surrounding areas at Jodu Raste here on Sunday July 6, as they soaked themselves in the delight of rural sports during 'Kesarad Onji Dina' organized by Ganeshotsava Samiti, Alevoor.

The much-awaited event received a very good response. Over 500 people enthusiastically participated in slush field race, tug-of-war, folk dance, breaking the pot and many other games that were conducted for various age groups including for the senior citizens.

To top it all, the torrential rain further boosted the spirit of the participants as it made the games all the more fun as well as challenging.

The objective of organizing the Kreedotsava was to revive the rural community life through the traditional games of Tulunadu.

Kannada film actor Rakshit Shetty too participated in the event.

The games were not only entertaining but also refreshing to the otherwise busy locals.

The main attraction of the programme was the spread of authentic Tulu folk food items like ganji- chatni, pickles, etti chatni etc. The whole ambience was of the typical village life.

Children too were seen playing and enjoying in the mud.

The youths opined, "As this is the age of technology, youngsters waste too much time on social networking sites; even little children play with the remote control. We came here to experience the rural life and we have really enjoyed playing the games."

The programme was inaugurated by Shridhar Shetty, Alevoor, PWD contractor, Chanchal Kumar, president, Ganeshotsava Samiti, Alevoor, Shekar Pujary, Umesh G Shetty, Shekar Kalmadi, Ashok Bhandary, Alevoor Yogish Acharya, sports secretaries Santhosh and Samarnath.

Villagers said they intended to keep the youngsters informed about the culture and traditions of Tulunadu, which was one of the reasons behind organizing 'Kesarad Onji Dina'.