Mangaluru (Mangalore), Karnataka, India
Happy Easter Everyone! It really isn’t Regent’s fault that the cruise arrives at a port on Easter Sunday. It is just another day of the week. Unfortunately it is also Ramadan. As a result of this double whammy, a number of things are closed. So this morning we are off to the Moodushedde, a town in the hills above Mangaluru near the banks of the Gurupura River.
Moodushedde is the home of the Pilikula Nisargadham. Pilikiula Nisargadham offers an array of actives. There is a Botanical Garden, Medicinal Garden, Guthu Mane (more in a minute), and Pottery, Handloom, Blacksmith, Stone Carving, Carpentry and other demonstrations of traditional rural activities, there is also a zoo, arboretum, amusement park (complete with water slide), lake garden, golf club and course, science center and museum, and of course the heritage village. There are probably things that were missed from the list.
Everywhere we go and have gone has had a rich heritage and culture. It has been fun to learn about history we were never exposed to, and from a view point we probably wouldn’t have considered. The Dakshina Kannada district, in which Mangaluru resides, has its own rich heritage and culture. The government has created the 350-acre Pilikula Nisargadham to offer activities to the locals, but it is also there to preserve, or at least keep alive, the traditional rural activities, while offering people an opportunity to relax.
Dakshina Kannada’s economy primarily depends on tourism, agriculture and its by-products, again much like everywhere else we have been. So, it was decided rather than visit the churches and mosques in the area, which are closed due to the holidays, we old visit the heritage preservation site in Pilikula Nisargadham.
The first stop was Guthu Mane. As the culture of the area changes there is a desire to preserve the legacy of the traditional home. Guthu Mane is a fine example of traditional landlord’s home. The intricately carved interiors and wooden pillars make it an architectural marvel. It was interesting to observe that although Guthu Mane is some 8,500 km from Pompeii or Herculaneum, the design of the house isn’t all that different.
All the homes (domus) are usually based on the same main structure. The front of the building was an open porch or room where guests were greeted, and business was conducted. Even in the Chinese traditional home in Kochi had the same basic design. Pompeii, being in a city, the area as usually cut off from the street by a wall, in rural settings it was open, like here. This then opened on to a square (atrium) which is open to the sky. Below the square was a cistern for water storage which was collected from the roofs around the the square. Around the central square or atrium were the bedrooms, dinning room, kitchen, living rooms, and servants’ quarters.
The kitchen could have been one in Roma, Pompeii, or England. A large table on which to prepare foods. Kettles and pots hanging around the walls. Herbs, garlic, and spices hanging on the walls waiting from inclusion in some traditional dish. A small separate room with a low fireplace on which a pot would be boiling, or meat turning on a rotisserie. At first there was just an open window for ventilation, a later the chimney was added to remove the smoke from the cooking fire.
There are for sure differences in the food prepare and the ingredients used to prepare it. It, none-the-less, remains a marvel. People are people everywhere. The color of the skin, the language used, the religious practices, all of these may differ in some manner but if you strip them all down to the basic functions they are all the same.
After leaving the landlords home, we head to the traditional heritage village. Here we learned about beaten rice, also known as poha. So, here is how it works. Any short or medium grained rice can be used. The traditional Indian Basmati rice won’t work as it won’t flatten properly. The rice is picked. At this point it still has the hull over the rice kernel. Wash the rice to remove any dirt or impurities. Let the rice dry out for a bit. It is unclear how long, but there was a sense that it didn’t matter so long as it was dry to the touch.
Now you roast the rice, or better yet “toast” the whole rice kernel. They were doing this in a wok like vessel over and open fire at the demonstration. The toasting at this point probably imparts some flavor to the rice.
Then they put the rice kernels into a conical cylinder-shaped wooden bowl, pointy side down. A large pestle is then dropped into the cylinder. The pestle is on a flocrum, the pestle on one side and a man on the other. He lifts the pestle to a rhythmic beat. The woman at the cylinder put rice kernels into the bowl, using her hand between beats to push any that have flown out. After a few minutes the man stops the pestle and the woman reaches in and scoops out the kernels.
The husk has been turned to powder. The rice has been flattened. Visualize, if you will, a grain of white rice, flatten it with a rolling pin along the long axis. It looks a lot like a miniature shoehorn. Since it has been cooked, you’re an eat it just then. We did, not bad, but not much flavor.
More often than not they then lightly roast the flattened rice. This roasted flattened rice is then used as a cereal for breakfast. The classic poha dish isn’t just milk and sugar. It includes sugar, for sure, but often contains mustard seeds, a little oil (peanut, canola or vegetable), maybe a couple chilies for those that like it a bit spicier, a little onion, potato, turmeric, curry leaves and maybe some peanuts or cashews for crunch. Yum!
We than went on to watch them making pottery on a traditional pottery wheel. Nothing really different or new here. After that we walked a little further and watched them grinding sesame seeds into oil. A large round grinding stone being turned by two cows. Yes, we know cows are sacred in India, but they were using Brahman cattle. Cute white ones too. All traditional methods.
A little further down the path through the village was a carpentry shop. He had made cutting boards and was working on making a tradition knife. Knife? Aren’t the made of metal? Yes, this is a little different. The “handle” looks like a traditional bootjack. At the toe end of the bootjack is a crescent shaped piece of metal with the curve towards the place where you would put you boot heal. The sharp side of the knife was on the outside curve. Put your knee in the place where the boot heal goes offering resistance, then bring the coconut or mango, or what ever hard against the knife. Presto open. Looked ridiculously dangerous.
A little further down the path there we a couple women weaving palm fronds together in a basket type pattern. Although these were flat. These would then be used for roof thatching. Lots of manual labor.
From there is back on the motor coach and off to the next stop. Sri Gokarnanatha Kalyana Mantapa (Temple) in Kudroli, Kodalibal. The complex is dedicated to Gokarnanatha, a form of the Lord Shiva. The temple complex (note) was built in 1912 by Adhyaksha HoigeBazar Coragappa and consecrated by Narayana Guru. It was meant for worship by the Billava community who were prohibited from meeting in other temples.
We didn’t quite get the whole story, but the Billava were not of the highest cast in the cast system at the time. The cast system has not been outlawed in India. Temples do include places to worship a god or gods. Temples are much more however. They are meeting places. Places where weddings take place. Not Catholic wedding is the church but a whole separate building from the place or places of worship in the complex.
There are reception halls. Banquet Halls. Meeting rooms. A school. This is a destination place for weddings. There are probably dozens of other occasions that people come here to celebrate. The point is that it is much more than a place of worship.
Understanding or attempting to understand the Hindi way of life began with understand it is just that a way of life. It is not a religion as Christian’s, Jews or Muslims understand it. There are thousands of gods. Depending on which sect or area you are talking about they will have different names.
There are three “main gods.” One is Shiva. Also known as ‘The Auspicious one’ or Mahadeva or the ‘The Great God’. Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. Shiva is known as The Destroyer within the trimurti, the Hindutrinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. However, Shiva isn’t the destroyer as we use the word in english. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. He would more appropriately be considered the protector. He is often depicted as slaying demons.
Another is Ganesha. Although Ganesha has many attributes, he is readily identified by his elephant head and four arms. He is widely revered, more specifically, as the remover of obstacles and thought to bring good luck; the patron of the arts and sciences; and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as a patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. The guide pointed out the story associated with his birth.
While some stories say that Ganesha was born with an elephant head, but so far, he acquires the head later in most stories. The most recurrent tale in these stories is that Ganesha was created by Parvati using clay. Shiva and Parvati are therefore his father and mother. Shiva had him beheaded because he was coming between him and Parvati, his wife. Parvati was pissed and told Shiva to resurrect Ganesha. So, Shiva sent his men out to find the first live animal and bring the head to him. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant.
Vishnu, 'The Pervader', is the next one god of the Hindu trimurti. And is therefore one of the principal deities of Hinduism. Vishnu is the supreme being who creates, protects, and transforms the universe.
According to Vaishnavism, the supreme being is with qualities (Saguna), and has definite form, but is limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman, and the primal Atman (Self) of the universe. There are many both benevolent and fearsome depictions of Vishnu. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient being sleeping on the coils of the serpent Shesha (who represents time) floating in the primeval ocean of milk called Kshira Sagara with his consort, Lakshmi.
Whenever the world is threatened with evil, chaos, and destructive forces, Vishnu descends in the form of an avatar (incarnation) to restore the cosmic order, and protect dharma. The Dashavatara are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu. Out of these ten, Rama and Krishna are the most important.
If you aren’t totally confused by now, then you are a much better person than we are. Perhaps more in tune with the universe . After all this confusing yet very interesting lesson into the Indian mind on life, it was time to get back to the Mariner.
Outside the Compass Rose the Chief had prepared a beautiful display of chocolate Easter eggs. It was amazing. We had dinner in the Compass Rose with Jaimie and Dana the Cruise Hosts and a couple from Florida. We were supposed to have dinner with the couple who travels around the world house sitting for people. Now that sounds like an interesting career. Maybe even one to pursue.
Then it was off to bed as we have yet another day of excursion tomorrow. Goa is next on the list.
Buonanotte e Ciao, Enrico e Maria
PS There have been numerous issues with the internet. Nothing much we can do about it. It makes writing and posting very difficult. Hopefully will improve soon (It is now a week later, still no improvement. Still praying for a solution.
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