The birth anniversary of saint poet Kanakadasa was celebrated by various organisations and government departments in a simple manner in the districts of Haveri, Gadag, and Dharwad on Thursday, with the celebrations limited to short programmes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Dharwad, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil and Additional Deputy Commissi oner Shivanand Karale offered floral tributes to a portrait of the saint poet at a programme organised jointly by the district administration, zilla panchayat, and the Department of Kannada and Culture. Assistant Director of Kannada and Culture Manjula Eligar, seer of Mansur Mutt Sri Basavaraj Devaru, and community leaders were present.
Deputy Commissioner of Gadag M. Sundaresh Babu offered floral tributes to a portrait of the saint poet at Kanakadasa Circle, Hatalageri Naka, in a simple birth anniversary celebration. He was joined by MLC S.V. Sankanur, CEO of Gadag Zilla Panchayat K. Anand, Superintendent of Police N. Yatish and others.
In Haveri, Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Shettennavar also offered floral tributes to a portrait of the saint poet. Superintendent of Police K.G. Devaraj, zilla panchayat CEO Ramesh Desai, Additional Deputy Commissioner Yogeshwar, Assistant Director of Information and Publicity B.R. Ranganath, and other officials, apart from members of the Kuruba community, were present.
At the birth anniversary programme at the District Institute of Education and Training, professor Y.B. Badavadagi delivered a talk on the life and works of Kanakadasa and said that the ideals of the saint poet, who strived for social change through his ‘keertanas’, should become a part of everyone’s life. “The messages of Kanakadasa centred on the aspirations of the commoners,” he said.
Raju Bhooshetty, editor of Jeevana Shikshana magazine, said Kanakadasa considered the universe as one family and advocated a society built on the principles of mutual l ove, trust, and brotherhood. At the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad, office-bearers, writers, and musicians congregated to celebrate the day. Members of various political parties also held small functions to mark the occasion.
