Letter from Mr.Raj

Is it correct by the police Department to close restaurants early during Ganesha Festival, which is the biggest festival of Belgaum, and people in and around Belgaum come to observe the different pendals. Don’t they deserve some good outing accompanied by good quality food and restaurants? The Police commissioner of B’lore has allowed some restaurants to be open until 3:00 am in the morning to cater to some people who are fasting. We are also aware of some restaurants and eateries open till late hours, is the police department inconsiderate, I would love to take my family, kids and others move around the town, stop a bit late at a restaurant have good food, when it can happen in metros why not here. Is it not a violation of our basic constitutional right?

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Regards,

Raj

Dear Uday,

I am a regular visitor of your blog and I truly commend your relentless efforts to introducing our own Belgaum to netizens worldwide. I have been seeing some old photographs of Belgaum which are truly invaluable. From the time when I saw these pictures an idea has been coming to my mind. Let me share that with you.’

Belgaumites always feel that Belgaum does not offer any places of historical value which are worth visit (as one visits city of Bijapur/Mysore), but in fact there many places I know (only from outside) which have definite historical value. I agree that these cannot be compared to places of Bijapur/Mysore, but these places also do have archeological importnace for some extent. We often move around these places but never try to see and learn about their when/who constructed them, any other major events or personalities related to them, sculpture, wooden carvings, paintings, and most importantly if any old photographs available with them which may throw light on city of old Belgaum.

I am enumerating some of the places I know (only from outside).

1. Vitthal Dev Galli temples: There are 6-7 Vaishnavite temples are situated here. Some temples are in good condition because still some brahmins and marwadi’s visit and perform poojas, except one which I guess (Murlidhar temple) adjacent to Dr. Javali’s hospital is in dilapidated condition, which certainly seems most ancient. Also, in Shahapur Khade Bazar we find Mahadev temple and Maruti temple.
Adjacent to the Nucleus Mall and Sharma chat center there is a small temple and a old well (which is not visible from outside). My father used to tell us the name of that well as Baragade Bhavi and they used to fetch water from that well in their childhood since they lived in Ganapat Galli then.

2. Old stone-built houses in Tilakwadi, Hindwadi, near Bogar Ves, Shahapur, and Hosur (especially Rangubai palace in Ramling Khind and a house near Nath Pai garden on Deshmukh Road)

3. Ganapat galli watch tower, school nearby.

4. Jain basti’s in Kore Galli Shahapur (looks ancient), Hosur Basavn Galli, Shetty Galli. Remarkable about these basti’s are the towers built infront of these, stone carving is beautiful.

5. Saraswati Vachanalay and Kreeda Bhavan, Kore Galli Shahapur.

6. There is some old Lingayat Maths, like Kalmath in Kalmath Street. There was one math called Karanji Math in Kore Galli Shahapur, but today this is completely extinct and is being replaced by new building.

7. Rajwada compound in Madhavpur Vadagaon. I have heard some interesting things about the people who lived here who were Sansthanik’s. I have also heard that still today there are some war weapons and some structures can been seen (i have not seen them).

8. Dak bangla, near goaves. People talk various strange things about this place (like, some say this bangla was used by dacoits). No one knows exactly about this place. Looks like a haunted house. Today this place is being used by government irrigation department. Also, in Kacheri Galli there is one old building which people say was used as jail in old times, these days this is being used for government offices.

9. Shahapur saraf katta. This is now completely extinct, as it was removed as a part of master plan some 15 years back. There used to be number of old jewellery shops there. Photographs and interesting facts can be collected. I have heard people from all over the India used to come to Shahapur saraf katta to buy jewellery in old times.

10. Masjid’s and darga’s. The prominent one which comes to my mind is Belgaum Khade Bazar masjid and darga besides DCC bank and another darga near police headquarters.

11. There are many structures and monuments in Cantonment Area and places of worship.

This list can be comprehensively updated by Belgaumites. I am sure these will an eye-opener for Belgaumites about Belgaum’s glorious past. And educate people about preservation and restoration of these invaluable structures.

Making use of all these information and photographs I think a separate section can be created in http://allaboutbelgaum.com/ which can be called as “X-plore your Belgaum” where present / past photographs, authentic information, interesting facts can be published before they are extinct. I am sure Belgaumites from all around the globe will cherish this.

I hope you show interest in this and develop this idea and further explore our very own Belgaum.

Thanks,

Regards,

Vijay R. Lingayat

Letter from R K Patil, Belgaum.

Any traveler taking NH4 from Kolhapur to Hubli can notice the difference between a quality of execution and maintenance of NH4 highway by two different establishments.

The project executed by Punj Lloyd bears the testimony to world class infrastructure while the part implemented by RN Shetty & Co. shows the sorry state of petty time contractor trying to get into big league.

The part of NH4 operated by Shetty’s (Belgaum to Dharwad) has already developed serious problems (pot holes, water clogging, poor maintenance). I am attaching two pictures of the road taken at Mahantesh Nagar & Ashok Nagar junction where the road barricades have been uprooted by the lorry owner shops lying just next to service road. This is done so that the shop owner’s trucks do not end up in taking a long route to reach the shops. This has resulted in land slide at road side, water logging. In few days from now I am sure the roads will also starts giving away.  Besides this it poses a great danger to speeding vehicles on NH4 who never expect vehicles to join or exit at this place!

I have brought this to the notice of the NH4 patrol and maintenance engineers stationed in Hubli (Mr. Ramanujam) and Belgaum (Mr. Jai Prakash). Looks even the NH4 authorities are least bothered about this.

Travelers on Belgaum stretch can see a lot of pot holes and trenches on NH4 stretch that runs between Belgaum and Halga, once again it looks the maintenance authorities are turning blind eye. Only when we start paying lower tolls for this stretch then the authorities might wake up.

From Sanjiv Naik, Jhansi.

Uday,

I am sending  the photos of   Aggarsain Park  at Jhansi  ,which  reminds of Jurassic era.

The sculptors   have   put  great   effort to   make  live the Jurassic  animals ( May be not as professional as the one abroad ) . I feel that such similar theme parks should be in belgaum.

With kind regards.

- SANJIV NAIK-
  Jhansi

This letter is from Brahmanand Chipre.

I really feel hurt to read the story of Dec 08′ edition in Ahimsa Times where wrong or misleading information is been printed. It clearly states that Belgaon is in Maharashtra, while the actual fact is that there is no such decision given by the supreme court where the case of the Belgaum border issue is been running for years. Belgaum is a whole and sole integral part of Karnataka and not a part of Maharastra.

The Statement goes like this:BELGAON IN MAHARASHTRA”
Six ancient marble idols, presumably belonging to 8th century was found in a house on the 7th August, 2008, while digging foundation. The year engraved on the idol is Mahavir Samvat 1564. Again a short while later, on the 24th August, another 5 marble idols all the idols appear to be of Digambar Jain faith. The idols have been placed in the office of Taluka Tahsildar, so that the visitors can have their glimpse. The followers of Digambar sect took out a procession and demanded that all the idols be handed over to them.”
[Source: http://www.jainsamaj.org/magazines/december-2008.htm]Brahmanand Chipre
Bangalore

“ANCIENT IDOLS OF TEERTANKARS RECOVERED NEAR

Kindly correct the statement in the next edition as it may hurt the sentiments of the Kannada locals staying in Belgaum as well as Karnataka.
Also the place where the idols were found was in Raybagh Taluka of Belgaum District in Karnataka.

Slide show of images of idols found there. Taken by  Brahmanand Chipre

This is new series o this blog. Letters to the Editor.

I receive a lot many mails, which are of importance in general and should be shared with all. In this regard, this is the first one.

Letter From: ~ Vineet

I being a true Hard Core Belgaumite (Staying @ Bangalore for my Work currently) have a Grievance.

 
 Actually I had been to Big Cinemas on Sunday Night (25/1/09) @ 9.15 pm Show for (Screen 2) watching my First Movie (Raaz-2) in the Brand New and beautiful Ad-labs Multiplex. My Seat number was K-3 (Gold Class 0118). IT was all good, for the first 15 mins or so. Then entered a bunch of guys (4 to 5) loaded with Alcohol. In addition, to my agony their seats were right next to me. They came in and kept shouting rubbish until they were in the Cinema Hall. They left the Cinema Hall in between only because one of those people puked in the Cinema Hall (may be seat number K-5).

I actually got out of my seat (k-3) and sat somewhere else when these people cut loose…. I went back to my seat only after those people left…. only to discover that one of these people had puked which the big cinema Helper/Employee told me.

 I strongly believe that the Big Cinema Authorities need to Make sure that they do not Issue tickets to Drunken People to stop this kind of incidents, which creates discomfort and inconvenience to other Audiences in the Hall, after all its a public place not a private theatre or Home. In addition, making the brand new seats in the Hall Dirty and unhygenic. 

If you have the Contact Number (Preferably Mobile Number) of the Big Cinema Authorities of Belgaum, please do send it across. I did not wait @ the theater after the movie Ended as it was 12.15 am already. I thought I would speak to the Authorities the next day but could not as I was traveling back to Bangalore.
  

This is some thing, which needs to be taken care of, so that it does not happen next time and create Nonsense in the Big Cinemas.

–
Thanks,

Disclaimer: These are letters received from readers, the Blog on a whole may not accept or say what is mentioned in the letter.