Coffee czar’s monumental effort in shaping Kavishaila

Cafe Coffee Day founder, late V G Siddhartha, has a strong connection with Kavishaila, a rock monument made of megalithic rocks, dedicated to poet laureate Kuvempu at Kuppali in Thirthahalli taluk.

Recalling the connect, Rastra Kavi Kuvempu Pratishtana secretary Kadidal Prakash said, “Siddhartha not only donated 40 pillars and 25 beams but got them erected on the hill, where the poet Kuvempu was laid to rest, under the guidance of artiste K T Shivaprasad.”

Siddhartha helped Poornachandra Tejaswi, son of Kuvempu, in designing the memorial in tune with nature. The entrepreneur, who created an Indian rival to Starbucks, executed the Kavishaila, the brainchild of Tejaswi, with precision.

Prakash said bringing huge stones to the hill and giving shape to them was an uphill task. But Siddhartha took a personal interest in the project and ensured that his name did not figure anywhere in Kavishaila.

“It took nearly 18 months to get the stone pillars and beams carved and fix them at Kuppalli. He oversaw the entire process. When we told that his name would be mentioned at the memorial, he’d politely refused. However, following the decision of the Pratishtana, the board containing the names of Siddhartha, his grandfather Veerappa Hegde, father Gangaiah Hegde, Chetanahalli estate, Moodigere taluk, had been
put up at Kavi Mane,” Prakash Kadidal explained.

Siddhartha, who made Chikkamagaluru his Karma Bhoomi, was born at Jayachamarajendra hospital in Thirthahalli of Shivamogga district. His mother Vasanthi is from Hirethota of the taluk. He did is a high school in DVS in Shivamogga.