JOIN USMangalore University will confer honorary doctorate degree (Honoris Causa) on eminent educationist, folklorist and Kannada Professor B A Viveka Rai in its 35th annual convocation at 10 am in the Mangala Auditorium, Mangalagangotri, on Friday.
A man of achievements
A native of Punacha village of Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, Prof Rai served Mangalore University as a lecturer, a reader, a professor and head of the department for about 34 years in teaching and research of Kannada, before his appointment as the vice-chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi and Karnataka State Open University (2007-09).
He also served as a guest professor at the Department of Indology at University of Wurzburg, Germany. He has conducted extensive studies on Tulu and published volumes of literature. Tulu song “Yekka Saka” from popular Tulu ‘Koti Chennayya’ was written by Prof Rai.
Rai, the founder president of Tulu Sahitya Academy, has honorary membership at Folklore Fellows, Finland; Central Sahitya Academy, Karnataka Sahitya Academy, Karnataka Folk and Yakshagana Academy, Governing Committee of Kannada Sahitya Parishath, Udupi Regional Folk Arts Research Centre and Pilikula Nisargadhama Trust, Mangaluru.
He was also the chief editor of History of Tulu Literature and the Kannada Jain Samputa. Besides, Prof Rai has undertaken research in countries like Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, America, England, Austria, France, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and has guided 16 PhD researchers and 10 MPhil researchers.
Currently, he is creating and maintaining the ‘Samskrithi Grama’ or culture village at Pilikula Nisargadhama and is also undertaking the translation of Kannada literature into German language.