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The merciless destruction of the rich ambience of Pajaka Kshetra has been
carried out with impunity for more than a decade, yet there have only been
a few voices of protest which never emerged into a mass movement.
Even a protest by eminent citizens, in the absence of a sustained effort,
has remained a cry in the wilderness.
Pajaka Kshetra with an area of about 250 acres is dotted with many rocky
mountains, which have contributed to the beauty of the terrain.
It`s old homes and temple, believed to be associated with Madhvacharya,
have made it a very important historical and holy place.
With the rocks being broken one by one now, history itself seems to be
getting desecrated.
Many a legend on Madhvacharya`s life and deeds abounds in the place and
each rock is associated with one or the other legend.
The granite contractors once tried to decimate two religiously important
hillocks - Parashurama Betta and Kunjaru Betta.
They were forcibly prevented, however, by local people and marks of
attempted destruction are visible even now.
Many eminent scholars and social activists have time and again expressed
their concern over the ongoing activities in the region. But their
resistance has been cold-shoulderd by authorities.
Whenever voices have protested against granite quarrying, there has been a
brief lull in quarrying activity, only to resume again.
And now it is going on relentlessly, resulting in a disfigured ambience.
Expressing shock over the destruction, noted scholar Bannanje
Govindacharya recalls that Pajaka Pratisthana was founded about a decade
ago in order to restore the heritage of the place.
''We bought 100 acres of land there to recreate history,`` he recounts,
''but frequent disturbances by the quarry contractors have left our plan
inoperative. The zone should be declared as a national monument.``
Eminent artist Vijayanath Shenoy says it is a gross negligence on the part
of the pontiffs.
The whole area could have been developed into an oriental research
institute providing scope for the study of all systems of philosophy. It
would have been a real tribute to Madhvacharya.
At least now, Mr Shenoy contends, the whole area should be declared a
protected archaeological zone.
Noted writer Murari Ballal is deeply disappointed at the passivity of the
people to the cause. Dakshina Kannada has embraced modernisation so much,
he protests, that it has lost its cultural ambience.
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