Kanakadasa Jayanti celebrated with pomp

The ‘Kanaka Jayanti’ organised by the district administration, zilla panchayat and the Department of Kannada and Culture was celebrated with pomp and gaiety here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram said people can pay tribute to Kanakadasa in the true sense only by inculcating the values preached by him. Kanakadasa explained the best of the world's philosophies in the simplest language so that it could be understood by the common man, he said. “We can pay tribute in the true sense only if we stop practising casteism and discriminating on the basis of caste," Mr. Jayaram said.

Venkatagiri Dalwai, assistant professor at Karnataka University, said Kanakadasa’s preachings were full of wisdom on how to lead a pious life.

Zilla panchayat vice-president Arun Katambale presided over the function.

Earlier, a cultural rally with the portrait of Bhakta Kanakadasa was taken out in the city. Folk artists from different parts of the district, government officials and social workers participated in the rally.

‘Focus on education’

Ballari/Koppal Special Correspondent reports:

Rich tributes were paid to saint-poet Kanakadasa on his birth anniversary, which was celebrated with pomp in Ballari and Koppal on Thursday. The speakers also exhorted the public to follow his principles and ideals to lead a pious life.

At Ballari, N.Y. Gopalkrishna, MLA, who inaugurated the function, said Kanakadasa’s preachings were relevant even today and one has to strive to live by them.

“Some of the communities, including the Kurubas and Nayaks (Valmikis), have remained backward despite efforts by successive governments to uplift them through various schemes. Lack of education is the main reason. Therefore, [we should] accord priority to educating our children. This will help them to become socially, economically and politically strong,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Ramprasath Manohar underlined the need to make use of the various welfare schemes of the government to this end. Mankari Srinivasachar, a scholar, delivered a special lecture on the life and works of Kanakadasa.

Shanta, recipient of Nightingale award conferred by the President of India, and winners of various competitions were felicitated on the occasion.

Mayor Jayalalitha, Deputy Mayor Benakal Basavaraj, V.N. Girimallappa, chairman of the Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, Krishna, chairman of the Sheep and Wool Development Board, and A. Manaiah, chairman of the Central Relief Committee, were among other prominent leaders present.

In Koppal, Basavaraj Rayareddy, Minister for Higher Education and the district in-charge, said Kanakadasa was a great saint-poet who had fought against the caste system and inequality, among other things, through his poems.

“Dasa Sahitya and Sharana Sahitya have contributed a lot to upholding human values. But unfortunately, not many are following them," he said.

Raghavendra Hitnal, MLA, presided over the function. Mahendra Chopra, municipal president, Deputy Commissioner M. Kanagavalli and zilla panchayat CEO R. Ramachandran were among the officials and elected representatives present. Earlier, a colourful procession with a portrait of Kanakadasa was taken out through the main streets in Ballari and Koppal.