The attraction of varieties of dry coconut carvings by Jagadeeshagouda V. Bhavikatti of Dharwad is such that it makes visitors stop and concentrate at an exhibition on farm produces at the four-day Alva’s Krishi Siri, which began here on Thursday.
“After I read about your craft works in a newspaper recently I stopped throwing away coconut shells. Please train me,” Jyothi Hiremath from Hubballi asked Mr. Bhavikatti at the venue.
Ms. Hiremath, a beautician, told him that his craft works were so impressive that she did not want to waste the coconut shells at her home. “I have stored them without knowing what to do,” she said. Mr. Bhavikatti assured her of imparting training.
Mr. Bhavikatti, 44, works as a maintenance supervisor at an engineering college in Dharwad. Making craft works from dry coconut without removing the husk has been his hobby from a decade.
“Now, I ensure that at least two craft pieces are made daily. I am forced to do it owing to heavy demand. I am not able to meet the demand. People want them for presenting as gifts,” he said.
Mr. Bhavikatti said he has been training women in Hubballi and Dharwad from two years in dry coconut carving, especially on how to make Ganesha. They made about 1,000 Ganeshas for this year’s Ganesha festival. All of them got sold out.
He said that once a dry coconut Ganesha is worshipped, it should be immersed in a bucket of water for five times. Later it should be kept (immersed) in sand for a year. After a year, it sprouts. Its sapling can be planted. “Both religious sentiment and environment concern are met from it,” he said.
He has trained many youths on dry coconut craft under the auspices of Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI).
