Tall pride
Mandya: How tall can a tulsi (basil) plant grow? To find an answer to this question, one has to visit the garden of a resident in Subhash Nagar, Mandya, where it has grown to about 10 feet and is still growing.
Tulsi, revered by the Hindus, has tremendous medicinal values too. Owners’ pride, as it is, this plant becomes the pride of the neighbours too during festive occasions when the womenfolk of the neighbourhood gather around the plant to offer pooja.
U M Mahesh



A piece of art
Devagram: Jainism is a popular religion in Karnataka and several basadis and idols of Tirthankaras are found in many parts of the State. Two years ago, at Kasamlagi village near Devagram, one rare idol of Lord Adinatha was found behind a school building. Another idol, believed by the archaeologists to be 1,000 years old, was also unearthed during the construction of a building.
The local Jain community has installed the idol in a small temple in the village. The idol, in a standing posture, is made of black stone. One of the main attractions of this idol is the carving of a serpent resembling adisesha behind the main idol.
Devagram is about 30 km from Belgaum and 5 km from Kittur.
Soumya Narayan Achari