City students enjoy rural sports

Kurnadu: Over 250 students from Mangaluru city institutions had a field day on Saturday, when they learnt about rural life and agriculture through ‘Kandadonji Dina’, a rural festival, wherein people gather in the slushy paddy fields prior to the sowing season, to celebrate the start of the monsoon.
It was a day of fun and frolic for the students of Shree Bharathi Group of Institutions in the city, who participated in various rural sports as part of the ‘Kandadonji Dina’, at a paddy field in Kurnadu village of Bantwal taluk.Slush field race, areca leaf pulling race, tug-of-war, piggyback race, race with tied legs and treasure hunt were conducted in a paddy field, which was ready for sowing.
Nithin R, a student, said, “I enjoyed the day to the fullest, since I also come from a rural background. I feel happy to be part of this festival. It is a good experience in my life, due to which I could understand what agriculture is, and how paddy is cultivated. It was a day of fun and frolic, and it also gave us an insight into our culture, which is mainly dependent on agriculture.”
Subrahmanya Holla, who is also a student, said he was very happy to be part of a rural sports event, that aims at spreading awareness on agriculture and the culture of the region.
Shree Bharathi Degree College principal, A Jeevandas, said, “It is indeed a break for students, who always think and talk of gadgets. Most of the students today do not know how paddy is cultivated and milk is produced. Through this event, we want the young generation to understand the rural culture, sports and agriculture. Students have been asked to participate in rural sports, and they will later write an essay on their experience.”
Kurnadu gram panchayat former president K Devadas Bhandary said by making students participate in such rural events, it will help them think of taking up agriculture in the future. “This festival will undoubtedly create a strong bond between farmers and people living in urban areas,” he said.
Nithin Kumar Gatti, vice-president of Kurnadu gram panchayat, said usually such rural sports in paddy fields are conducted days before the sowing of seeds. “This is a single crop field prepared for sowing paddy. The field is also used as a ground for Rathotsava of the nearby Ammembala Sri Somanatheshwara Temple, during the annual festival in April,” he said.