The three-day Akhila Bharata Halegannada Sahitya Sammelan began here on Sunday.
The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who inaugurated the sammelan, said he was happy to be a part of this important event. He said he was not an expert on Halegannada literature, but was pleased to be amid experts, including S. Settar, president of the conference. “In my childhood days, we used to listen to recitations of old classics by our teachers. Everybody in the village would be present. Nowadays, we don’t see such a practice,” he said. He appreciated the efforts of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swami of Jain Mutt in organising the event.
Parishat president Manu Baligar, in his keynote address, said the idea of a sammelan on Halegannada literature was first suggested by the swamiji. He said the sammelan could be organised because of the cooperation extended by the seer. “The contribution of Jain poets to Halegannada literature is significant. Shravanabelagola, the place where the event is being held, has a special place in Halegannada literature,” he said.