GADAG: In this Gadag village, the significance of Mahatma Gandhi goes beyond the mandatory eulogies on Gandhi Jayanti. Villagers of Jakkali worship Gandhi as a god, in a temple dedicated to the Father of the Nation. Families visit the temple just as they do other temples on a daily basis, and offer puja.
The Gandhi temple is in the Government School premises, and teachers and schoolchildren pray to Gandhiji before the school prayer. On Gandhi Jayanti, celebrations include seniors recalling stories about Gandhi’s life in South Africa and the non-violence movement before Independence. Sweets are distributed after the function.
After India got Independence, many newborns of Jakkali village were named Gandhi, and villagers started wearing dhotis made on the charaka.
In 1970, the villagers decided to revere Gandhi not only as a national leader, but a god who fought for the country’s freedom. Artists Mallappa Kammar and Somappa Kammar made an idol of Gandhi and consecrated it in the temple built in the school premises.
Sangamesh Menasagi, a villager and writer from Jakkali, said, “Our villagers are Gandhi followers. Students and villagers worship Gandhi every day. On October 2, we distribute sweets and on January 30, we pay tribute in front of Gandhi’s idol, but there is no holiday.”