Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday said Udutadi, the birthplace of the 12th century saint-poetess Akka Mahadevi, in Shivamogga district was being developed into a holy site. He added that his government was committed to developing all other places in the State that promote the ‘Sharana’ philosophy.
Speaking after unveiling a 12-ft statue of Akka Mahadevi at J.P. Nagar, off the Outer Ring Road here, the Chief Minister said a sum of ₹25 crore was being spent on developing Akka Mahadevi’s birthplace, which is part of the Shikaripura constituency that Mr. Yediyurappa represented in the Assembly.
The works at Udutadi were in progress and the place would also be developed into a centre for spirituality and meditation, he said, adding that the foundation stone for the “new Anubhava Mantap” was laid recently at Basavakalyan, the place where the 12th century poet and philosopher Basaveshwara lived.
Mr. Yediyurappa said the Basavakalyan project had been taken up at a cost of ₹500 crore. He added that the former MP Basavaraj Patil Sedam had been entrusted with the task of monitoring the work.
Recalling Akka Mahadevi’s struggle for giving equality to women and empowering them, Mr. Yediyurappa said the poetess was the first to raise her voice over atrocities against women. Describing Akka Mahadevi as the “first poetess of the land”, he said she was one of the foremost persons spreading “Vachana Sahitya”, besides giving a thrust to the Sharana movement.
Reciting her stirring poem in Kannada “ Bettada Melondu Maneya Maadi, Mrugagalige Anjidodhe Enthaiaya ”, Mr. Yediyurappa said her vachanas were inspirational and thought-provoking.
Library opened
A library, built at a cost of ₹13 lakh by the J.P. Nagar Sharana Vedike with support from various donors, organisations and Mysuru City Corporation, was also inaugurated on the occasion. It throws light on the saint’s life. Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar, who inaugurated the library, said Akka Mahadevi’s vachanas were ever relevant.
S.A. Ramdas, MLA, said the philosophy of Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu has continued to guide generation after generation in the past 800 years. He advised the organisers to introduce her principles to schoolchildren. Mr. Ramdas said all efforts would be made to turn the place where the statue was unveiled into a tourist site.
On the occasion, children of the members of J.P. Nagar Sharana Vedike who scored 90% and above in SSLC and PU in the past two years were felicitated.
The Chief Minister later received a memorandum from school and college students seeking the cancellation of a licence given for running a liquor outlet on Akka Mahadevi Road in J.P. Nagar.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated a Basava Bhavan, built by the Hebbal-Vijayanagar Basava Samiti at Vijayanagar here.
