Building free houses for poor students: Udupi's Yakshagana Kalaranga shows the way

The Hindu

08-05-2025

: A II PU student Thulasi who lost her parents sometime ago was in mixed mood when Yakshagana Kalaranga of Udupi got her a new house built for free, through a donor, about two months ago.
The house built in about three months at her native place Aadrugoli near Kirimanjeshwara in Udupi district was opened on March 3. It was the 66th free house built by the Kalaranga for poor students in the district.
In all, 70 free houses were got built since the Kalaranga launched the free housing project in 2012 for poor students enrolled under its Vidyaposhak initiative.
All the houses were built through donors. The 70th house built for pre-university student M. N. Varada of Golihole, near Byndoor, was inaugurated on May 2.
'Another 20 houses are in the pipeline. Of them, 10 houses will be built by June 15,' Murali Kadekar, secretary of the Kalaranga, told The Hindu.
Promoting education, Yakshagana
The Kalaranga is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of Yakshagana and education. Its Vidyaposhak initiative launched in 2005 provides students facilities like scholarships, textbooks, book-bank scheme, health check-up and medical facilities, and free coaching for meritorious students from economically weaker families.
Students, mainly from Kannada medium, securing 80% and above in Class 10 and residing in Udupi district are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Construction of houses for Vidyaposhak students who live in dilapidated/thatch-roofed houses without any amenities is a humanitarian support extended by the Kalaranga.
Mr. Kadekar said that a team of volunteers of Kalaranga visited the houses of applicants to assess the need for scholarships. While doing so they identified the need for houses for students.
M. Gangadhar Rao, president of Kalaranga, said that the organisation had got two types of housing models, single bedroom and double bedroom. The houses were built based on the need of students. Each house is built through a donor.
Donors from middle class
'A majority of donors are from the middle class and are those who have experienced the pains of poverty in their lifetime. Such donors connect to the needs of poor families easily,' Mr. Rao said, adding that a temple priest in Udupi too donated his savings for building a house.
The construction cost varied from a minimum of ₹4 lakh to a maximum of ₹7 lakh, Mr. Kadekar said, adding that all the houses had tile roofs and the built-up area of each house varied from 450 sq ft to 500 sq ft. Kalaranga provided a table and two chairs to each house.
'A majority of houses have been built for girl students as donors opt for building houses to girls facing housing issues,' Mr. Rao said.
Thulasi, a II PU student, said, 'My family lost the house in heavy winds and rains in 2017. Later, we were living in a small room. Now, I live with my grandmother and sister in the new house built by Kalaranga. It is of great help. I don't have words to explain my happiness.'