Day - 2 of Padayatra January 31, 2018 Jaawoor
Greetings from Jaawoor! We reached here walking 13 Km from Jogundabhavi. On our way, we stopped at Narayanapur, a displaced village by the Basava Sagara Dam across River Krishna.
We spent most of the day at Kori Sangameshwara Gudi, a picturesque shrine by the banks of the river.
Under the shade of one tamarind and two Neem trees, this shrine is another example of harmony. The deity is worshiped by both Hindus and Muslims and the sanctum sanctorum is one of the most unique sights we have seen.
We were lucky to witness the making of brooms from the date palm fronds by a family belonging to the community called Bhajantris (Koravas). From interacting with them, we understood that their traditional role was to provide baskets, brooms and pig manure for vegetable gardens. They also provide band accompaniments for rituals, making brooms from palm and different kinds of grass, which they exchange for grains from villagers. They also hunt quails and partridges.
For the final leg of the walk, we crossed a bridge across the majestic Krishna River which is now only reduced to a thin stream because of the dam. The setting sun and the golden light left us with melancholic and mixed feelings about the sights the evening had to offer. The grand culmination of the day was the rare eclipse.
By
Jahnvi Pai