HISTORY OF ST LAWRENCE SHRINE - ATTUR

Attur Parish seems to have been in existence even before 1759 A.D. History tells us that the Christians of this place too were among those in the captivity of Tippu Sultan from 1784-1799.

The parish church in those days was about seven kilometers away from the present site. Tippu Sultan destroyed it and took the Christians as captives to Srirangapatna. At the end of captivity, the Christians that returned put up, under the leadership of a Goan priest, a small church building of thatched roof on the way to Nakre in 1801.

An interesting story is told about the starting of the present church and the Shrine of St. Lawrence at Attur.

The church at Nakre was too old for use. So the parishioners, with their Goan Parish priest went out to find a proper place for a new church. They carried with them a statue of St. Lawrence, one foot in height. On the way they went on praying to St. Lawrence to help them to select a suitable place to put up the church in his honour.

They crossed the Ramasa-mudra lake of Karkala, went up the Parpale Hill and came down on the western side.

They found a spring flowing at the foot of the hill. As they were thirsty and tired, they kept down the statue and quenched their thirst with the pure spring water and rested. After sometime, they started to continue their search.

But when they tried to lift the statue, it could not be lifted. It was as if rooted in the ground. On seeing this, the priest exclaimed. " O St. Lawrence, if you have selected this place, we will build the church in this same place". After this promise, it is said that he could lift the statue without any difficulty. So, on the same spot the present church was built in the year 1839 A.D. Within a short time this church turned out to be a pilgrimage centre. Pilgrims began to come from surrounding places.

Many favours were received by them through the intercession of the Saint.

The miraculous statue of St. Lawrence became a statue of devotion. The whole year round the pilgrims come to visit the Shrine.

People believe that St. Lawrence is indeed a powerful intercessor.Not only the people of Attur and the pilgrims that visit the Shrine, even those who without visiting the Shrine have prayed for the help from the Saint, have felt the helping hand of St. Lawrence. The great number of pilgrims that visit the Shrine during the Annual Feast and throughout the year is a testimony that the Saint does not refuse those who approach him with trust and devotion.

 

Publisher : The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/history-of-st-lawrence-shrine/article4359705.ece

2015 REPUBLIC DAY SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS - UDUPI

A series of development plans for the district was undertaken by the state government which include several pro-people initiatives and social welfare programmes ever since the Congress government came to power in the state.

Importance has been given to uphold social justice. Importance has been given to development through a clean, secure and transparent administration.

1.       Regularizing of occupation of government land under section 94 C of Land Revenue Act . Title deeds to be issued. Udupi has received 26,000 applications and they will be disposed soon.

2.       Under social security programme, 1,01,586 people are receiving pension. Keeping in view the interest of farmers, problems in RTC are being solved through Kandaya (revenue) Adalat. Already 110 Kandaya Adalats have been held in district.

3.       A mini Vidhana Soudha has been sanctioned for Udupi. The work on mini Vidhana Soudha in Kundapur is in its final stage and it will be inaugurated soon.

4.       Under minortiy welfare programme Rs 52.363 lac has already been spent. Forty-two have availed benefits worth Rs 21 lac under the Bidaai scheme.

5.       A granted of Rs 19.95 lac for renovation of two churches have been issued.

6.       1,326 families have benefited under the construction of "houses for minorities " the projects worth of Rs 250.69 lac.

7.       Rs 159.21 lac has been sanctioned for constructing roads stretching 747.57 km in rural areas. Also, 8,713 toilets have been built under Nirmal Bharat programme.

8.       With assistance from World Bank and 75 percent of funds from the union government and 25 percent from the state government, a multi-purpose sheltler, 29 roads, three bridges and others works worth Rs 4,000 lac will be undertaken in Tekkatte of Kundapur and Kaup in Udupi, under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP). A proposal in this regard has already been sent to the union government.

9.       Under second phase of Nagarothana scheme, Rs 45 crore has been sanctioned by the government for drinking water project and other works. Out of this, Rs 33 crore has already been released and work started,

10.   Rs 85 crore has been set aside for Udupi municipal multi-purpose drinking water project and drainage project.

11.   A 10-acre land has been earmarked for the construction Kendriya Vidyalaya in Udupi taluk.

12.   Land has already been given for establishing a police training school in Uppoor, Brahmavar, and a five acre land for laying a computerised driving track."

13.   68 acres of land has been earmarked in Belapu industrial are under the Industrial Development Board.

14.   Beach development will be taken up at a cost of Rs 9.13 crore and an action plan has already been prepared for this. Also, Rs 1,055 lac will be granted for construction of eight roads under tourism department.

PRIORITY TO PROMOTING BEACH TOURISM

Udupi is gifted with natural and beautiful landscape; and if we bring in a right balance of promoting it as a tourist destination as well as keep it Eco-friendly it should benifit the locals with the influx of more tourists and activities at these beautiful beaches. currently some these beaches mentioned below do attract tourists but not in large numbers, the effort is on bring in a change and also develop uncharted beaches...

Kaup Beach

A hamlet of Padu village about l2 kms south of Udupi Kaup is situated on the coastal belt, which passes through the West Coast National Highway. Marda Heggade, a chieftain, rose to power here during the Vijayanagara days. It has an old lighthouse, the guiding star of navigators who are warned of the presence of dangerous rocks in the sea. This Tower of light not only guides the ships but also has a monumental significance. Positioned all alone it spreads light on the shore of darkness. It was mostprobably begun in 1906 on the rocks and in about 1935 the tower was all set. The man made tower is at the height of about 34 meters and its light spreads over a distance of about 34 miles and can be seen from a distance of about 100 miles. The lantern has a burner of 55 meter P. V. burner comprising of 30 pieces, 5 panels and 3.6 diameter glass. The surrounding glass has a height of 1.83 meters. It has a spiral staircase. The fuel used for the lamp is kerosene Recently the electricity supply is also provided at the light tower.There is also an old ruined fort. The place is known for its temples of goddess Mariamma. The Jaina Basadi there is in ruins and so also an old Janardhana shrine.

Malpe Beach

About four kms to the west of Udupi, Malpe is an important port of the Karnataka coast. It is situated at the mouth of the Malpe/Udyavara River. The river is navigable to small cargo boats for about ten kms during high tide. The place has fascinating natural scenic view. It has been a centre of commercial activities for a long time, and one plus point is that it is a natural port.

There are three rocky islands to the west of it. The northern-most island is called Daria-Bahadurgad, the middle one Daria-Gadara-Kallu and the southern most Kari-Illada-Kallu. 

The Daria-Bahadurgad port is famous for its export of processed fish to foreign countries. The sea between the rocky islands and the shore is a safe anchorage for vessels during storms and rough weather. The oldest tile factory of the district set up by the Basel Mission exists here. Fishing and fish curing are the important industries of the place. There are temples of Balarama and Ananteshwara here. The image of Balarama has six faces. Perhaps this was originally a temple of Subramanya or Shanmukha, the six-faced deity who was named Balarama at a later date. 

It is said that Basavappa Nayaka of Bidanur built the Daria-Bahadurgad fort. Malpe is going to be developed into an important fisheries port. There is also a temple of Vadabhandeshwara here. At Kodavuru, a hamlet of Malpe situated one of the two well-known Shankaranarayana temples of the district. The deity here is in a double linga form. The sport is also known as Krodhashrama.

Brahmavar Beach

Is a village about 13 kms north of Udupi. It has been mentioned as Brahmaputr, Brahmavuar and Brahmara in the inscription, which means 'a settlement of Brahmins'. It is an ancient cultural centre of the region being adjacent to Barkur, which was the capital town; Brahmavar must have been a prosperous city. There are three main temples in Brahmavar (1) the Mahalinga temple (2) Gopinatha temple, (3) Janardhana shrine in the agrahara. 

It is believed that the Mahalinga temple was constructed in the 9th century AD. The wall of the temple is built on the laterite stones. There is an image of Gaja-Gowri, which has been kept in navaranga, which perhaps belongs to the Hoysala period. It is holding Ankusha and Pasha in the upper hand and Padma (lotus) in right lower, and the left lower hand in the abhaya pose. Handadi was the settlement of the Hande family. The Gopinatha temple is mentioned in an inscription that it is the third temple; the image of the presiding deity is of Hoysala workmanship.

Shankaranarayana Beach

About 32 kms to the east of Kundapur, is traditionally called also as Krodha Kshetra and is one of the seven places of pilgrimage in the region, referred to in the Skandha Purana. Shankaranarayana means Shiva and Vishnu. According to a legend, a sage named Krodha performed penance here and a spot with a cave here are shown as having been the site of his ashrama. The place is situated near the Western Ghats amidst fascinating surroundings. It is famous for its large Shankaranarayana temple, which has been recently renovated. Just in front of the temple there is a pond, which is called Koti Teertha.

A large bell bearing a Portuguese inscription, in the front yard of the temple is claimed to be a gift of Tipu Sultan. It is said that its chimes can be heard to a distance of about eight kms. There are a few inscriptions in the temple, one of which records that the temple was renovated in 1563 by the then Ikkeri ruler. The main deity of the temple (Shankaranaryana) is in the form of two Udbhava linga, but looks like one linga. The temple has a beautiful bronze image of Harihara and there are also some fine wood carvings here. There are other shrines of Mahaganapati, Gopalakrishna, Panchamukhi-veeranjaneya, Subrahmanya, Gowri-Lakshmi, Partheshwara, and Belli-Shankaranarayana, which is a life-size silver image, within the inner Prakara, and Basaveshwara, Gopinatha, Umamaheshwara, Mahalingeshwara, Nandikeshwara and Veera-Kallutike shrines 

Maravanthe Beach

a drive along the NH-17 towards the north, to Maravanthe proves to be truly memorable. The gurgle of the waves, the soft gentle breeze kissing your cheeks and a round ball of crimson in the horizon transforms Maravanthe into a breathtaking fairyland.

Maravanthe (Kundapura taluk), about nine kms east of Kundapura is one of the most beautiful spots of South Kanara along the east coast. It is an enchanting place, where on the western side, the Arabian Sea is stretching, while on the eastern side, runs the Saurpanika River and in between them passes the west coast road. Thus only a road divides the sea and the river. Though the river has come down very near to the sea as near as 40-50 feet, it does not join the sea there. It looks as though the sea is higher in level than the river, which joins the sea at Gangolli about eight kms south of this site

On the eastern side, is a fascinating panorama of coconut palm, green fields and evergreen forest of undulating countryside with the backward of the Kodachadri peak on the Western Ghat present itself with varied scenic beauty. There is a good scope and facility for boating both in sea and in river. Just on the bank of Saurpanika River,there is a Varahaswami temple with three cells which have Varaha, Narasimha, and Janardhana. The place has also a temple of Brahmalingeshwara. There is a proposal to develop Maravanthe as a major tourist spot.

Ottinane Beach

The Kshitija Nature Resort, a beach, sunset point are the favourite spots of travelers here. Forest guest house provides accommodation to visitors. 

 

 

Murdeshwar Beach

This picturesque place situated 16 km from Bhatkal has a gorgeous temple perched on a hillock by the shore. The temple, which embodies a Linga, is believed to have erupted when Ravana flung the cloth covering the Atma linga at Gokarna while lifting it. As one ascends the hillock, there is a shrine of Jattiga seated on a horse. It is said that Tipu renovated the huge fort behind the temple. Bounded by the shimmering sea and rolling hills, this place is a favourite tourist spot.

PRIORITY TO PROMOTING BEACH TOURISM: SORAKE

THE HINDU

UDUPI, January 27, 2015

Vinay Kumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, said on Monday that an action plan of Rs. 9.13 crore had been drawn up to develop beaches in Udupi district. He was speaking at the Republic Day function here.

Mr. Sorake said that the objective of the plan is to exploit the potential of the district’s several pristine beaches and promote tourism.

As part of promoting pilgrim tourism in Karkala, Rs. 60 lakh had been released to construct a Yatri Nivas. To develop eight-link roads in the district, the Department of Tourism had released Rs. 10.55 crore.

A proposal to construct two multi-purpose shelters, three bridges and 29 connecting bridges, under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, in Udupi district at an estimated Rs. 40 crore had been submitted to the government.

The multipurpose shelters would be constructed at Thekkatte in Kundapur taluk and at Padu village in Udupi taluk. The Union and State governments would contribute funds in a 75:25 ratio for the project.

Steps have been taken to expedite work on widening the Talapady-Kundapur stretch of National Highway 66. The government would speed up work on the Varahi Irrigation Project.

The government had given its approval to for establish ing a science centre in the district at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.66 lakh. A mini Vidhan Soudha had been sanctioned for Udupi taluk and its construction would begin shortly. The construction of the mini Vidhan Soudha in Kundapur was in the final stages, he said.

SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AT JAPPINAMOGARU

The new STP was developed by Coromandel Prestcrete Pvt Ltd @ an estimated cost Rs 11.97 crore, to process 20 MLD of sewage at the projected population of Jappinamogaru area to 1,12,922 in 2026. The express feeder main is provided in order to get uninterrupted power supply, total power consumption for the plant is 505 KVA, the sewage from most of the eastern and southern part of the town is pumped to Jappinamogaru STP, and sewage flow from 6 wet wells will be pumped to this STP. It will cover the sewage zone 6, 7 and 8 covering 14.63 square kilometers over 8 wards.

Salient features of underground drainage (UGD) works in Mangaluru

•         Area covered with new system about 60 percent, 20 percent old system, 20 percent uncovered.

•         Year of starting the project in 2003 – 2004.

•         Number of contract packages – 16 numbers.

•         Total number of sewage treatment plants – 4 numbers.

•         Total number of wet wells – 22 numbers.

•         Total land acquisition length 120 kilometers.

•         Actual handing over of site since 2007 – 2008.

•         All major wet wells and STPs provided with dedicated 11 KV power supply.

•         Few wet wells provided with HT power supply and alternate DG power.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO BE IMPLEMENTED FROM FEB 1

The project will be initiated in some wards and will extended to the whole city in seven months

Mangaluru is set to become the first city in Karnataka to implement an advanced solid waste management system being from February 1.

During the launch of the programme by Urban Development Minister, Vinay Kumar Sorake here on Friday, Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation, Hephsiba Rani Korlapati said that the collection of dry and wet waste separately will begin immediately in some wards, extending to the entire city within seven months.

She said that wet waste will be collected six days a week and dry waste only on Wednesdays. She sought cooperation of all, officials as well as citizens, in achieving the target and making Mangaluru a model for the State in efficient waste collection.

Under the new system, the contractor will deploy 16 specially designed trucks called compactors that will carry 10 tonnes of compacted waste each and 65 tippers that will collect waste from households going into lanes and by-lanes and bring them for onward transport by the compactors.

The contractor, who has appointed 700 persons for the job, will be paid on the basis of quantity of waste dumped as landfill site in Vamanjoor at the rate of Rs. 3,201 per tonne for waste collected from areas in the north (Surathkal to Mannagudda) and Rs. 2,051 for the South (Derebail to Jeppinamogaru).

Two package garbage collection system launched
MANGALURU: Minister for urban development Vinay Kumar Sorake launched the two package garbage collection system, the first of its kind in Karnataka, here on Friday.

M/s Antony Waste Handling Cell Private Ltd, which handles similar projects in Mumbai, Jaipur and New Delhi, has been entrusted with the job in 60 wards of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) for seven years at an approximate annual cost of Rs 17.62 crore. Cleaning of four beaches in city limits is also part of the contract. The contract also involves 25km of mechanical sweeping of roads in the heart of the city.
The company will commence garbage collection and cleaning mission from February 1.
MCC commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati said the company will take up solid waste collection and transportation work in 29 wards in North zone and 31 wards of South zone by deploying hydraulic vehicles. "The contract is for seven years and will achieve 100% door-to-door garbage collection in a phased manner. The tipping fee for garbage collection and transportation in North zone will be Rs 3,201 per tonne and in South zone it'll be Rs 2,051 per tonne. The approximate annual cost to be paid to the company for North zone will be Rs 7.95 crore and Rs 9.67 crore for South zone," she said.
"Citizens are requested to segregate waste into wet and dry at their homes. Wet waste will be collected six days a week and dry waste will be collected every Wednesday. We need citizens' cooperation to make Mangaluru a model city for cleanliness," she added.
Tarjindar Singh, COO (Group Companies), Antony Waste Handling Cell, said the existing system will be replaced with the innovative method adhering to the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2000. "We did a study before signing the contract. There will be no issue of littering during transportation using compactors," he said, adding that on an average, 200 tonnes of garbage may be collected and shifted to Pachanady landfill every day.
The minister, who also inaugurated a new sewage treatment plant set up by MCC at Jeppinamogaru, said the innovative scheme will help the city to qualify for getting the Smart City project from the Centre. "We have noticed issues created due to lack of proper garbage handling in Bengaluru and problems at Mandur dump. We don't want the problems to be replicated in Mangaluru, and hence taken up this pilot project," he said. Sorake said the Karnataka Public Service Commission will soon issue a notification to fill all vacancies in urban local bodies across the state. Mayor Mahabala Marla, MCC council opposition leader Premanand Shetty, MLAs JR Lobo and Mohiuddin Bava were present. 

MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA KARKALA 2015

He has shown to the world that “An individual can win everyone’s heart through sacrifice and non-violence.” A person can rule the country by using weapons and being violent but he cannot rule the society’s heart. His sayings are relevant to the present ages…

The Mahamasthakabhisheka (ceremonial anointment) of the statue is done once every 12 years, a Jain religious rite that dates back to ancient times. The ceremonial anointing will be done customarily from the top of a specially constructed scaffolding, when water from 1008 kalashas (pots) will be poured over the Gommata, as a purification rite. The abhisheka (ceremonial bathing) then begins to the heralding of bugles and the beat of drums. Milk from kalashas and large containers is poured on Gommateshwara, followed by clouds of white rice powder. Next, the statue is anointed with coconut water and sugarcane juice. Liquid turmeric and red sandalwood paste then cover the Gommata in hues of amber and mahogany. Next comes the libation of ashtagandha - a combination of eight scented substances - followed lastly by a shower of flower petals. The splendid ceremony ends with the washing of the Gommata with the clear waters of the poorna kumbhas and the arthi of lit lamps. This unique event draws thousands of pilgrims from all over the country as well as across the world, who are enriched by the cultural experience.

Jainism was introduced in Karnataka by Lord Mahaveera in the 6th Century B.C during the course of his travels, when he converted Jivandhara, the king of the Hemangada Country into Jainism. Foretelling a major famine, Monk Bhadrabahu, a leading figure of the Jain religion in the kingdom of Magadha in the 3rd century B.C, led a major migration to Karnataka with Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya and attained samadhi in the area now known as Shravanabelagola. 

VARAHI AGITATORS POSTPONE PROTEST AFTER MEETING STATE MINISTERS

Kundapur: With the demand for water from the Varahi irrigation project, Udupi farmers who were on a protest since January 1have postponed their protest after meeting the Ministers of the state government here on January 16.

The ministers included Revenue Minister V. Srinivasa Prasad, Forests Minister B. Ramanath Rai, Major and Medium Irrigation Minister M.B. Patil and Urban Development and district in-charge Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, who participated in the review meeting with farmers at KPC hall in Hosangadi.

MB Patil assured that by April 1st 2015, 5,600 hectares of farm land would get water from Varahi Irrigation project. At present 18.2 km in Right Bank Canal, 8 km in Left Bank Canal and 24 km of work is covered in the distributor canal already, the ministers assured.

As per the demand of the local farmers, a detailed project was presented and explained to them by the officials.

 

 

It was also learnt that issues related to land acquisition and deemed forests would be sorted out at  the earliest, a scientific verification will be conducted regarding the same and a booklet will be released with complete survey report  and project plan.

A coordination committee will be formed under Deputy Conservator of Forest and Assistant Commissioner and they will be answerable to the public and the officials regarding the progress of the project, the ministers affirmed during the meeting.

Major and Medium Irrigation Minister M.B. Patil assured that government is committed to finish the work  of 32 km in Left Bank Canal (LBC) by December 2015.  5600 acres of farmland would get the benefit after the completion of the LBC work, which is expected to finish by April 2016.

He added that Major and Medium Irrigation department had taken the project on the March 15, 2004. Initially the project was only for irrigation project. Later the proposal was converted into multipurpose and finally it is now designed to be the only irrigation project, again.

Revenue minister, Srinivas Prasad said that as only 40% of the land has been acquired, still around 60% more is needed.  There are issues related to Land Acquisition Act of 2014 which will be sorted accordingly. Compensation will be given after the submission of appropriate documents, there are provisions for  online applications too. He added that the government will give enough staff and job security for the project/

Ramanath Rai , Forests Minister said that with the deemed forest clearance for 129 hectares of land, Varahi has no deemed forest issues. There is a demand for another 30 hectares of land for the project which is earmarked under deemed forest  which will be done in another 4-5 months. He guided the officials to arrange a district level meet for Varahi to have an updation on the work progress, it will be easy for anyone to understand the situation

After Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake urged protesters to stop the indefinite dharna in front of the chief engineer office. the District Raitha Sangha president and MLC Pratap Chandra Shetty agreed to stop the protest.

http://seeandsaynews.in/tulunadu/udupi/2843-varahi-agitators-postpone-protest-after-meeting-state-ministers.html