News n visuals : Anand Kumar Barkur
BARKUR: The 21st Sarvajanika Sri Ganeshotsava, organised by the Sarvajanika Sri Ganeshotsava Samiti at Shettigar Industries, Ranganakeri, Barkur, concluded successfully with a series of religious and cultural events, community meals, a felicitation ceremony and a grand immersion procession.
Prize distribution and felicitation programme
The prize distribution and felicitation programme was held on September 15, 2026. Vedamurthy N. Ramesh Bhat of Nairbettu inaugurated the event. He noted that in this 21st year of the festival, the number 21 holds a special and sacred place in the worship of Ganesha in Hinduism. Lord Ganesha, he said, is quickly pleased when devotees offer the things dear to him, and has the power to remove the troubles and obstacles of his devotees, bringing peace and contentment to all.
Journalist Vasantha Giliyaru, the chief guest, praised the samiti's honorary president, Srinivasa Shettigar, for his unwavering hard work and honest labour for the welfare of others. He said Shettigar had made his life meaningful by devoting part of his earnings to religious programmes and social service.
Those present on the dais included Vedamurthy Ramesh Bhat, Mahesh Udupa of Sri Lakshmi Farms, Mandarthi, Pramod Mandarthi, and Suggi Sudhakar Shetty, president of the renovation committee of the Sri Panchalingeshwara Temple, Barkur. Also present were Shantharam Shetty Barkur, working president of the same committee, and Sampath Kumar Shetty. Yashoda Srinivas Shettigar, Akshay Shettigar, Satish S. Amin, Sandeep Poojary, Subrahmanya Poojary, other dignitaries, samiti office-bearers, staff of Shettigar Industries and devotees also attended.
Daiva performers, achievers and students honoured
On the occasion, the samiti honoured the following people.
- Daiva performers: Vitthala Patri, Raghu Patri, Krishna Madiwala Mandarthi, Mahabala Patri, Sudhir Patri and Nagaraj Patri.
- Special achievers: Award-winning Dr. Chandrashekar, V. S., and Shambhu Thingalaya.
- Student achievers: Kum. Dhanvitha G. Poojary of Hosala, Barkur, an achiever in sports, music and Yakshagana, and Khushi Shettigar of Basrur, Gayathri, Roopesh and Shayan.
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Achievers from various fields:
- Srinivasa Udupa (agriculture)
- Roshan Lobo (sports)
- Harish K of Ranganakeri, Barkur (forest conservation officer)
- Smt. Veena and Uday Shetty of Barkur (education)
- Sandeep Poojary (contractor for temple construction)
- Dr. Rakshith and Sandeep Amin of Kooradi (blood donors and social workers)
- Vishal Mahesh Poojary of Barkur (rangoli artist)
The samiti also gave scholarships to ten economically disadvantaged students: Swagat, Advithi, Dhatri, Jamuna, Roshni D'Souza, Manisha, Shwetha, Khushi, Gnanesh and Shravya. Financial assistance was extended for the medical treatment of Babu Kulal and of the wife of Jappi Subbu Shettigar.
Volunteers who took an active part in all the festival's programmes were also honoured: Sandeep Poojary, L. K. Shettigar, Akshay Shettigar, Satish Amin, Subrahmanya, Vinay Kumar of Sabhya Friends, Harish, Uday Shettigar, Suresh T., Suresh Poojary, Ashok Poojary, Yogish Pai of Barkur and others. Prizes were distributed to the winners of the various competitions held at the mud-field sports meet (kesaruge gadde).
Welcome address
Srinivasa Shettigar of Ranganakeri, Barkur, the samiti's honorary president, welcomed the gathering and spoke about the festival's purpose. He said it was celebrated to foster unity in society, with devotion and traditional rituals, and with people of all communities taking part. He hoped it would bring joy and prosperity to all, and said the presence of the gathering had added to the celebrations.
Vidwan Damodara Sharma Barkur compered the programme. Satish S. Amin and Sudarshan Udupa Kudli read out the lists of those honoured and of the prize winners. After the formal programme, internationally known magician Satish Hemmadi and his team presented a magic show titled Jadu Vismaya.
Record-setting dancer performs at cultural programme
As part of the 21st Ganeshotsava's cultural programme, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Remona Evette Pereira gave a captivating dance performance. She holds a Golden Book of World Records entry for dancing 61 compositions over 170 hours across seven days at St. Aloysius University.
About the artist: Remona Evette Pereira is a Bharatanatyam artist from Falnir, Mangaluru. She is the daughter of Gladys Pereira and Ronald Pereira, and her guru is Vidushi Srividya Muralidhar of Saurabha Sangeetha Nritya Kala Parishat and Sandesh Foundation. She began learning dance at the age of three.
She has set four world records through Bharatanatyam:
- Golden Book of World Records: 170 hours of continuous Bharatanatyam over seven days in 2025 at St. Aloysius University, performing 61 compositions
- India Book of Records
- Bharat Book of World Records
- London Golden Book
During the marathon, she reportedly took a 15-minute break every three hours, slept only one hour at night, and subsisted on bananas, curd and tender coconut water.
Her honours include the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021, presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Karnataka Government's Bala Gaurava Prashasti (2022), and the district administration's Exceptional Talent Award (2017).
She is trained not only in Bharatanatyam but also in Kuchipudi, Kathak, Yakshagana, folk and Western dance, and is known for performing while standing on broken glass, plates and clay pots. Her dance troupe is popular at cultural events across the Mangaluru and Udupi region.
Dignitaries visit and are honoured
Kundapura MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi, Father Ronald Miranda of St. Peter's Church, Barkur, and K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, visited the celebrations and extended their good wishes. Srinivasa Shettigar honoured them with the deity's prasada. Satish S. Amin, Akshay Shettigar, B. Sudhakar Rao, Praveen Gadiyar and other samiti office-bearers were present.
Grand immersion procession
The festival ran from September 14 to 16, 2026, with religious and cultural programmes and anna santarpane (community meals). It culminated in a disciplined and spectacular procession from the Sri Batte Vinayaka Temple, Barkur, to the Sri Mahalingeshwara–Sri Ratnagarbha Ganapati Temple, Ranganakeri.
Lord Ganesha travelled in a specially decorated vehicle modelled on a temple, and thousands of devotees lined the route to watch. Bhajan groups and folk dance troupes walked alongside. Other highlights were the chende drumming of Praveen Bukkegudde and his team in the Singari Melam style, impressive tableaux, and an Aghori dance troupe.
Muslim residents of Ranganakeri offered buttermilk and sweets to those in the procession, in a show of communal harmony. The idol was then immersed (jala-stambhana) in the pond of the Sri Mahalingeshwara–Sri Ratnagarbha Ganapati Temple.
Samiti's vote of thanks
In a statement, the president and all members of the samiti said the 2026 Ganeshotsava had been a great success. They thanked:
- all devotees who attended
- donors who supported the anna dana and rituals
- volunteers and the associations that assisted them
- the tableau, chende and bhajan groups, and the sound and lighting teams that took part in the procession
- Shaurya Vipatthu Ghataka (disaster response unit), Barkur
- the police department
- the Mogaveera Yuvaka Sangha, Bennekudru, which helped with the idol's immersion
- the elders, youth and women of the town who helped directly and indirectly
The samiti hoped for the same love, trust and cooperation in the years ahead.
