Mysore/Mysuru: Elderly French-Indian  Sanskrit Scholar Dr. Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat, who was recently conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award and Dr. Vasundhara Kavali Filliozat couple inaugurated ‘karnata,’ a pioneering Research Centre dedicated to Classical Kannada language, at a programme organised at the Heritage House on Fire Brigade Road in Saraswathipuram here on Sunday by lighting the lamp.

Speaking on the occasion, noted  Sanskrit Scholar and  Columnist H.V. Nagaraja Rao said that he felt delighted just like the experience he would have got during the reign of Nrupatunga’s Rashtrakuta dynasty over a thousand years ago. Noting that many people do not know about Nrupathunga, he regretted that scholarly knowledge has been fast declining these days where technology is creating waves around the world.

“Kannada is growing and all efforts must be made for promoting classical Kannada, for which the Centre has been started. Kannada works needs to be translated to other languages,” he pointed out. He also lauded Manish Maheshwari, a patron of Indian Classical traditions, for supporting the Centre.

Prof. Gil Ben-Herut, Sanskrit and Kannada scholar at the University of South Florida, in his address, said, he took up Kannada studies after coming to know about the richness of the language. Observing that Kannada culture has a rich tradition, he said that there are many great works in Kannada. R.V.S. Sundaram, former Director of the Institute of Kannada Studies, University of Mysore, who conceived the Centre and others were present.

karnata is supported by a team of distinguished scholars and connoisseurs who have come together to contribute in this project. The Centre has a generous grant from Tattva Heritage Foundation.