Paddy festoons are rare forms of art unique to Shimoga district. Sirivanthe, a tiny hamlet just 4 km away from Sagar is one such place, where the entire family of Chandrashekar is involved in the art of creating these rare forms of art.

The family which learnt this art decades ago started with festoons, mats and wall hangings. Very soon, there was a great demand for their creations in weddings and such other special occasions, as these decorative items were considered alternatives to flowers.

The only problem they faced was with the availability of traditional paddy varieties which were best suited for the job. After approaching many people and trying out various varieties, the couple finally zeroed in on four varieties - Padmarekha, Rathanachoodi, Bangara kaddi and Hemavathi.

Making paddy festoons is a laborious and time consuming job. The artists have to begin their work much before the harvest and sort them out according to their length. While the long and attractive ones are kept aside for festoons, the rest are for designing other models.

The finished products are sold at home and at exhibitions elsewhere. Chandrashekar’s works of art were recently exhibited at the Gosammelana held in Ramachandrapura Math and at the Seed Savers’ Meet in Dharmasthala.

Noticing the huge popularity of long festoons, Mr Chandrashekar decided to make a 1111-feet-long festoon and enter the feat in either the Limca or the Guinness Book of World Records. The work on it began on December 20, 2007 along with six workers. After over two months of non-stop work, the festoon is ready.

This unique 1111-feet-long paddy festoon is on exhibition in Sagara. For details, contact: 94496 98979