Yashodhara V Bangera

Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Dec 26: Chief minister B S Yediyurappa, who inaugurated Koti-Chennaya Jodukare Kambala at Kadalakere here on Wednesday, December 25, and unveiled the statue of Veera Rani Abbakka, said that Moodbidri, which was carved out as a separate taluk, will be developed into a model constituency with the execution of various development works.

He said that the state government is committed to preserve the concept of Kambala, a folk sport of coastal Karnataka. He recalled that efforts to stop Kambala were foiled through effective handling of the case in the Supreme Court. "In Kambala, buffaloes are not tortured as is being made out. Kambala happens to be one of the favourite traditional sports of the state," he explained.

Yediyurappa said that provision has been made to study Jain culture and traditions in Mangalore University. "Things like Bhootharadhane, Yakshagana and dance forms have been conserved here with sincerity and devotion. Let the support extended by the people here to these cultural forms and sports be continued as before," he hoped.

On this occasion, Yediyurappa and Kambala jury member Gunapal Kadamba, were felicitated by draping shawls around their shoulders, garlanding them and handing over Kambala invitation.

Kannada and culture, and tourism minister C T Ravi, noted that Kambala happens to be an ancient form of sport that has the potential to attract foreign tourists if this sport gets good publicity abroad. He felt that if agricultural fairs, Yakshagana and cultural programmes are held alongside Kambala, this programme as a whole might attract thousands of people. He said that he had come to watch Kambala as part of an effort to give a new shape to the event.

Priest of Alangar church Fr Walter D'Souza, managing trustee of Alangaru Badagu Mahalingeshwara temple Vedamurthy Ishwar Bhat, Maulana of Puthige Noorani Masjid Ziaullah and Kuldeep M of Chowtara Aramane sprinkled holy water from different places of worship and lighted lamp to signify the inauguration of the Kambala.

Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swamiji of Jain Math here, who sprinkled holy water on the statue of Abbakka, offered prayers. Entrepreneur Kuntadi Sudheer Hegde, inaugurated the programme on the dais.

State home minister Basavaraj Bommai, Kannada, culture and tourism minister C T Ravi, district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, MPs Nalin Kumar Kateel and Shobha Karandlaje, MLAs Sanjeeva Matandoor, Vedavyas Kamath, Sunil Kumar, Rajesh Naik and Harish Punja, zilla panchayat president Meenakshi Shantigodu, vice president Kasturi Panja, district deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka, police commissioner Dr P S Harsha, Dr Mohan Alva etc were present. Kambala Samiti president and MLA Umanath Kotian, district Kambala Samiti treasurer Suresh K Poojary, Moodbidri Kambala Samiti general secretary K Gunapal Kadamba, vice presidents Sadananda Shetty Beluvai, Meghanath Shetty, Sudarshan M, K P Jagadish Adhikari, Bahubali Prasad, K P Sucharitha Shetty, various other dignitaries and office bearers of Kambala Samiti also graced the occasion.