A 50-ft long and 10.5 ft-wide sailboat that was used to transport seashells in Panchagangavali river in Kundapur-Gangolli region was handed over to the Manjusha Museum for showcasing the same to the next generation at Dharmasthala on Monday.
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Pattadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade and others received the sailboat ‘Jai Balaji’ handed over by Venkatesh Kharvi of Jai Balaji Enterprises, Kharvi Keri, Kundapur, Udupi district at the temple town. Subhash Kharvi, Sunil Kharvi, and other leaders of Konkani Kharvi community were present on the occasion.
The Jai Balaji sailboat having a 22 ft-tall mast and sail was made of a single wooden log, said Mr. Kharvi, who had deployed it to transport seashell collected from the backwaters of Panchagangavali to the nearby lime and tiles factories. As many as 10 such sailboats were in service about two decades ago in Kundapur region, he noted. They were also used to transport wooden logs and ‘Mangalore’ tiles, he said.
As the seashell industry was at the verge of extinction, sailboats too had lost their relevance and presence. Mr. Kharvi and the well-wishers of the community intended to pass on the rich heritage of the community to the generations to come and hence, approached Mr. Heggade seeking his permission to include the sailboat among the exhibits in Manjusha Museum that was known for a wide variety of collection of antique items.
Upon Mr. Heggade’s nod, the Kharvis transported the sailboat by a trailer-truck from Kundapur to Dharmasthala on Monday and handed it over to the museum.