File photo of Dasara elephant Arjuna as he lifts his trunk in salute, at the weighing machine in Mysore.
Credit: DH File Photo
In a first, Shirahatti Fakireshwar Mutt in Hubballi has come up with a special traditional weighing machine (Tulabhara), which will weigh in the mutt elephant Champika carrying howdah and the Mutt's main pontiff on one side and Rs 10 coins on the other side.
To mark the 75th birthday of Shirahatti Fakireshwar Mutt pontiff Fakira Siddaram Swami, a year long Bhavaikyata Ratha Yatra has been organised by the mutt. It is also the 60th anniversary of the Mutt since it was established, and this occasion will be marked with a jumbo Tulabhara (weighing machine). The Tulabhara will weigh Mutt elephant Champika carrying 200 kg teak wood howdah and Mutt pontiff Fakira Siddaram Swami.
Shirahatti Mutt junior seer Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami, who organised the entire programme, said that the elephant, howdah and pontiff— combined will weigh about 5,555 kg and coins totaling this weight have already been collected from the banks and devotees. The coins gathered by the Mutt amount to Rs 73.40 lakh— and this sum will be directed towards the education of poor children.
Team SRV Group of Industries CEO Shyam Kolhar said, "They have deployed 60 persons for twenty days to design and manufacture the around 16 tonnes of traditional weighing machines. They did a lot of homework to design, manufacture and erect the machine at Nehru Ground."
On February 1, a grand Ambari Utsav of the Chamika elephant carrying howdah and silver idol of the pontiff will be carried out in the city escorted with four other elephants, five horses and two camels and hundreds of devotees. The procession will start from Moorusavir Mutt and go through Dajiban Peth, Kittur Chennamma Circle and conclude at Nehru Ground.
As the mutt is a heritage structure that depicts the harmony between Hindus and Muslims, many Hindu and Muslim people joined hands for the event.
Around 4:30 in the evening, Tulabhara of the elephant carrying howdah, and pontiff will be held. Legislative Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, State ministers M B Patil, H K Patil and Santosh Lad, former chief ministers Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, along with seers from various mutts will grace the occasion.
Mass feed
Before the Ambari Utsav, a mass feed for nearly one lakh people will be organised at Moorusavir Mutt ground. Devotees Mohammed Rafiq Savantanavar Rajanna Koravi, Tippanna Majjagi, Umesh Koujageri and Gangavathi Silk Palace owners have collaborated to organise and host this part of the event.