Mangaluru: Seven schoolchildren from Sajipa in Bantwal taluk donated Rs 5,000 from their Dasara earnings to Shashikanth, a local man who has been bedridden for five years following an accident.The children, who perform the traditional Shardula Vesha, a traditional lion-inspired folk costume dance performed during Navratri in coastal districts, during Dasara in 4-5 local houses, decided to help Shashikanth after seeing him near a window while travelling to school.“We used to see him near the window whenever we went to school. We felt very bad seeing him like that. We had known him since we were little. We decided together to give him the money we had collected,” said Vaibhav Nayak, one of the children.The group collected around Rs 5,200 over two days of performances and handed Rs 5,000 to Shashikanth, keeping a small amount for food and other expenses. They did not tell their parents about the donation beforehand and disclosed it only after returning home.Rajesh, a neighbour who knows the children, said they had earlier performed in four or five neighbouring houses during Dasara just for fun, and divided their small earnings among themselves to buy chocolates, snacks and toys. This year, they decided to donate the money to someone in need.“They decided among themselves to give the money to someone in need. They thought of Shashikanth because they saw him every day while going to school,” Rajesh said.The children collected around Rs 3,000 on the first day and continued performing the following day, taking the total to about Rs 5,200.Unable to afford rented costumes for their performances, the children made their own using materials available at home, including gunny bags, empty containers and toys. They had long wanted to perform Shardula Vesha in Mangaluru during Dasara but continued performing in their village because of the cost involved.They have been performing in their locality for the past four to five years. They plan to continue the tradition next year and donate their earnings to others in need.The group comprises Vaibhav Nayak,13, Hardik,12, Adeep Nayak,12, Amogh Nayak,9, Ritesh Nayak,8, Shreyas,11, and Satwik Shetty,9, of SLNP Vidyalaya, Panemangaluru.Vaishnavi Nayak and Dhanvii Poojary, both 15, helped the children with their makeup.Ritesh Nayak’s mother, Mamata, said the parents were unaware of the donation beforehand.The children had told their families that they planned to dress up and collect money, but revealed their decision to help Shashikanth only after returning home in the evening.She added that the children had been performing during Dasara for several years, visiting four or five houses in their neighbourhood to play and celebrate together.
