Mysore/Mysuru: With the family members of Poet Laureate Kuvempu willing to convert the poet’s house ‘Udayaravi’ in V.V. Mohalla into a museum, Kannada & Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi paid visit to ‘Udayaravi’ yesterday and held talks with the family members.

The Minister was welcomed by the Poet Laureate’s son-in-law Prof. K. Chidananda Gowda upon his arrival at the house located at 5th Main, 12th Cross, V.V. Mohalla. The Minister later had a close look at the Rashtrakavi’s study room, articles etc., and held talks with the family members.

Later speaking to press persons, Tangadagi said that he would first talk with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on converting ‘Udayaravi’ into a purposeful museum. “The family members of the Poet Laureate would be invited for talks only after the CM agrees to the proposal. As for me, I am personally inclined to convert the house into a worthy museum. The CM is scheduled to hold his pre-Budget meetings with all stakeholders in a couple of days, during which I will raise the proposed museum issue with him,” he said.

Prof. Chidananda Gowda, who is also a former Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University, said: “The Government had written a letter showing interest for development of Kuvempu’s house when Siddaramaiah became the CM for the first time. Replying to the letter, we said that we were willing to hand over the house to the Government. While saying so, we had put a condition that the Government should provide a site of the same dimension at another locality in Mysuru and also fund the construction of a new house in that allotted site. Subsequently, a few Ministers paid visit to the house, when they said that the file remained with the CM. Then it seemed that the proposal went into limbo, with no further developments. Thereafter, the BJP Government came to power, during which some Ministers and officials visited the house. But still, no progress on talks regarding the establishment of museum happened.”

Maintaining that all the family members of Kuvempu have decided to form a Trust for converting ‘Udayaravi’ into a museum as a lot of people have been visiting the house, Prof. Chidananda Gowda said that an outhouse is being constructed in the premises with the purpose of establishing a museum.

“We have planned to move to this outhouse and convert the main house of ‘Udayaravi’ into a museum,” he pointed out.