MYSURU:Renowned poet and Kannada writer K S Nissar Ahmed will inaugurate the 408th edition of Mysuru Dasara, a state event which attracts people from far and wide.
District Minister H C Mahadevappa, who made the announcement here on Thursday, said, Ahmed has agreed to inaugurate the festival and that the state government will extend an official invitation to the poet soon.
The 81-year-old poet, who is popular for his lyrics of ‘Nityotsava’, will become the first Muslim to inaugurate the nine-day festivities. He will inaugurate the festival by offering puja at Sri Chamundeshwari temple atop Chamundi Hill on September 21 in the presence of CM Siddaramaiah.
Sources said the government has played safe by opting for Nissar Ahmed, known for his liberal thinking and knowledge of Hindu scriptures. A devout Muslim, he has deep knowledge of Hindu religious texts like Bhagavad Geeta and Mahabharata.
Meanwhile, even before Ahmed’s name was announced, Karnataka Sena Pade, a pro-Kannada organisation, staged a protest near Deputy Commissioner’s office urging government to invite royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar to inaugurate the festival.
The Congress government’s choice of Ahmed for the honour has not surprised many.
In the previous years, the Siddaramaiah governemt had invited litterateurs like Chandrashekar Kambar and Chennaveera Kanavi to inaugurate the festival. In 2015, in the wake of drought and rising farmer suicides in the state, Puttaiah, a farmer was chosen for the job.
Nissar Ahmed is right choice, say writers
Litterateurs have welcomed the government’s decision to pick poet K S Nissar Ahmed to inaugurate Dasara festivities.Writer Aravinda Malagatti said Nissar is not just a good writer but also a “cultural icon of Karnataka”. Picking him to inaugurate Dasara will give a special meaning to the state festival, he said. “Dasara is a festival celebrated by people of all faiths and his selection will reinforce that it is secular,” he said.
Another writer Devanuru Mahadeva was “happy” to hear that Nissar will inaugurate Dasara. He said Nissar is a “cultural icon” and government has picked a right person.
Nissar was born in 1936 at Devanahalli village near Bengaluru to Sheikh Hyder and Hamida Begum. His father who was a government employee was well versed in Kannada, Sanskrit and English. After his primary schooling in Devanahalli, Nissar had his high school education in Hosakote and did BA honors in geology in Central College, Bengaluru.
It was during his college days that he came in contact with greats like L Gundappa, MV Seetharamaiah and Rajarathnam. He worked as assistant geologist in the Mines and Geology Department and later taught geology in colleges of Chitradurga, Shivamogga and Benagluru. He was the first to bring out cassettes on bhavageete like ‘Nityotsava’, ‘Sushraavya’, ‘Navollasa’, ‘Sumadhura’ and others. Nityotsava became an instant hit. His poem ‘Jogadasiri belakinalli...’ is very popular for capturing the glory of Karnataka.
A devout Muslim, he has deep knowledge of Hindu religious texts like Bhagavad Geeta, Ramayana and Mahabharata. “Benne Kadda Namma Krishna Benne Kadda” is a popular song.