Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore(SP)
Mangalore, Nov 11: Shri T V Raman Pai and Smt T Vimala V Pai Hostel, built at a cost of about Rs 1.8 crore and donated by T V Mohandas Pai, former director of Infosys Technologies, and chairman, Manipal Universal Learning, is set to be inaugurated at 11.11 am on Friday November 11.
Rajya Sabha member and former union minister, Oscar Fernandes, will inaugurate the building in the presence of Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar, deputy speaker of the state assembly, N Yogish Bhat, chairman emeritus of Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, R V Deshpande, donor of the hostel, T V Mohandas Pai, and his mother, T Vimala V Pai. Chairman of the foundation, Dr P Dayananda Pai, will preside. This information was given at a press conference held on November 9 in the city, in which Basti Vaman Shenoy, president of World Konkani Centre, secretary, Venkatesh N Baliga, Jayaprakash Nayak Sullia, and Satish, were present.
Mohandas Pai has donated the hostel block, which is spread over 12,000 sq ft area, in the name of his parents, T V Raman Pai and T Vimala V Pai. Foundation stone for the hostel had been laid on October 10, 2010, by T V Mohandas Pai, who also oversaw the execution of the entire project on turnkey basis thereafter.
The hostel block, which has come up at the premises of Vishwa Konkani Kendra in Shaktinagar in the city, will enable the Kendra to undertake sustained initiatives for the blooming and resurgence of Konkani language through scholarly pursuit and skill development among the Konkani-speaking younger generation. The hostel will also serve as a centre to elevate human resource standards of Konkani-speaking people to equip them with skills to play a larger role in the outside world.
On this occasion, World Konkani Centre is organizing a number of activities. Release of Konkani books, Konkani book fair, and a round table dialogue on Konkani literature are being held at T V Raman Pai Convention Centre on Thursday morning. ‘Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar – 2011’ will be presented to Damodar Mauzo, eminent Konkani writer from Goa for his work, ‘Tsunami Simon’. The Puraskar carries a memento, citation, and cash component of one lac rupees. The award will be presented by Dr Pradhan Gurudath, chairman of Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi Pradhikar, Bangalore, at a function to be held at 5.30 pm today at T V Raman Pai Convention Centre.
On November 10, ‘Runanubandh’, a popular Konkani drama, was presented at T V Raman Pai Convention Centre by Konkani Kala Sangam, Mumbai, at 7.45 pm.
A musical concert will be presented at 5.30 pm on Friday November 11, by eminent Hindustani vocalist, Pt Upendra Bhat, disciple of Pt Bhimsen Joshi, as part of the cultural programme being organized on the occasion. At 6.45 pm, children theatre, ‘Patholi Rookh’ will be presented on Friday at the same venue.