Mysuru: Cultural capital Mysuru is fully decked up to host the 83rd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana after a gap of 27 years at the sprawling Maharaja’s College Grounds between Nov.24 and 26. It is just two days to go and the preparations for the Lit Fest have reached the final stages.

District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President and Sammelana Organising Secretary Dr. Y.D. Rajanna, addressing a press meet yesterday at the Pathrakartara Bhavan here said that the people of Mysuru have a golden opportunity to draw the Sammelana (Kannadambe) Chariot.

Maharaja’s College Grounds is going to reflect the grandeur of the Sahitya Sammelana from Nov.24 to 26. Nadoja Prof. Chandrashekar Patil is going to be present as the Sammelana President. On Nov. 24 at 8.30 am, District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa will hoist the National Flag. Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Manu Baligar and District President Dr. Rajanna will unfurl the State Flag.

At 9 am from the North Gate entrance of Mysore Palace’s Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, a colourful procession carrying the Sammelana President will begin and reach the Maharaja’s College Grounds. Zilla Panchayat President Nayeema Sultana will launch the procession. Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, ZP CEO P. Shivashankar, City Police Commissioner Dr. A.S. Rao, SP Ravi D. Channanannavar, MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha and other dignitaries will participate.

Chief Minister Siddharamaiah will inaugurate the 83rd Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in the impressive Rajarshi Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Pavilion’s Rashtrakavi Kuvempu main stage at 11 am. Immediate Past President Dr. Baragur Ramachandrappa, President Prof. Chandrashekar Patil, Ministers Umashree, Tanveer Sait and Dr. Geetha Mahadevaprasad, Opposition Leader Jagadish Shettar, MPs R. Dhruvanarayan, Pratap Simha and C.S. Puttaraju, MLAs Vasu, M.K. Somashekar, G.T. Devegowda, K. Venkatesh, H.P. Manjunath, S.R. Mahesh, Mayor M.J. Ravikumar and other dignitaries will participate.

The three-day Sammelana will feature many seminars and discussions on subjects including land, language, water, women, farmers, education, social media and research in Kannada in which littérateurs, scholars and the State’s leading lights will participate. Subject experts will propose the subject, said Dr. Rajanna.

Kavi Goshti: On Nov.26 at 11 am, Dr. Siddalinga Pattanashetty will preside over the poet’s meet. Poet Jayant Kaikini will deliver the keynote address. State’s well-known poets will read their poetries, he said.

Interaction: On the same day at 2 pm, there will be an interaction with Sammelana President Prof. Chandrashekar Patil. S. Shadakshari, Rajashekar Kadamba, Dr. Ganapathi Shankarlinga, Dr. H.M. Nagarjun, Ashoka Chandargi and others will participate in the interaction.

Open Session: There will be an open session under the leadership of Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Manu Baligar at 3.30 pm on the last day (Nov.26). Parishat’s Honorary Treasurer P. Mallikarjunappa will present the resolution of the Sammelana.

Former District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President M. Chandrashekar, K.S. Shivaram, Mooguru Nanjundaswamy and others were present during the press meet.

Rs. 15,000 for ‘Kannada Theru’

District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Y.D. Rajanna, speaking about the controversy surrounding the fake publicity vehicle (Kannada Theru), said that no funds had been released for the designing of the vehicle. Artist Prakash Chikkapalya had requested us that he already had a publicity vehicle and to pay him the cost for refurbishment. We are only paying the minimum cost incurred. Kannada and Culture Department Assistant Director H. Channappa has himself agreed that he had given his approval for the refurbishment of the vehicle at minimum cost to the Government. Only afterwards was the work order given to Prakash Chikkapalya. “We are paying him only Rs.15,000. It is completely wrong and a lie to say that Rs.5 lakh has been released for Kannada Theru,” he clarified.