Pomp, gaiety mark Kanaka jayanti

Performance by folk troupes add colour to 524th jayanti celebrations

A rally comprising schoolchildren and folk troupes was flagged off by leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah from the Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple in Mysore in the presence of district in-charge minister S A Ramdas, MP Adagur H Vishwanath and Kaaginele Mutt seer Sri Shivanandapuri.

District in-charge, MLA H S Shankarlingegowa and Mayor Pushapalatha Chikkanna participated in the rally and walked alongside folk troupes including Veeragase and Dollu Kunitha. Children enacting the life of Kanakadasa captured the attention of passers-by on the occasion. The rally passed through New Sayyaji Rao Road, Chamaraja Double Road, Narayana Shastry Road, D Devraj Urs Road, Hunsur Road and culminated at Kalamandir.

Addressing a programme organised jointly by the district administration and department of Kannada and culture, district in-charge minister Ramdas said t­hat society had been caught in grip of casteism. He called upon each person to introspect and resolve to do away with casteism.

Observing that Kanakadasa was the epitome of devotion, Ramdas said the former had stressed on the importance of removing casteism by including it in his works. MLA Tanveer Sait, MLCs Thontadarya, Chikkamadu, former mayor T B Chikkanna, zilla panchayat president Suneetha Veerappagowda, MUDA chairman L Nagendra, regional commissioner M V Jayanthi, deputy commissioner P S Vastrad, MCC commissioner K S Raykar and others were present.

In Chamarajanagar
At the Kanaka Jayanti celebrations held in Chamarajanagar, excise and district in-charge minister M P Renukacharya said that restricting Kanakadasa to one community would not be correct. He said Kanakadasa strived to get justice for those, who had been discriminated. 

The government has given grants to the tune of Rs 35 crore for the development of Kaginele. It has also granted Rs four crore financial assistance to the Kaginele Peetha and Rs one crore for the remaining four branches.

In Mandya
Kanakadasa Jayanti was celebrated with pomp and gaiety in Mandya. A procession of the portrait of the saint poet, release of a book on the history of Kanakadasa Bande in the district marked the occasion.

Prof Karimuddin, who was the chief guest for the programme held at Kalamandir stressed the need for inner consciousness for the welfare of the society and all religions and community. “Saint poet Kanakadasa was a man of inner consciousness. People should make an attempt to understand him and his works. This understanding would enable all of us to think in a broader way, he said.

He regretted that there was no effort in the country to bring inner consciousness among the countrymen. According to an estimate, there are 25 lakh temples in the country compared to 15 lakhs educational centres and 75,000 hospitals and primary health centres. On the occasion, a book on the history of Kanakadasa Bande was released. MLA M Srinivas, deputy commissioner Jaffer and others were present.

In Hassan
A colourful celebration marked the Kanakadasa Jayanti here. MLC G Madhusudan who was the chief guest for the programme organised by district administration and Kanaka Jayanti Samithi hailed the saint poet as the greatest of all saints who taught philosophical thoughts in common man’s language. Kanakadasa was also a godman who sent a social message of harmonious living and co-existence between different castes and communities.

MLC Patel Shivaram, MLA H S Prakash, CMC President C R Shankar were present. Earlier, deputy commissioner Jagadish participated in the inauguration of procession of portrait of Kanakadasa.