Bellippady Narasimha Rai 23/10/ 1918 -05/05/2000

Bellippady Narasimha  Rai  was born on  the  23^rd of October 1918, the third son of 3 brothers  and 2 sisters ,  to parents Bellippady Surya Maanakke  Rai and Kullamugeru Sankappa Rai.

The ancestors of Bellippady Surya Maanakke  Rai ,  had settled in Kambula bettu  and Surya  a long time ago,  having  inherited the Surya , Kambula bettu and Pudottu,  properties of   2000 mooras of rice as a dowry  from the initial founder of the Bellippady family -  Bellippady Narasimha Rai -  whose daughter he had   given in marriage to his own nephew.  He left behind the  remaining property of 18000 mooras of rice  to the Bellippady family as was the practice in those days according to the aliya santhana  custom.

Bellippady  Surya  Narasimha Rai was a person who   loved his Bellippady family  and it’s well being to such an extent , that he was solely responsible for all the members of the Bellippady family  getting their rightful share/ownership of the properties due to them.  In the year 1952, when the Bellippady properties were still undivided and ownership not divided, Bellippady Surya Narasimha Rai, was approached by some of the family members to help remedy this matter.  In spite of his busy schedule as an advocate and farmer shuttling between Mangalore and his inherited property in  Surya,  Narasimha Rai  went to court on behalf of all the Bellippady family members for the benefit of all,  using his personal funds and time to ensure that his Bellippady family members were secure by getting  what was  due to them.

Bellippady as a family was “Split” until  the early  1990’s, with most of it’s members not even knowing each other. Following the request of some family members, it was Bellippady Surya Narasimha Rai, who united the family by forming a Trust, called “The Bellippady Family Trust”, comprising of  senior members of all the 3 branches of the family.

Thanks to his and his wife Aerya Sulochana Rai’s hospitable nature, Bellippady Surya Narasimha Rai’s house in Mangalore was an open house to all members, tenants and workers of the Bellippady family and  Barya village  were Surya is located. There were many fruitful  “Panchatiges” held in his house, innumerable “Ponnu Thoopuna, (seeing the girl before an alliance is finalized)  and countless Podus  (alliances)  were finalized in this house. Many Madmals,(brides) were dressed in his house en route to their  marriage. Quite a few of the Bellippady youngsters went to school from his house, in addition to those who would come for their daily meals, while staying in the nearby Bunts’ hostel.  If anyone from Bellippady grama  or Barya grama, were hospitalized in Mangalore, all 3 meals of the day for the patient as well as caretaker would promptly be sent from his house to the hospital.

His generosity was not confined to his immediate family alone.  Surya , his inherited share of the Bellipady property, was a remote village, with no road access until the 1960’s. It was he who got the road from Surya to Uppinnangady  constructed  out of his own personal funds in the  early 1960’s. He was also responsible for setting up of  a school in Barya village. 

Though an advocate, he never practiced his profession for money. On the contrary, he would pay for the stamp paper, court fees etc. out of his own pocket, if his client could not afford it. In most cases he would try to sort out the issues amicably, rather than take it to court, thereby saving his client considerable time and money.  If convinced it was a no win case, he would advise his clients accordingly. A comment by one of his advocate colleagues is worth mentioning here:

‘Vokilere, irege baduv ijjinda, case lene yenk korle’

(If you don’t need the money, please refer the cases to me , I need it.)

The New Bellippady Family  House at Bellippady , inaugurated on the 18^th of May, 1998,  was built by the Bellippady Family Trust under                                                                     Bellippady Surya Narasimha Rai’s guidance and  leadership along with the unconditional support -  financial as well as moral  - of all the Bellippady  family members. This building  also houses a ‘gudi’ for Lord Venkataramana, the family deity of the Bellippady family, to replace the  original Temple in Beliyur grama on the banks of the Nethravathi that had been washed away by floods in the early nineteen twenties. 

Now, and forever, the New Bellippady Family  House will stand as testimony to Bellippady Surya Narasimha Rai’s love for  his Bellippady family and their love and respect for him in return.

Smt Kalyani D Shetty

Born on 17 th Sept 1919 To Kodialguttu Ramayya Alva and Bellipady Siddyala Chenamma Alva in a family of agriculturists with an education up to matriculation and obtaining Hindi visharad. Her life partner, Sri K Devappa Shetty, an advocate and she were blessed with five children

From 1936, Smt Shetty had rendered service in both social and political fields. She had occupied with distinction the post of the general secretary of Dakshina Kannada dist branch of the All India women’s conference from 1944 till 1997.

She was the standing committee member of the all India women’s conference and the executive committee member of all India Farmers Federation.

In 1965 she received the award from the Government of Karnataka for social work she is also the recipient of a gold medal awarded by Bunts alias Nadevera Sangh, Mangalore for her social service work

Smt. Shetty was the District Commissioner for guides for 21 years. She was Hon. Secretary of Nave Bharath night school.

She was the vice president of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyarthini Bhavan.

She was the advisory member of National Savings Scheme to the Govt of Karnataka  and also a member of family planning committee.

She was an active Congress member and she served as a councilor of the Mangalore.