Udupi: Plight of Dr. Shivarama Karanth’s house

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 29 June 2011: Rabindranath Tagore’s house in Kolkota has been carefully preserved; Kuvempu’s house is protected in Kuppalli. D. R. Bendre’s Sadhanakeri house in Dharwad has been retained, Gangubai Hanagal’s house which was collapsing has been renovated, there many more examples....

 

Why all these houses have been retained? Is there any necessity? If it is necessary, then is it not necessary to preserve the house of Dr. Shivarama Karantha where he was born and brought up? This question is to be asked to the government by all the Kannadigas.

 

 

Because, the national highway 66 which passes through Udupi, while getting widened will demolish this house in the process. The house where Karanth is born, grown up and played around, will get to dust. The house which nested Karanth who contributed in the fields of Art, Science, Education, Drama, Movie, Yakshagana etc. will be disappearing. There will not be an opportunity to show the house where the popular Kannada Poet, Jnanapeeta honoured Dr. Kota Shivarama was born.

 

But this house is not built by Shivarama Karanth, and there is no any extraordinary artistic design in it. It was built by his father Shesha Karanth, but there are no specific records that, when exactly it was built. Today in this house his brother Narasimha Karanth’s family is living. Currently a person named Ramanna is looking after the house.

 

 

Karanth was born in 1902, so this house must be atleast 150 – 180 years old. So, even historically there is importance to this house. Also, when Dr. Karanth died, his last rites had taken place in the backyard of this house. Therefore, definitely there is need to maintain this house as a museum and this house has that right too.

 

Widening of the national highway is the project of central government. The Officers of Delhi does not know Karanth, the house he was born and its historical value. They have planned 60 meter wide road and Karanth’s house will get demolished in this process.

 

But, what has happened to our State government? There are ministers in the government from Udupi, there are MLAs, and also there are Vidhana Parishath members from Karanth’s birth place Kota. In this process if the state government cannot involve in the central government project, then the house will get demolished by the bulldozers, which is a shameful issue.

 

 

If the house of Karaanth has to be saved then the temple of Mahalingeshwara which is on the opposite side of the road will have to be sacrificed. This is another problem. Apart from some pain of demolition of Karanth’s house, the Poets, leaders and people’s representatives are just quiet in this matter. But if the Temple is going to get demolished then tens of flags will stand out. This is a system less sensitive issue.

 

To preserve this house and use it as a monument and maintain it as a museum for the future generation, the only way is to shift this house! Though this seems like strange, this is the only option available. Already there are more than 30 examples of the old houses being removed and reconstructed using the same material in Manipal. Founder of Heritage Village Vijayanatha Shenoy has accomplished this. With his cooperation and advise, definitely it is possible to shift and rebuild Karanth’s house using the entire materials such as stones, blocks, wood, windows, doors, tiles, furniture etc… with the same shape as the original and all these things can be preserved.

 

In Manipal already an art village is slowly being constructed in the name of Karanth in 60 acre land. This house can be shifted to that place. This will also increase its elegance and will be meaningful to this art village. But who will tie the bell to the cat (government) which is clearing off everything for the development? This work has to be done by all the Kannada admirers of Karanth’s literature.