Karnataka: Former students perform Haveri teacher's tulabhara in blood, books

HAVERI: An English-language teacher, who taught in two high schools in Haveri district for 40 years, was offered tulabhara - a practice where a person is weighed against commodities, mostly rice or jaggery - against blood and books in the district's Akki Alur on Saturday.

A total of 108 former students, including 35 women, donated 108 units of blood equivalent to the weight of the teacher, PR Math, 80. He was also offered books of his weight, 47kg. The blood was donated to a district blood bank in Haveri.

Math taught at Narasingrao Desai High School and Sindhur Siddappa PU College in Akki Alur, besides floating groups to organise spiritual and cultural activities.

Since Math had advised his students against buying gifts on the occasion of turning 80, students thought of donating books equal to his weight. That's when Sneha Maitri Blood Army, which has converted Akki Alur into a village of blood soldiers, came up with blood donation as a token of respect to Math, according to Sri Dundi Basaveshwar Janapada Kala Sangh, which was part of the event attended by over 2,000 ex-students.

District blood bank officer Dr Basavaraj Talavar said that blood donation camps do take place at large gatherings like annual jatra, but a camp to mark felicitation to a teacher was unique in the region.

Many pledge to donate blood
Mahesh Masal, a motivational speaker, echoed the view and said he has seen many 'Guruvandana' programmes offering shawls, fruits and gifts to teachers. "This was a heart-touching occasion," he added.

Dr IY Malode, a 1977 batch student and retired district health officer, said Math taught English, a difficult subject for rural students, in an effective way. Donors made a quiet pledge to donate blood frequently.



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