Appreciation, understanding, passion, obsession, institution and disintegration.” Vijayanath Shenoy thus sums up his journey of building Hasta Shilpa Trust’s Heritage Village with museums and art galleries in Manipal, which was thrown open to public formally in May this year. But when he says this, tears well up in his eyes.

It is difficult to read the emotions behind the tears. His mind and words drift from the questions posed to him. After a long pause, seeing the public footfall in the premises, he says, “Relief from pain…”

Vijayanath, who is the face of Heritage Village, has grown up with his dream to establish it, from 1998. Vijayanath, who is in his eighties, explains the tasks on hand for him to take the project to newer heights. He never gets tired of talking about his dream and projects to develop the Heritage Village as a world-class destination. Letting the public visit the Village does not mean it is a picnic spot or a tourist destination, he categorically says. “It is a university to learn the way to respect and preserve heritage and culture, which ultimately have an impact on human bonding,” he says.

The Village was open for public viewing from May 14 to 31. In just 15 days, as many as 215 people visited the Village to see the grandeur of the traditional structures. The guided tour lasts for two hours. Of the 30 structures, visitors are allowed to enter the premises of eight, while 12 can be seen from outside.