KOLIWAD/HUBBALLI: Notwithstanding the many promises made by the consecutive governments, renovation of the residence of poet Kumara Vyasa in Koliwad still remains a distant dream. Nothing much has been done to popularise Kumara Vyasa Jayanti too. It is the same house where the 15th century poet, who penned Mahabharata in Kannada was born.
The assurances have remained a mirage for the family members of Kumara Vyasa and the villagers who are waiting for the government’s help to popularise their village. Located about 32 km from Hubballi, Koliwad attracts a number of literature lovers who come looking for the birth place of the famous poet. The 15th generation of Kumara Vyasa family, living in Koliwad, posses the original manuscript of Mahabharata in Kannada (Halegannada -old Kannada script) and a good number of research students too visit the house. The family is unable to bear the expenses of Kumara Vyasa Jayanti that is celebrated during the full moon day in January.
Every year, about 500 people gather at Koliwad where readings of Mahabharata and other religious scripts are organised by the family members without any government help. The villagers here are disappointed with the government as there has been no help in organising the celebration in a grand way. “The family members have been organising the Jayanti of the poet for more than seven decades. The government spends money in the name of jayantis, but never the family of Kumara Vyasa was benefited or the government came forward to help. Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar had promised overall development of the village when he visited here last time. Similarly Gadag District Minister H K Patil had promised to adopt the village, but the politicians have forgotten their promises,” said a villager from Koliwad.
The 15th generation head of Kumara Vyasa family, Dattatreya Devaji Patil, admits that the government has ignored the family and the manuscript. “Many years ago, the state government had demanded possession of the manuscript, but the demand was turned down by the seniors in the family. But we are open for any kind of research on the manuscript if the government can come to our village for the same. This year too, the government has not shown any interest in being part of the festival. A music institute from Bengaluru is keen on performing in Koliwad during Kuamara Vyasa Jayanti in January,” Patil said. Many writers from Dharwad, including the late Dr M M Kalburgi, have worked on the manuscript of Kumara Vyasa. “Dr Kalaburgi wanted to digitise the manuscript and he had plans to collect works of Kumara Vyasa.
He was keen on setting up a memorial and a museum of works of Kumara Vyasa in Koliwad. There are many universities in these parts of Karnataka. There is a folk university in Haveri, Kannada University in Hampi and Kannada Adhyana Peetha in Karnatak University in Dharwad. These institutions must take up work to poopularise works of Kumara Vyasa and ensure that the village, where the poet was born, gets its due attention,” said a writer from Dharwad Harshavardhan Sheelvant.