A 13-feet high Kanaja, the traditional paddy storage structure made of dried hay that can store 190 quintals of paddy was constructed at Kota Manooru in Udupi district.

It was prepared by farmer and BCom graduate Shivananda Adiga, who has been farming for the last 37 years along with his father.

The Kanaja is constructed to store paddy in the outer yard of the house. The family had been carrying out the practice of constructing the Kanaja every year which could store 100-125 murras of paddy. But this year, the Kanaja constructed was a big one, said Adiga.

The Kanaja was constructed by 10 farm workers. It took them seven hours to construct it. The paddy of five farmers was stored in the Kanaja. Hay thread, hay and nylon thread has been used for the Kanaja. The whole process has been documented to create awareness on the same, among the future generations.

The construction of a Kanaja is a skill in itself. It is constructed in such a way that even a small ant cannot enter it. As a result, the paddy remains as it is, without being affected by pests. Normally, farmers sell the paddy from the Kanaja, in the months of February-March.

Shivananda Adiga said that Rs 40,000 was spent on the construction of the Kanaja. "We will dismantle the Kanaja either in February or March and use the paddy for consumption or sell it."