Udupi: Everyone's Day-out - It's Time to Get Painted in Muck at Alevoor

Report and pics from Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD)

Udupi, Jul 21: Except the two blinking eyes, no other parts of their physique could be seen. They are completely covered with mire. Everyone around there seems to have been decked with wet clay. Those who clean themselves with clean water are once again pushed to the quagmire. They are greeted, welcomed, saluted and honoured with wet clay. Yet no one seems to be tiring or getting irritated. They form teams and play tug-of-war in that wet, sloppy field. Though all of them seemed to have come out of their childhood, they conduct themselves like the toddlers rolling in the wet rainy fields.

This scene is not narrated from any recent sandalwood blockbuster. This was seen in the kambala field at Guddeangadi near Alevoor here on Sunday July 20. The occasion was the tug-of-war and wet field race organized by public Ganeshotsava samiti. 

Though it was a competition, it hardly had any prescribed rules, regulations and prizes even. Sports lovers, enthusiasts who had gathered around the field were on their feet announcing sport cash prizes ranging anything from Rs 100 to Rs 1000. At times it even crossed the benchmark of Rs 1000 and reached another mark just like the share market.

It was fun all around as children, women, youngsters all spent their Sunday painting them with wet clay, jumping, dancing all around the wet miry field.  It was 'eye-catching' to see people leading the race falling short by distance at the end after failing to negotiate the silt while a few others who were ready for the final hurray in tug-of-war slipping and surrendering the prize to the opposite side.

Members of Alevoor Friends club, Mitra Balaga, Nehru Friends, Babbuswami Friends Circle, Vishnumurthy-Kemtoor, Dhoomavati, Stree Shakti group and others participated in the competition. At times even the spectators became participants as they were pulled and pushed to the arena. Youth were also seen dancing to the tunes of some of the popular Sandalwood and Bollywood numbers.

Ganeshotsava Samiti president Ramchandra Manchakal, honourary president Shekhar Poojary, secretary Anil Kumar, sports secretary Harish Sherigar and other office-bearers led the activities. Suresh of Alevoor Thenkamane was at his best compering while running throughout the field with the microphone.