MANGALORE: They may be tiny villages, but they have aspirations like any other communities. The 1,000 families of the model Idkidu and Kule villages in Bantwal taluk have been getting their own monthly community newsletter Grama Darpana (village mirror), highlighting the activities of the villages.It is an unique initiative in journalism in that the local Sri Shanmukha Subrahmanya Temple in Kolpe bears the entire cost of printing and disbursing newsletters to 1,110 houses in the twin villages.The temple is a hub not only for religious rituals but also for developmental activities.It is at this temple that the first issue was released on the occasion of Vijayadashami by temple trust president Rajaram Shetty Kolpegutthu.With articles covering local interests like special temple rituals, rainwater harvesting and awareness programmes in local schools, the newsletter reaches its audience by hand at mass bhajan sessions in the temple every Monday or through the local milk and co-operative societies, says Dr Krishna Bhat Konkody, a member of the editorial board.“We intend to disburse it through networking and identifying individuals for every 10 houses,” says P G Praphullachandra, also a member of the editorial board.Five members of the editorial board, seven advisors and two honorary advisors are drawn from diverse fields to ensure regular inputs for the newsletter. It also has ‘shlokas’ and positive messages for children. Praphullachandra says they plan to make the newsletter more interactive for children by organising quiz competitions based on news published in previous newsletters. JULY 1, PRESS DAYOn this day, the state’s first Kannada daily, Mangalore Samachara, was published by a German Missionary Herman Mogling in 1843. In the following year, Mogling started Kannad Samachara in Bellary in 1844.
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