Aneesha Kodial and Amritha B. Rao/The Hindu
Mangalore, Nov 16: You cannot probably pass by this building in the night without stopping for a few seconds. You will not be satisfied with just one glance.
Deepa Park, an apartment complex, in Lady Hill here, has lot to do with deepa (light) and Deepavali. It has 75 similar godudeepas (basket lampshades) hanging in each balcony of the flats. The result is an eye-catching sight for the passers-by.
“It looks so good. Deepavali is all about brightness. Looking at this building, I realise how a unique idea can make wonders,” Laxmi L. Rao of Ashoknagar said.
“By decorating the building in such a way, they have made everyone appreciate its beauty,” Udaya Kumar said.
Ashuthosh, a resident of ‘His Grace’ Lady Hill, had this to say, “Mangalore wore a great look this festival season with Deepa Apartment leading the way. What a beautiful lantern arrangement!”
You may assume that all the families in the apartment belong to one religion. But an enquiry reveals that Muslims and Christians too have taken to the idea with no hesitation. “In fact, they were the first to lap it up,” says Satish Shanbhag, a resident in Deepa Park.
It was he who mooted the idea. “Being a captain I believe in uniformity and this was the reason for floating the idea. With this, we would set an example of unity and cooperation among the people,” he said.
“It is not a one-man venture. We have united to make our apartment look beautiful and all this helps us to lead a peaceful life,” he said.
His wife Anita said, “There are people of different religions here. There would have been a difference of opinion, but all of them willingly accepted this suggestion.”
Sylvia, another resident of the apartment complex, said: “We don’t have any feeling of difference of religion. Deepavali is a festival of lights and we shared the idea, as this would present a pleasant look for our apartment complex.”
Ms. Anita hopes that more creative ideas would be tried in the future. So, do not forget to see how this building looks on the New Year day.