Kundapura Kannada Habba, which turns five, a big draw
The Hindu
On Sunday, the fifth edition of the much-anticipated Kundapura Kannada Habba took place in Bengaluru. Organized by Kundapra Kannada Pratishthana, it drew over 15,000 people who speak the dialect.
On Sunday, the fifth edition of the much-anticipated Kundapura Kannada Habba took place in Bengaluru. Organized by Kundapra Kannada Pratishthana, it drew over 15,000 people who speak the dialect.
Kundapura Kannada (also called Kundapra Kannada or Kunda Kannada) is a distinct language variant spoken in and around Kundapur in Udupi district. Though highly localised, the increasing use of the dialect in Kannada literature, music, theatre and cinema has popularised it.
The programme on Sunday was inaugurated by Shantharam Shetty Barkur, an achiever in the Kambala sport of buffalo racing popular in coastal Karnataka, along with Kiran Kumar Kodgi, MLA Kundapur, and Gururaj Shetty Gantihole, MLA Byndoor. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah also attended the event, to whom the organisers presented their demands, seeking funds for the Kundapura Kannada Study Chair at Mangaluru University.
Speaking to The Hindu, Deepak Shetty Barkur, the president of Kundapura Kannada Prathishthana, said, “We are glad that the Kundapura Kannada Study Chair has been set up at the Mangalore University. However, since its establishment, we have got no funds or grants from the State government to organise activities and events under it. We want the funds to be directed to Mangalore University at the earliest as this is a much-needed requirement for the community.”
The festival’s objective is to present Kundapura’s life and cultural abundance to the larger audience, highlighting its native language, traditions, art, sports, and diverse cuisine. By bringing together a substantial population of Kundapurians from Bengaluru. The Kundapra Kannada festival fosters unity and offers a platform for talented artistes to revive rural sports and promote cultural exchange, say the organisers of the event.
Kannada cinema stars and Kundapurians - Updendra, Yograj Bhat, Rishabh Shetty, Raj B. Shetty, and Pramod Shetty -- also participated in the event. The Kundapura Kannada Habba also had talks by academicians Rekha B. Bannadi, Upendra Shetty, and poet H. Dundiraj on the multi-dimensionality of the language. Professor A.V. Navada and renowned music director Ravi Basrur were also honored for their contributions.
“Every year the festival is a three-hour-long evening programme. However, we were lucky enough to have a full-day event this year. While 3,000-4,000 people walked into the festival in the past, this time we had about 15,000 people who participated in the event. Our focus on this year’s festival was to retain the originality of the region, for which we brought in artistes from Kundapura. Kundapura Kannada is what brings our community together breaking barriers like political inclination, caste, and religion, we hope to continue celebrating the language for many years to come,” said Mr. Barkur.
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.