Gadag: Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in City After Nearly Five Decades
Report and Pics: Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network – Gadag (RD/SP)
Gadag, Feb 19: The city wears a festive look on the eve of the second Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, scheduled to be held here, for three days from Friday February 19. The 76th Kannada Sahitya Sammelan is been organized in a covered pandal that can accommodate over 25,000 people at Vidyadana Pre-University College ground, here. The Sammelan committee, constituted under the presidentship of state tourism minister, B Sriramulu, has been striving to make it a grand celebration of Kannada language and literature.
Minister Sriramulu also gets an opportunity to inaugurate the Sammelan, as the Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, who was scheduled to inaugurate the Sammelan, could not make it, owing to unavoidable circumstances. Although the grandeur of the customary procession being taken out before the commencement of the Sammelan has been scaled down in view of the recent floods across many districts of North Karnataka, thousands of enthusiastic Kannadigas have swarmed into the town to raise slogans hailing their mother tongue, Kannada.
Sammelan chairperson, Geetha Nagabhushan, while going around in an open jeep at the venue, greeted fellow Kannadigas gathered for a distance of over one and half kilometres. A thick bed of flower petals was laid on the path of Geetha Nababhushan’s entourage. Traditional music accompanied the procession, with various troupes singing and dancing to the tunes of popular songs penned by veteran poets. The fragrance of Kannada and pride of Kannadigas was in the air, in tune with the feelings engulfing the masses gathered at the venue.
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Dr Thontada Siddalinga Swami graced the Sammelan, which was inaugurated by minister, B Sriramulu.
Dr Hampa Nagarajaiah, former president of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, released the books published by the Parishat on this occasion.
Nadoja Chennaveera Kanavi, veteran Kannada writer, released the Sammelan souvenir.
Both of them emphasized on the need for a harmonious living, as preached by the author of the ancient Kannada work, Kaviraja Marga, in the backdrop of the prevailing disharmony in the state, on the basis of religious and linguistic affiliations.
L Bhyrappa, president of State Government Employees Association, cabinet secretary C C Patil, MPs, Shivakumar Udasi and P C Gaddi Gowder, Manu Baligar, director of Kannada and culture department, B R Jayaram Urs, secretary of Kannada, culture and information department, were present at the dais.
The crowd at the venue exceeded all expectations. As at 2 pm on Friday, a large number of people had visited the book stalls set up at the venue.
Free food was offered to the entire gathering at the venue.
Highlights:
-Seating arrangements for over 25,000 people at the venue.
-Stage set separately for holding seminars.
-A wall has been erected depicting an ancient fort, with artificial palms having been planted in a line.
-Book stalls have been erected on either side.
-First Kannada Sahitya Sammelan was held in Gadag under the chairmanship of K G Kundanakar during 1961, and this is the second time that the Sammelan is being hosted by the town.