Hello folks!! First of all, apologies for this article finding ground in English. The very idea of expressing the ideologies and motives of a KANNADA SANGHA in a language other than the vernacular, here at Bangalore (or do we call it Bengaluru for we are pressing harder than we ever thought we would?) sounds cliche. However, in view of the very many non- Kannadigas inhabiting our state, we decide to utilize a common medium.
The club that we are going to expound at this juncture, is CHIRANTANA, the Kannada Sangha of BMS College of Engineering, well known to most localities, owing to its presence in the heart of the city for over seven decades now.
First things first. Why are we writing this? The reasons shall follow.
1. Higher education, technical in particular, in Karnataka draws a lot of attraction from various states of India. Although the medium of instruction, without any claim, is English, the chores of a common man day after each day has to travel amidst the waves of Kannada.
2. Analyzing and interpreting our previous point above a certain limit, leads to over compensation by Kannadigas themselves. How often do we see residents of Bengaluru conversing in a vernacular other than Kannada for the benefit of the party in front? If you are a Kannadiga and you have done this, let me tell you, you are quite natural. Solely because, that’s what we think is the norm. Increasing the usage of Kannada amongst our own people is something we try to achieve even before we venture into teaching others. Needless to say, we succeed to a great extent.
3. An insight into Kannada Literature showcases the widest range of styles and vocabulary through its history. From Pampa of the yore to DVG of yesterday, Kannada has witnessed writers of exceptional class, matching or even surpassing their counterparts in other languages across the globe. It is but natural for a literary enthusiast to safeguard and propagate the findings in Kannada literature. And we, at Chirantana do just that.
Speaking about the protection and magnification of Kannada brings to anybody’s mind, the Modus Operandi. A bird’s view of Chirantana at this point of time seems more suitable than not.
HISTORY OF CHIRANTANA:
Chirantana, in pure Kannada dialect, is a word taken to mean everlasting, or in strict literary sense, eternal. What started as a conglomeration of a bunch of Kannada lovers, has evolved itself into a club possessing more than a hundred and fifty active members, in addition to more than five hundred, who have served its cause through their Engineering journey in BMSCE. The club stands out because of the participation of these pass-outs.
OUR EVENTS
1. PRATHAMA SABHE: We kick start each academic year with PRATHAMA SABHE, our first meet, welcoming our new members and creating bonds which go as far as the name of our club. A mob of over one fifty transforms instantly into an undivided family filled with love and laughter. This synergy has quite evidently helped us gallop over the last decade.
2. PRATHIBHA PARVA: Well, honestly, this is where the budding artists and writers come into the fore. More than just a platform which emancipates talent, PRATHIBHA PARVA is a series of seven events (also called SAPTAAHA for the same) aimed at improvising skill, knowledge and optimizing the results thereof. Carried out in the month of October, it brings the much required austerity in an otherwise monotonous engineering schedule.
3. KANNADOTSAVA: By far the biggest event to be conducted by a single club in BMSCE, KANNADOTSAVA is a class apart (You must see it to believe it!). A union of numerous activities including drama and dance draws a crowd close to four figures solely because of the perfection we focus on. Eminent personalities who have had a fair share in the development and protection of Kannada grace the occasion with their presence. The thoughts and actions that go into the making of KANNADOTSAVA a success year after year are, at the least, inexplicable.
4. Contribution in UTSAV, the cultural fest of BMSCE: UTSAV, with its name and fame spread far and wide has its history dating back to more than two dozen years. CHIRANTANA organizes events open for all engineering graduates inclined towards Kannada (not necessarily great at it). We expect to see you there in the month of March.
5. Attempts at Teaching Kannada: My non- Kannadiga friends reading this article with great patience, and to whom Kannada is Greek (exaggerating of course), you don’t have to be disheartened. For we’ll teach you Kannada! Through whatsapp, Facebook, twitter and what not? Introducing new words, phrases, clauses and sentences through audio visuals each day will shoot up your Kannada speaking abilities.
-Shravasth Y S,
-Vedavyas K Shenoy
AUTHOR :
Shravasth is studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering in BMSCE and coordinator of Kannada Sangha ‘CHIRANTANA‘ . He is good orator and an amateur poet.
