IDS students visit Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village
Mangaluru: The Indian Design School had organised a heritage tour for their students at the Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village Museum in Manipal on 25th February 2021 as part of their academic workshop for understanding the vernacular architecture and traditional interiors of South Canara. This is the first time any interior design college from Dakshina Kannada or Udupi district has conducted a heritage tour for their students.
The Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village is an open-air museum and cultural complex which aims to restore and conserve the nation's cultural wealth in the form of traditional buildings and objects of art, craft, and other artefacts of aesthetic interest. The brainchild of late Mr. Vijayanath Shenoy (1934-2017), a retired banker who converted his own home into an ethnographic museum, Heritage Village is managed by the Hasta Shilpa Trust. Over the last two decades, the Trust has relocated and restored 26 structures of immense architectural merit and fine craftsmanship. It is, indeed, a veritable treasure trove.
The heritage walks usually consist of two tours – the Northern Tour and Southern Tour, each lasting 1.5 hours with only a part of the village being showcased. However, special arrangements were made for the students of IDS so that they could have both the tours, with the tour lasting over 4 hours. To make the tour even special, one of the trust members, Mr. Harish Pai, had guided the students and provided them with complete information regarding the history of each structure, its usage, the process of restoration and ways of historical documentation. Such in-depth information is not provided during regular visits. Mr. Pai is also involved in restoration and maintenance of all the structures and had done so along with Mr. Shenoy. Mr. Pai also had an interactive session with the students and was interested in involving them in his future works due to their enthusiasm.
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Mangaluru’s first business hotel Moti Mahal to be shut down by end of April
Mangaluru: Amid prolonged land dispute, Mangaluru's first business hotel, Moti Mahal, is now on the verge of closure and must be handed over to its rightful landowners by the end of April.
As per the Supreme Court’s verdict, Hotel Moti Mahal is to be handed over to the landowners in its current state. Additionally, a compensation of Rs. 3 crore is to be paid to them.
The land on which Hotel Moti Mahal stands located next to Milagres Church in Hampankatta is presently owned by St. Anthony’s Old Age Home, situated in Jeppu.
The legal battle, which began years ago between the local church’s administrative committee and the hotel’s proprietors, has finally reached its logical conclusion. The original landowners have emerged victorious in the prolonged legal conflict.
Hotel Moti Mahal was established in 1966 by renowned Mangalorean businessman A.J. Shetty in Hampankatta, the heart of the city.
At the time of its inception, Moti Mahal was the first hotel in Mangaluru to offer luxury amenities such as a gym and a swimming pool. It quickly became a prominent name with its popular Mangala Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, Madhuvan Veg Restaurant, Mehfil Bar, Taichin Chinese Restaurant, Moti Sweets section, and a swimming pool named Sheetal. The hotel earned its reputation as the first true business and luxury hotel in the city.
With 90 rooms and a grand hall accommodating up to 1,000 people, Moti Mahal mirrored the evolving urban lifestyle of Mangaluru. Over the past six decades, it grew beyond a hotel to become a major landmark of the city.
From family gatherings to business meetings, auspicious ceremonies to celebratory parties, Moti Mahal served as the go-to venue for all kinds of events. Its vegetarian restaurant, in particular, has retained its reputation over the years.
