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Bengaluru: Belagavi district on the Northern tip of Kittur (earlier Bombay or Mumbai) Karnataka bordering Southern Maharashtra is unique in multiple ways. Till recently and only a few decades back it was notoriously known for murders and topped the whole state in such heinous crimes for several years. It is well-known for its cash-rich crops like Tobacco and Sugarcane. Thanks to the mighty rivers Krishna, Ghataprabha and Malaprabha, most of the region is facilitated with the luxury of irrigation. An amalgamation of a few cultures: Thanks to the geographical location and proximity to the neighbouring states of Goa and Maharashtra Belagavi has over some time evolved into an amalgamation of diverse cultures including local, Goan, Portuguese and Maharashtrian. The Maratha Light Infantry traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768 and thereby recording it as the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. Hence people belonging to almost all states of the country r

LEOMEL is a voluntary organization of Belagavi committed to the welfare of dying, destitute and abandoned people serving the society and running Karunalaya home for almost two decades. The interesting part, it functions all on its own through generous donations from family and friends of Anita Rodricks, the noble soul behind this organization dedicated to the welfare of the less privileged brethren of our society. Karunalaya is based at Navage village, about 14 kilometres from Belagavi on Jamboti and VTU road. It is run and managed by members of the LEOMEL Society. Fr Victor D'cruz is the honorary President of the LEOMEL society shouldering multiple responsibilities in running the organization. He is also a Priest serving in the Belgavi Diocese. In an interaction, Anita Rodricks found time to trace the history of LEOMEL society and Karunalaya, odds on the way and the smooth ride later and so far. Excerpts from the interview: Q: What made you start Karunalaya in Belagavi? Anita Rodr

Vijay P Moogi is a Belagavi-based consulting Engineer with a penchant for designing churches, clergy houses, convents, schools, colleges, presbyteries, chapels and hostel buildings since the early eighties. A son of the late District Health Surgeon, he has been designing them in Belagavi and neighbourhood towns and states including Goa. Like many of you, me too was wondering whether he is a Christian going by the innumerable church-related works he has been handling all along and proved myself wrong. A fatherly personality: He has nothing to do with Christianity. If so, how come he has almost turned out to be a fatherly figure to the missionary community? Strange it may appear and that too in the given circumstances and on goings wherein people of the same faith are finding faults with one another. Honesty, Integrity and Commitment were the only characteristics which can be termed as solely responsible for the skyrocketing of his career graph to unimaginable heights. Alumnus of BVB Col

Virupakshayya Chennabasavayya Hiremath is basically a retired English Professor who has served at Methodist Church College of Kalaburagi. Later, after serving 12 years he was transferred to Beynon Smith Methodist Degree College of Arts, Belagavi where he retired from teaching English. He served for 21 years in Belagavi and retired in May 2013. Soon after his retirement he has taken over as a pontiff of the Mutt in his native Narasapur village of the historic Badami Taluk in Bagalkot district. Seer later but punishing the body earlier: Maybe, VC Hiremath now fondly revered as Hiremath Swamiji or Narasapur Mutt Swamiji has become the pontiff after his formal retirement. But he has started punishing his body much earlier. Shivayogi V. Geernavar, his erstwhile colleague in the Beynon Smith Methodist Degree College of Arts recalls-“His sacrificing nature much before adoring the saffron clothes can be termed as a rare phenomenon in the saga of Veerashiva-Lingayat culture. For record sake, he