KTC to bring out compilation of Dr Kittel's work

First of seven volume series likely to be ready by June

Dr Ferdinand Kittel, a German born missionary who came to Mangalore with religious motives, left a distinct mark in this region through his yeoman service to Kannada language and literature.

Refusing to be bound to an identity of a missionary alone, Rev Kittel graduated to be identified as a litterateur.

His Kannada grammar and Kannada lexicon are said to be remarkable gifts to Kannada literary world. It is said that Kittel breath his last merely two days after he held his dream project- Kannada grammar book in hand with dampened eyes. This April 7th is the 180th birth anniversary of this great researcher .

Karnataka Theological College has decided to bring out seven volumes covering Kittel’s literary work titled ‘Complete works of Kittel’, in stages.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, KTC Professor and Director Karnataka Theological Research institute Dr Rathnakar Sadananda said that the first volume covering Kittel’s work will be in English while rest of the volumes will be in Kannada.

The first volume is ready and is in printing stage and KTC expects to release the volume in June.The second volume will have Kittel’s edited work of prose/prosody. It will embrace Nagaverma’s prosodies and also Keshiraja’s ‘Shabdamanidarpana’.

Third volume will have Kittel’s creative work-‘Kathamale’ and also small poetries that were published in textbooks.

Fourth volume will have Kittel’s translated works such as translations of ‘Christha Sabha Charithre’ and Historian H Moris’s History of India and History of England.

Fifth volume will have Kittel’s ambitious project- Kannada grammar, sixth will have ‘Kavyamale’-collection of theme based poetries and seventh volume will be on religious/spiritual literature, which are counted to be very few.

Karnataka Theological Research Centre Professor and Research Co-ordinator Prof A V Navada says that Kannada grammar of Rev Kittel is supposed to be an inspiring work. It came out in 1901 and it is considered to be a splendid work in Kannada.

“We have not included Kittel’s dictionary in the compilation because the lexicon in itself is a voluminous work running over 600 to 700 pages,” he said.Apart from the literary works, KTC is also contemplating to include letters written by Kittel, supplement literature on him etc, which would shed light on personality of Kittel.

Further every volume will have an introduction by the Editors, which will give the readers an insight into what the volume will speak of.

Sharing their experience, Rathnakar Sadananda and Prof Navada both working on the compilation say that working on Kittel is like working on ‘Kannada classic’ in this modern age and it is a marvelous learning experience.