SHIVAMOGGA: The language reflects one’s culture. Its growth and usage are indicators of the health of a civilisation. Keeping this as a motto, the Karnataka Sangha in Shivamogga has been an active and enthusiastic promoter of Kannada for the last 91 years.
The Sangha, situated in a building named after renowned areca merchant Hasoodi Venkatashastri, is one of the prominent destinations for literature enthusiasts from across the state, especially those from undivided Shivamogga district and Malnad regions. Inaugurated by Rahstra Kavi and Jnanpith awardee Kuvempu on November 8, 1930, the Sangha is engaged in literary activities throughout the year, conducting interactions and lectures, publishing books, organising exhibitions and cultural programmes, and conferring awards.
In the 1930s, as Kannada literature and developments across the world had peaked the interest of youth from the Malnad region, literary icon Masti Venkatesha Iyengar used to often get poet DaRa Bendre to Shivamogga to interact with these literature enthusiasts. During one such interaction, the idea for Karnataka Sangha in Shivamogga was pitched.
“Coming forward, literature enthusiasts and young lawyers Anand, SV Krishnamurthy Rao, Gururao Deshpande, Bhoopalam Chandrashekharayya, Bhoopalam Puttananjappa and Devangi Manappa set it up. After Kuvempu inaugurated it, the Sangha was registered in 1936,” said Manjunath, a former president of Sangha.
It stands tall among the hoary and reputed literary organisations in the state, like the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha of Dharwad, set up in 1890, and Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Bengaluru, established in 1915. Despite conducting programmes throughout the year and conferring cash awards to achievers and students, the Sangha does not accept any grants from the government. The organisation generates its own income through rentals from a commercial complex.
“We confer honorary memberships to prominent litterateurs hailing from undivided Shivamogga district. The only criterion is that they should have achieved something significant in Kannada literature at the state or national level. The first recipient of honorary membership was Kuvempu,” Sangh president HD Udayashankara Shastri said.
Such memberships have also been given to 13 prominent Kannada personalities, including MK Indira, P Lankesh, GS Shivarudrappa, HaMa Nayak, UR Ananthamurthy, KV Subbanna, Shivamogga Subbanna, Na D’Souza and NS Lakshminarayana Bhat.
One of the major activities in the Sangh calendar is conferring of literary awards each year in the name of honorary members with a cash prize of Rs 10,000. Kuvempu award is presented for best novel, UR Ananthamurthy award for best short story, KV Subbanna award for best drama, P Lankesh award for Muslim writers and Hasoodi Venkatashastri award for best science literature. The lifetime achievement award, which carries a cash reward of Rs 25,000, is also conferred.
The Sangha encourages Kannada literature students of Kuvempu University through awards and gold medals. Awards are also given in the name of Shambha Joshi, Shivaram Karanth, Bendre and Tee Nam Srikantaiah. Its ‘Tingala Athithi’ programme, where a writer is invited every month for an interaction, is popular among the local population.
“The Sangha has so far published 30 books, including that of Kuvempu, Kukke Subramanya Shastri, JP Rajarathnam, DaRa Bendre, AN Murthy Rao, TP Kailasam, Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar and other prominent writers. Kuvempu’s works which were published from Karnataka Sangha are Sahitya Prachara, Raktakshi and Navilu Part 1 and 2. Bendre’s Naadalile was also published by Sangha. Several books, including that of Girish Karnad, Shanthinath Desai, Sudha Murthy, Vasumathi Udupa, T P Ashoka and others, were released at the sangha,” said Treasurer HD Mohan Shastri.
Secretary Ashalatha said the Sangha has been awarded the Dr Da Ra Bendre Rashtreeya Trust Award, Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and other honours for its contribution to Kannada language. “The Sangha successfully organised Akhila Karnataka Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, presided by Bendre, in 1942 and Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in 1976,” she added.
A visionary
When the Karnataka Sangha had no permanent place, the then City Municipal Council sanctioned a site. Hasoodi Venkatashastri, an areca merchant, donated Rs 30,000 to construct a building. Litterateur BM Srikantaiah laid the foundation stone for the building in 1942. Erstwhile Mysore king Jayachamaraja Wadiyar inaugurated the building on December 11, 1943. After the demise of Venkatashastri, the building was named after him on Bendre’s suggestion. Later, the office-bearers constructed a commercial complex.