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For the love of Kannada

Last Updated 23 November 2015, 18:22 IST
The Kannada Sangha of Kanthavara village in Karkala taluk has carved a niche for itself as a fine cultural institution in coastal Karnataka. The 40-year-old institution has played a crucial role in promoting Kannada literary activities and stands as a witness to the growth of Kannada language in the region. The institution was inaugurated on May 26, 1976 by well-known Kannada writer Prof S V Parameshwar Bhat.

Dr Na Mogasale, an ayurvedic doctor by profession, and an established novelist known for his novels Ullanghane and Mukhantara, is the man behind the institution. He moved to Kanthavara for his practice and chose it as the centre of his creative and cultural activities.  
During the initial years of the Sangha, activities were carried out through its centre at Beladi Higher Primary School. By organising a series of lectures and seminars in schools, the Sangha earned a name for itself in and around Kanthavara and Udupi. In a bid to promote Kannada language, the organisation also published magazines like Kannadavani and Prasthuta.

The Sangha boasts of a Kannada Bhavan, which was established during the centenary birth anniversary celebrations of Karnataka Ekikarana Movement forerunner K B Jinaraj Hegde. The Bhavan has a hall with a seating arrangement for 150 people, two huge chavadis, a library and a bust of Jinaraj Hegde.

To honour the well-known poet Muddana, famous for his poetic-prose Sriramashwamedha, the Sangha conceptualised Muddana Poetry Competition, in the very next year of its inception. It has identified and honoured many writers through this programme. Later, a collection of Muddana Award winning poems was published with support from literary enthusiasts. The significance of the award can be felt in the words of author Ha Ma Nayak who, during the initial days of the award, had said that this award is like a passport to the poetry world.

Dhananjaya Kumble, faculty at the Kannada department of Mangalore University, who had won the Muddana Award in 2011 for his work Hanathe haadu says, “The award is one of the first awards to be instituted by any private organisation in the world of Kannada poetry. It is a great recognition to writers, especially budding ones. In fact, the award gives a state-level recognition to upcoming writers.”

Hub of literary activities
Over time, the Sangha has evolved into a hub of cultural and literary activities. Every year, it conducts Kanthavara Utsava programme on Karnataka Rajyotsava. The publications of the institution, an anthology of Dakshina Kannada Kavya (1901-1976) and Dakshina Kannadada Shathamanada Kavya (1900-2000) were appreciated by all the literary lovers of Karnataka.

The Sangha has also made efforts to document the achievements of various personalities in different fields in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod districts, during the golden jubilee celebrations of the unification of Karnataka in 2006. As the institution was also celebrating 30 years of its existence during the same

period, it decided to bring out books on 30 achievers and the book series was named Naadige Namaskara.  The Sangha also received government support for its activities. Individual donors have also helped the Sangha continue its activities relentlessly. The Sangha has been organising a lecture series on Kannada literature and culture called Nudi Namana on every second Sunday since 2008. The articles of the lecture series are compiled and published under the title Nudihara every year. In 2014, one such lecture series focused on women writers. The effort is one of its kind and has not been done by any other universities or academics in Karnataka.

“With the support of donors, we wish to become a model in documenting the life and achievement of literary personalities. We are also planning to document  the achievements of institutions such as Fr Muller’s, Basel Mission, that have contributed significantly to the State. Along with this, the Sangha also wants to conduct a lecture series on Kannada women poets for an entire year in the future,” explains Dr Mogasale.

On the occasion of completing 40 years of its fruitful existence, the Sangha has instituted an award to remember K B Jinaraj Hegde — Karnataka Samskrithika Ekikarana Prashasthi. “Through the activities of the Sangha, we villagers were able to experience the magic of the literary world and see great stalwarts like Kayyara Kinhanna Rai, Patila Puttappa, Channaveera Kanavi during their visit to the Sangha,” says an auto driver.

With so many pro-Kannada activities, the Sangha is making consistent efforts to strengthen the local language, despite all the challenges of vanishing culture and invasion of foreign languages.

You can e-mail the Sangha at kannadasanghakanthavara@gmail.com.
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(Published 23 November 2015, 16:12 IST)

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