It is the period of the year when Suttur becomes the centre of attraction in Mysore district. Srimath Sutturu Jagadguru Sri Veerasimhasana Mahasamsthan, built on the banks of river Kapila is attracting flocks of devotees from every nook and corner of the state, as the Suttur Jatra Mahotsav got off, here on Wednesday.

The jatra is being held from February 6 to 11.

Water sports, a tournament of traditional games, cricket tournament for school students and ‘Krishi Mela’ was inaugurated on the first day of the fair.

An exhilarating performance by students of Free School, displaying amazing acrobatic abilities in ‘Rope Malla-kamba’ and ‘Pole Malla-kamba’ was something that had to be seen to be believed.

A team consisting of 20 boys and 20 girls, twisted and turned on both the rope and the pole, putting the spectators at awe. Inspired by the breathtaking performance, the guests at the podium, including Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra seer of Suttur, deputy commissioner  Ramegowda and others personally congratulated the athletic performance.

“When doing Aasanas on the ground is difficult, how were these kids performing Aasanas on the pole and the rope?,” a curious observer wondered aloud after witnessing the gymnastic display.

Although all performers were equally competitive, the performance of Samarth, a fourth standard student, warranted awes of admiration, as he stood on top of the pole on one leg, with the other leg behind his neck, showing great balance.

Sushma, an eighth standard student and a participant at the national level competition, rapidly pulled herself up the rope, performing six different aasana’s by manoeuvring the rope around her body and skillfully balancing on it. Flexibility and balance of the students, represented the vast amount of untapped potential in gymnastics in the rural areas of the country.

If individual performances provided by the students kept the adrenaline of the crowd pumping, the human pyramids performed by students, took the interest and anxiety of the crowd to a different level. Despite the flexibility and balance of the students, there were some moments where the safety of the students, performing the stunts was a concern. However, they turned out to be well trained.

Shrishial Hoogar, the trainer behind the display said the students had reached such degree of expertise on the rope and the pole in a short duration of less than two years. He said the JSS residential school at Suttur, was one of the rare educational institutes encouraging this form of rural gymnastics in the state.

Prior to the performance, students from various JSS institutions took out a march past, as a prelude to the inauguration of the games. Water sports was inaugurated by ex-minister M Mahadevu. Water sports will provide an opportunity for people participating at the fair to experience adventure.

Car rally

Earlier, in Mysore, a vintage car rally was flagged off in front of JSS Mahavidyapeeta. The rally, which started in the city, concluded in Suttur, where a few vintage cars and bikes were kept for display.

Motor enthusiasts from Mysore, Bangalore, Madikeri and other regions participated in the rally.

Programmes

Several programmes and exhibitions have been organised around Suttur mutt as part of the fair. A light and sound show ‘Vijayanagara Vaibhava’ (Glory of Vijayanagara) will be held daily, during the fair, from 7 pm to 9.30 pm.

It is being held at JSS school grounds.

An exhibition of handicrafts, rural products, books, artefacts, products of home industries and self-help groups are being exhibited, along with more than 200 science models by students from various high schools in the region.

The Krishi Mela, providing demonstration of various crops and modern machinery used for farming is also being held. The mela aims to acquaint farmers and the general public about progressive and modern farming techniques. Several farming organisations and officials from the agriculture department have also set up stalls to guide ryots participating in the fair.

Cattle fair, exhibition of documentaries related to family planning, health care and maternal care are also being held.

The fair will also witness performance of folk arts troupes from various districts and also from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.