VIVEKANANDA COLLEGE of Arts, Science and Commerce (Autonomous) Puttur

Re - accredited at 'A' Grade by the NAAC with 3.30 CGPA

Recognised as the College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) by the UGC

| +91 8251 230 455 | Kannada
Kannada

Dept of Kannada

PREFACE :

Traditionally, Puttur is a place known for varied literary activities even as it is vibrant with a rich cultural heritage. It is also a unique land for people here are born bilingual.  Men and women  use both Kannada and Tulu with ease – not to forget, of course,  that there are other languages and dialects that are spoken by people such as Konkanis, Havyaks, Gowdas, Malayalees and Coorgies, most of which belong to the Dravidian family of languages.

On such a fertile land there have been significant contributions to the world of Kannada Langauage and literature from Ugrana Mangesh Rao, Kadava Shambu Sharma, Belle Ramachandra Rao, Baindoor Ananda Rao, Kota Shivarama Karantha, Amritha Someshwara, Bolanthakodi Ishwara Bhat, Leela Bhat, Purandara Bhat and others. Kota Shivarama Karantha Jnanapeetha Awardee was one of the founder members of this college. Prof. Amritha Someshwara the literateur and Folklore scholar, headed the Kannada Department of the College for over two decades.  Bolanthakodi Ishwara Bhat an enterprising publisher  founded ‘Karantha Adhyayana Kendra’ in Vivekananda College and brought to fore a lot of young and talented writers and critics by publishing many books. It is with immense pride that one can confess that the Kannada Department of the college has been richly fostered by the countributions of these people.

 

HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT

It still exists in the fond memories of many elders that our College was inaugurated by Dr. K.L. Shrimali, the then Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University, on 12 of July 1965. The Kannada Department of the college too could the said to have been inagurated on that auspicious day. In its initial period, Sri. H.L. Subrahmanya served the Department [08.07.1965-12.07.1967].

With the arrival of Sri Amritha Someshwara on the scene, the Kannada Department extended its activities into many areas and served the cause of language, literature and culture – and it is on the firm foundation laid by  Sri Amritha Someshwara [ 12.07.1967-31.07.1993] and Talthaje Vasantha Kumar [ 01.07.1971-16.08.1986] that the department now continues to function for the welfare of the student community and community at large. While  Sri Amritha Someshwara served the college and the department till he reached the age of retirement, Dr. Thalthaje Vasantha Kumar joined Mumbai  University.  Of the other members of the staff in the department, Ms. Prameela shifted to A.P.S. College Bangalore and Padekallu Vishnu Bhat entered government service.

 

It was Sri A.K. Dharmappa [06.01.1986-20.11.1999] who took over the reins consequent  upon Sri Someshwara’s retirement. But his promising life and career was cruelly cut off by his untimely dismise in 1999.  Now   Dr. Sreedhara H.G. leads the department (1999 to till date) and is ably assisted by his departmental colleagues in such meamingful activities as language activities, literary apperciation, folklore study  and study circles

 

KANNADA AS AN OPTIONAL SUBJECT :

One of the significant milestones in the march of the department was the introduction of Kannada literature as one of the Optional subjects in the B.A  course from 1973. The credit should go to Prof. M.Sooryanarayanappa for his initiative and encouragement in offering such a course in the college. The        persistence and motivation shown by Sri Thalthage Vasantha Kumar and     Sri Amritha Someshwara has to be acknowledged. That was the beginning, the students trained in literary and cultural studies started showing their mark wherever they went and whatever they did – sensitised as they were through their studentship here. Realizing the need to have an organized approach to all leterary activities and to provide a forum to the  students to bring out their talents a Kannada Sangha was founded.

 

 Activities of the Department :

1.01. Seminars, Conferences and  Work Shops

1.02. Guest Lectures

1.03. Poet –  Meets

1.04. Extension Activities :  Sahithya Sourabha – Guest Lectures, Seminars  etc.,

1.05. Awards  and Felicitation  :

  1. Niranjana Prashasthi
  2. Shankara Sahithya Prashasti

1.06. Cultural Programmes

1.07. Publications :

    1. Kannada Sangha

    2.  Shivarama Karantha  Adhyayana  Kendra

1.08. Student Seminars

1.09. Student Research Projects

1.10. Sahithya Mantapa