Kesard Onji Dina

In a unique initiative, the Manel Srinivas Nayak Institute of Management (MSNIM) organised Kesard Onji Dina (A Day in the Fields), an excursion to give its MBA students a glimpse of rural Dakshina Kannada and the rich Tulunadu culture. The students were taken on a trip to Adinatheshwara Temple, Adyapady, on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Monday, July 18.

As a part of this programme, competitive sporting events were held in the paddy field near the temple. There were competitions in slush field throw ball, volleyball, running race, breaking the pot and tug of war. The day concluded with prize distribution to the winners of the various competitions.

Ashwin Shetty, assistant professor, St Joseph Engineering College, was the chief guest. The guests of honour were Mahesh Bhat, priest of Adinatheshwara Temple, Adyapady; temple president Harish Shetty; Sujith Alva, proprietor of Adinatheshwara Roadlines, Mangaluru; and Umesh Moolya, president of Kandavara Grama Panchayath. The institute Director, Dr Molly S Chaudhuri, presided over the programme.

In his address, the chief guest, Ashwin Shetty, spoke in depth about the Tulunadu culture and heritage, with examples. "Every rural custom and tradition has a story relating to it. This rich heritage of the region was transmitted to the younger generation through the tradition of storytelling known as Ajji Kathe, or Grandma’s stories," he said. He urged the students to preserve the Tulu language and culture.

The students enjoyed the day-long programme and participated in the various sports and games enthusiastically. For many of the students, it was their first experience of getting down into a paddy field. In all, it was a great learning experience for the students to perform against the challenges of the wet fields and apply them to management areas.