For members of the Kumani family in Vijayapura district, June 1 will be a day to remember. They will inaugurate a temple built in the memory of the family matriarch Premavati Sidramappa Kumani.
Premavati Kumani was injured in an accident three years ago and died a few days thereof. She was an affectionate head of the family who not only cared for her children but also for the children of her brother-in-law. Now, her children and foster children have joined hands to build a pyramid-shaped temple.
The temple, however, will not have a portrait or a statue of the deceased home-maker. It will house a Linga in the sanctum sanctorum instead. The Linga will be installed amid various religious rituals on Wednesday.
The temple is built on the premises of the Shivasharana Nellur Nimbakka High School in Honnalli village near Nagathan in Vijayapura district. The temple has come up on a 1,500 sq ft of land. It is situated in a plain field that will be developed as a Pavitra Vana with medicinal plants and flower and fruit trees. Planting has already begun.
“People build tombs. But we wanted to build a temple where people could not only pay their respects to the departed soul but also spend some time to meditate,’’ said Rajkumar Kumani, Premavati Kumani’s elder son and an engineer.
His friends, Allamaprabhu Mallikarjunmath and Somanath Sulibavi, helped him design the pyramid-shaped temple. He said that the temple will serve a larger purpose as a spiritual centre. “Installing the Linga in the sanctum sanctorum will symbolise the fusion of the soul with the almighty,’’ he said.
“It will be a monument not just for our mother but also to all mothers in the world. It will be an epitome of unconditional love of a mother that she showers on her children, everywhere,’’ he said.
Sidramappa Kumani ran a family business for decades before retiring. He set up a private school along with friends and now serves as its chairman. He recalls the road accident in which his wife suffered grievous injuries. “The temple will be a place that will help me recall her and also aid my meditation,” he said.
Rajkumar Kumani’s brothers Dundappa, Shreeshail, Prakash, sister Gangubai and cousins Mallikarjun, Girish and Shobha and some friends have contributed to the effort. The family plans to start an orphanage and a gruel centre for the destitute at the temple site in the future.
