Chandras Devadiga (58), who used to operate a hotel from Padavinangady in the city, and who was widely known and reverred for providing homely meals for a paltry sum of ten rupees, breathed his last at his residence at Bolpugudde in Padavinangady on Thursday June 19 due to cardiac arrest. He has left behind wife, a son, and a daughter.
Devadiga, who hailed from Yedapadavu in the district, was running his hotel business near Goddess Mahalasa Narayani Temple, Padavinangady, since the last about four decades. He stoutly believed that hotel business is not about making money but to feed the needy at affordable cost. Besides providing lunch at ten rupees, he also supplied snacks, tea, coffee etc at reasonable rates, which were considerably cheaper as compared to other hotels.
Chandrahas Devadiga had gone to bed after his hotel was closed for the day at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday June 19. He did not wake up on Thursday morning as usual, as he had suffered cardiac arrest in his sleep.
Devadiga had been felicitated by various organizations and institutions for his social service for the benefit of common man.
He was a staunch activist of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and used to conduct Raksha Bandhan, Guru Vandane, Baithak etc at his residence. Scores of people including those who benefitted from his gesture of providing food at reasonable cost, and those who were touched by his social service initiatives, have mourned his untimely death. A steady stream of Devadiga’s well-wishers visited his home to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
