Like the recent Veerendra Sehwag score in the 50 over match against West Indies our favorite Archak for many Kannada films has completed 301 films as ‘Muhurut Archak’.

He is Sathyanarayana Shastry the muhurut Archak aged 65 years maintaining the temple behind Kapali theatre where you would find many idols of gods and goddesses.

It is from one Telugu film which Shastry does not remember started as priest for muhuruth in 1983. It is just Rs.50 remuneration for one hour task. He has now climbed 301 films with a remuneration of Rs.1000 to 1500 per muhurut Pooja.

From his temple Pooja and film muhurth Poojas he has been able to buy a site on Sarjapur Road is a lesson for all. Satyanarayana Shastry temple behind Kapali theatre is ‘Sathyanarayana Swamy’ temple mainly is turning 100 years in the next year.

Sathyanarayana Shastry ancestors are from Madhugiri of Tumkur district. In those days the Kings used to reach this hilly region and come for lunch to Shastry grandfather Mallikarjuna Shastry house for ‘Anna Rasam’. Shastry remembers the pet for ‘Kings’ of those days was Brahmin house ‘Rasam’. Sathyanaryana Shastry grandfather was offered 100 acres of land by the king of Mysore Palace that was obediently rejected. The same place was bought by MS Ramaiah Foundation he recalls.

In the list of Sathyanarayana Shastry muhurut for films the Shivaji Ganesh, Dr Rajakumar (Jeevana Chaitra), Dr Vishnuvardhana (Yajamana), Ambarish, V Ravichandran, Shivarajakumar, Upendra, Adhitya and others include.

Shastry comes on his own most of the times. He will not depend on the vehicles from producers. That is because he has to make one hour preparation before the muhurut celebration for the film.

Sathyanarayana Shastry is living with his wife and two sons. Both are engineering graduates.