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BARKUR-ONLINE, your home town at a cursor-y glances….
Perhaps Uncle James Fernandes believed in that home is
where the heart is. For me it’s more rooted – emotionally,
literally and figuratively and for the generation preceding both
of us, for youngsters like Austin and Franklyn it’s
an ironical, the home is where their hard disc or laptop is…….!
Ten years, rather 10 years and 10 months gone by, since Kishore
Gonsalves, the ‘showman of Barkur’, ventured something
unique, for his hometown, a common platform barkuronline a web
portal uniting Global Barkurians!!
Midst of color and variety, we as a team unearthed a deep apathy
and at times aroused passion we have for our hometown and its rich
heritage both natural and man made. In other words, we tried our
best to showcase Barkur the place and its people, whatever little
way we can…..!!!
Its our Barkur, most picturesque, once famous for green paddy
fields at once you cross the bridge over high and dry Sita, for
more than half of the year… and with sugarcane and chilly and
sweet potato bushes, glisten in the sun, later half…now embracing
urbanization, either side of the road to Kalchapra occupied by
commercial thinkers and planners……dusty roads converted to be
concrete and tarmac, once gateway to the western & African world
through their stunning waterways around half a dozen islands,
which were in abundance of coconut trees……yes a place historical,
unique and beautiful….!!!!
Barkur has everything – lakes, river Sita and its
tributaries, hills – Sinhasana, Heradi Dharmashale or
Uddalgudde, temples for all deities and moolastana’s for all
Coastal communities, first mosque built by ………..gothic styled
Church dedicated to Apostle St. Peter…….Its a home for all, you
name it……yes its brims with rural, tribal and urban population. It
has its roots in mythology - the famous story of ‘Bhutala
Pandya’ or the first Christian missionary work in India by
St. Bartholomew….
Once the town was self sufficient, rather home for other visiting
/ residing merchants, now changing slowly but surely….people sleep
and eat here but study and serve elsewhere in the neighborhood. Is
it high time to think of something to provide basic English medium
education? We have a College up to post graduate studies in Barkur….but
lack most important modern primary schools….Its not who will give
it a thought but feel it’s a necessity….I have seen tiny tots
travelling by auto rickshaws / buses in the wee hours to
Brahmmavar / Heradi..Their plight really painful….!
Am I changing track, yes the intention of writing these few words
is restricted to what we have done or doing as a team of Barkur on
line
Now we reached to a milestone, to be on line for the last ten
years. Our host, Kishore Gonsalves has lot of creative
ideas to be more vibrant and informative in coming years. A
complete new looks with better inputs, most sought mechanism for
interaction with visitors is in the offing. It’s in keeping mutual
interest, needs and likes, our IT specialists now framed it to
appeal the new younger generation.
What we noticed is the concern and necessity of web pages confined
to Barkur is felt more by non-resident Barkurians. Variety and
diversity in the web bank / reservoir is our next ambition. We
have the credit of being a reference source to many students of
history in a couple of Universities in the past. We expect a more
critical as well as complimentory participation by our College
going IT friendly teachers and students from Barkur.
We are indebted to various people, who accompanied us in our
journey, Dr. Gabriel Fernandes, our generous patron for years,
various writers, photographers, translators, resource persons for
various articles, designers and IT personnel in Naveen Sequeira
and others, innumerable ICYM Ex-members, the SPA Mumbai – Barkur….
and so on and so forth.
A
simple but meaningful ‘Re-launching Programme’ is organized at
Barkur on Sunday, 23rd September 2012, to be presided
over by former Principal of Milagres College, Kallianpur, and
currently the Parish Priest of Barkur Church Rev. Fr. Valerian
Mendonca, Mr.Shantharam Shetty,
President, Barkur Panchayath, Retired Principal B.Seetharam Shetty,
Prof.Rajshekhar Hebbar, Principal, Smt.Rukmini Shedthi Memorial
National Government First Grade College, Barkur, Rtn.Mubarak,
President, Rotary Club, Barkur
are expected
to grace the occassion with lot many well wishers and friends.
‘New media’ is mainly interpreted as social media and word of
mouth by many, for its instant reach. These both have a strong
internet component hence the future communication just a curser
away, we Barkurian’s at par with the development around us. It’s
our / your choice to make its best use, day today or otherwise……
So friends, just a week to go and you will have an experience of
different type, till then….a patient wait…..!
On behalf of Barkur-online Team & ICYM Barkur Ex-Members
Association,
P. Archibald Furtado,
Muscat,
15/09/2012.
furtadoarchibald@hotmail.com |
