Naagnuru village– A report
Journey to Naagnuru –
Monday morning, on 21 July, 2008, I went to Naagnuru village along with Triveni (my classmate) for our village study program. This was one of the new villages for us. We have reached at the bus station before 20min. of time which has been given by our program officer but we couldn’t found any bus which goes to Naagnuru village. We had tried to ask about the bus which goes to the village but no one knows this particular village. Finally, we have decided to go to Varur and Varur to Naagnuru after some information about the location of village.
Before living to this place, I was thinking about the name of the village (Naagnuru) which means “place of snakes or village of snakes”. I was excited to get the new stories or tales about the snakes.
The name was excited me to gathered the information about history of the village. One of the old women said, because somebody has found “Naaga Linga” in the village long time back that is why naming of the village is Naaganuru. I was not expected the simple answer about the name of the village rather eager to know some stories about the snakes or any evidence which says that this was the village of snakes.
Finally, I found one of the evidence which says silent stories about the existence of the snakes in the village. I discovered the statue of the three snakes at the bottom of 300 years old Banyan tree adjacent to the statue of lord Ganesha. This was enough to know about some existence of the snakes here in olden days.
I and Triveni have done one of the PRA exercise with few youths of the village on small piece of the paper to know the available resource in the villages or to know the settlement of the village. Once the map has been drawn by the youths of the villages, I was surprised to see the shape of
Map of the Naagnuru village
the Naagnuru village, which is almost look like a Snake. Because of this I thought might be shape of village could be one of the reasons for naming the Village Naaganuru.
History of the Village
Naagnuru village is more than 300 years old setup. We have discovered the person’s house, who was the main owner of the village, “Mamle Deshpande”. He was the one who have given land to people who were used to work for them. Some of the villagers migrated from different other villages in search of work and who got shelter with the help of Mamle Deshpande family. Mr. Anant Mamle Deshpnade who is one of the sons of Mamle Deshpande has told the stories about his family and the Naagnuru village.
Today’s Naagnuru Village
Naagnuru village is one of the village comes under the Kalghati taluka. It is situated towards the south of Hubli around 25 KM from the Hubli old bus station. It has 2000 people with approximately 350 households. While walking and interacting from the people of the village has discovered the facility which exists or visible in the village like –
|
S-No. |
Facility/Resources available |
In numbers |
|
1. |
School |
Up to 8th standard |
|
2. |
Aganwadi |
1 |
|
3. |
Ration shop |
1 |
|
4. |
Water tank |
2 |
|
5. |
Pond |
1 |
|
6. |
Post box |
1 |
|
7. |
Livestock |
500 in the village on an average. |
|
8. |
Temple |
5 |
|
9. |
Tractors |
10 in the village |
|
10. |
Transport |
4 buses in a day from Hubli to Naagnuru and fro. |
|
11. |
Small shops |
5 |
|
12. |
Forest |
—— |
When we have reached to the village, came to know that people will go to the hills (small mountain) for worship/adoration to the lord Basureshwara by walking 6 kilometers from the village to the worship place and fro, continuous for 5 days. From each family one of the family members has to participate in the procession of worships. It is a belief of the people that after this worship, rain will come and they will able to do the farming on their land or lord will save them from drought situation.
We have decided to be part of that procession and to know more about it and also to gathered the information about the village. It was first day of worship which will continue till 5 days. Five days and night people are worshiping at the village temple of lord Basureshwara for rain.
Language and I – I felt like a foreigner in Naagnuru village which is one of the villages in Hubli-Dharwad district at Karnataka. Majority of people speaks Kannada at Hubli-Dharwad city and I knew only Hindi, English, Bhojpuri and Punjabi. For me to understand the language is bit difficult but because of body language I was able to understand the context of the conversation which happens in front of me. One more advantage for me that I have learnt few of the kannada words which helped me a lot to mingle with people and creating a space for myself in their hearts. The honor and the welcome I have got from the people were really nice but because of language, I have felt that I am foreigner in my own country.
School facility is available within the village. It is up to 8 standards with 6 teachers. Around 230 children are enrolled in the schools but only 175 children are attending the schools. As you entered in the school anyone can easily identify that no. of girls is in the schools comparatively more than boys. I was quite happy to see that, but felt sad when heard the inside story.
Most of the girls only studied up to 8 standards and after that they hardly gets chance to study further may be because lack of opportunity and lack of encouragement from the family for the girls education though they have to go to the Surshettykoppa village which 3 to 4 kilometer far from the Naagnoor village. Boys are the helping hand of the parents and because of it they don’t go to school and help their family in the households.
I felt that something is missing within the relationship of people and the school. It seems that people are least bothered towards the education for their children. Similarly teachers are not initiating the ways to involve children in the school or initiating people participation. In short if I say lack of motivation exist between both parties? I am not sure. I have seen many children who were playing on the road or taking care of their siblings, they can go to school for their studies but they are not part of the school.
Aganwadi/ Balwadi facility is also available within the village for 0-6 years of children and for the pregnant women. Pregnant women’s gets 20kg rice, 1 Kg Gram and 1 Kg salt for every month from the aganwadi/ balwadi center. 40 children of 3 to 6 years of age group are enrolled in the center and 40 children are up 3 years get the facility from the center at their doorstep. Aganwadi center is one of the option
We came to know the existence of 3 youth groups and 1 youth sports group in the village. SHG (Self Help Group) of women is actively working in the village. Majority of people earn their income from the farming. Some people have their small shops of general store. Tea stall etc. everyone sale the milk of their cattle to the KMF dairy. Electricity comes in the morning and once in the evening. Village is connected with main city of Hubali with the facility of 4 buses throughout the day from Hubli to village and fro.
Village stay is one of the most exciting experiences for me which motivated me to see lots of opportunity for development work. Apart from the opportunity people living style, surroundings, relationships, culture, belief is always motivate me to be in the village and work for the development.
