3 generations in K’taka fought for 40 yrs over ‘Kalasha’, Lok Adalat resolves in 4 days

By N.B. Hombal Bagalkot (Karnataka), Jan 24 : Three generations from two adjacent villages in Karnataka fought over who should possess a ‘kalasha’ (holy pot) placed on a temple car during the annual fair of Garuda Siddeshwara temple, for nearly four decades.
The feud was was finally resolved last week in a district Lok Adalat through arbitration in a mere four days.
Kadlimatti and Mudapalajeevi are adjoining villages in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. These villages are located 480 kms from state capital Bengaluru.
According to Hindu belief, the ‘kalasha’ is believed to contain ‘Amrita’, the elixir of life, and thus is viewed as a symbol of abundance, wisdom, and immortality. The ‘kalasha’ is often seen in Hindu iconography as an attribute, in the hands of Hindu deities like the creator god Brahma, the destroyer god Shiva as a teacher, and the goddess of prosperity Lakshmi.
Bagalkot district legal services authority (DLSA) secretary, Hemalatha Basappa Hullur who facilitated the arbitration process told IANS that this dispute over who should own the ‘kalasha’ dates back to the late 1970s but a formal court case was registered only in 2007. “Multiple rounds of discussions lasted almost four days to resolve this emotionally attached case,” she said.
“The dispute between two villages was all about who should own the ‘kalasha’, two generations fought over it and died. The third generation was continuing their legal battle, as authorities toiled hard for four decades to resolve but could not succeed in their attempts to convince either parties. As a result of this, the ‘kalasha’ used to be deposited in the district treasury and it used to be unlocked only during the annual fair of the villages and once the religious ceremonies were over by evening, the ‘kalasha’ used to be taken back to the same treasury and deposited again. This went on for several years,” she said.