This couple has a treasure trove of artefacts depicting Tulunadu heritage

Mangaluru: For almost three decades, a couple hailing from Hirgana village in Karkala have been building a treasure trove of artefacts depicting the rich heritage of Tulunadu.Sudhakar Shetty, a history lecturer from Shree Niranjana Swamy Pre-University College,

Sunkadakatte

and his wife

Ashitha S Kadamba

, working for an IT company in Mangaluru, have been not only collecting artefacts and traditional items depicting Tulunadu history and various other aspects including religious practises, culture and livelihood, but have also presented them at various exhibitions purely out of passion. The couple had put up a stall and displayed their large collection of artefacts at the three days

Krishi Mela

organised at Kolnad near Mulki that concluded on Sunday.Sudhakar Shetty told TOI: “For the last two decades we have been holding exhibitions with the objective of enlightening youth about the history and various aspects of our culture and livelihood that have changed with time. We certainly cannot bring back that era, but we can learn and show respect towards our ancestors by preserving the items used by them, “ he said.The couple also presented a collection of nearly 400 ancient coins including gold, silver and copper as well as currency notes from 150 countries. They have classified their collection based on Daivaradhane,

Devatha

aradhane, Nagaradhane, Yakshagana, sports and arts. Their collections also include tools and equipment that were traditionally used for agriculture, farming, traditional occupations and wooden and metal boxes. “We have built this collection over years of hard work. Some of the items have been purchased, while a few have been donated by well-wishers who want these items preserved,” he said. Ashitha said, “The response has been tremendous almost everywhere we had put up our stall so far. We have converted our house into a museum and arranged everything in such a way that guests can view them and it is easy for us to maintain and transport them. Our free time goes into cleaning and maintaining this collection, though we have assistants to help us. Every item is documented, and our children Itihas and Shridatta studying in Classes 2 and 3 are showing interest in this field, by helping us maintain the collection at home and at the same time are also building their own match boxes collection,” she said. The couple have set up Shridatta Tulu Janapada Matthu Itihasa Adhyayana Kendra at Nellikatte in Hirgana of Karkala.
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