Latest news with #DepartmentofKannadaandCulture
News18
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
'People Have...': DKS Mispronounces Booker Prize Winner Deepa Bhasthi's Name, She Responds
Last Updated: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar mispronounced International Booker Prize winner Deepa Bhasthi's name at a ceremony but praised winners Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar mispronounced International Booker Prize winner's name on stage. This happened during the felicitation ceremony organized for Booker winners Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi. Bringing embarrassment to his party, Shivakumar got Deepa Bhasthi's name wrong multiple times as he invited her on stage. The event, organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture, was also attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. After the Deputy CM called Deepa Bhasthi as Deepa' Jasthi, the writer responded to him on stage, saying, 'People have called it Jasthi, basti, basanthi etc. I am Deepa Bhasthi." While welcoming the guests, DKS said, 'I extend warm welcome to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and guest Banu Mushta and Deepa Jasthi." Reacting to DKS's greeting, Deepa Bhasthi said, 'The other thing is, on social media and media etc my name has been called differently. People have called it Deepa jasthi, basti, basanthi. I an Deepa Bhasthi. Where I come from and background of it is not important." In a post on X, DKS wrote, 'I participated in and spoke at the felicitation ceremony of International Booker Prize winners Mrs. Banu Mushtaq and Mrs. Deepa Bhasti, organized by the Department of Kannada and Culture(sic.)" Heaping praises on Banu and Bhashti, DKS further wrote in Kannada, 'Mrs. Banu has saved Kannada by winning the Booker Prize for her Kannada work and has lit the light of Kannada to the world. I am proud that Mrs. Deepa, who has done the translation, has become a blessing to the country. The two achievers have brought honor to Karnataka beyond the seven oceans." 'Everyone's language and culture are important. Heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Banu Mushtaq and Mrs. Deepa Bhasti for enhancing the respect of our language and country. I respectfully announce Rs. 10 lakh each from the government to them," he further wrote in Kannada. First Published: June 02, 2025, 16:29 IST
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Buddha renounced luxury to enlighten the world: MLA Srivatsa
Buddha gave up a life of luxury to become a guiding light for all humanity, said MLA for Krishnaraja T.S. Srivatsa on Monday. 'The very name 'Buddha' signifies light. Even today, his life and teachings continue to inspire and guide us,' he remarked. Mr. Srivatsa was speaking at the inauguration of Bhagawan Buddha Jayanthi held at Kalamandir in Mysuru. The event was jointly organised by the district administration, the Department of Kannada and Culture, and the Bhagawan Buddha Jayantotsava Committee. Recalling the transformation of Prince Siddhartha into Gautama Buddha, Mr. Srivatsa said, 'While traveling through his kingdom, Buddha encountered a sick man, an elderly person, and a corpse. These experiences profoundly moved him. When he sought answers from his guru, he was told that only through renunciation could he attain true awareness.' 'Following 26 years of intense penance, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and became a beacon for the world,' Mr. Srivatsa added. 'It was through his teachings that Buddhism emerged and spread across the globe.' Additional Deputy Commissioner P. Shivaraju spoke on the relevance of Buddha's message. 'Buddha is the light of the world. We celebrate the birth anniversaries of only a select few thinkers and visionaries. Though over 2,500 years have passed since his lifetime, Buddha continues to reside in our hearts,' he said. Kalyana Siri Bhante of the Vishwa Maitri Buddha Vihara highlighted the spiritual significance of Vaishakha Purnima, saying, 'This day is truly unique — Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and entered Mahaparinirvana on the same date. No other historical figure has experienced these three milestones on a single day.' He described the pre-Buddha era as a time of ignorance, noting that the advent of Buddha gave light to the entire world. Scholar and writer Rahmat Tarikere elaborated on the broader spiritual and cultural relevance of the occasion. 'Buddha Purnima, also known as Vaishakha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti, is one of the most sacred days for Buddhists worldwide. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana of Gautama Buddha and is observed with deep devotion, spiritual reflection, and cultural reverence. The day symbolises peace, compassion, and mindfulness.' V.N. Mallikarjuna Swamy, Joint Director of the Department of Kannada and Culture; M.D. Sudarshan, assistant director; Sevana Bhante, director of Mahabodhi; representatives from Jagannath Bodhi Sattva Charitable Trust and the Karnataka Buddhist Dharma Committee; K.R. Gopal Krishna of Arivu Buddha Jnana Kendra, and others were present. Earlier in the day, Mysuru district in-charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa inaugurated a grand procession as part of the Bhagawan Buddha Jayanthi celebrations.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Mann Ki Baat is a one-way street, while debate is the defining character of democracy: Siddaramaiah
The idea behind building a monument to Anubhava Mantapa is to remind ourselves that debate, discussion, and dissent form the foundations of democracy, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the occasion of Basava Jayanti, speaking at Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district. 'Debate is the defining character of democracy. If there is no debate, then it is a dictatorship and not a democracy. A dictatorship does not allow an exchange of thoughts. It is a one-way communication, like Mann Ki Baat. Those who indulge in it only speak, but do not listen. We have to strive against such one-way communication and keep democracy and the culture of debate alive,' he said at the event organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture and the district administration. He pointed out that his government had begun the construction of the Anubhava Mantapa monument at Basavakalyan. It is believed that Basavanna, in the 12th century, conceived of Anubhava Mantapa as a place where mystics, saints, and philosophers met to debate religious and social issues. Construction of mantapa 'We announced Basavanna to be the cultural leader of Karnataka. We mandated that his portraits be put up in all government offices, schools, and colleges. Why? To spread awareness about him and the socio-cultural revolution he led in the State in the 12th century. His philosophy is powerful enough to lead the world, and people across the globe should know about him,' the Chief Minister said. He said the State government would positively consider demands such as protecting the resting places and memorials of Sharanas and Sharanes. 'We have also received demands like installing statues of Basavanna in Bengaluru and Kudalasangama. We will do all that. We are also planning to complete the construction of the Anubhava Mantapa at Basavakalyan this year. However, we should also attach equal importance to following the philosophy of Sharanas,' he said. 'We keep chanting vachanas against the caste system, but go around discriminating in the name of caste. This should stop. On this Basava Jayanti, we should vow to follow the ideals of Sharanas, including ending caste-based discrimination and erasing blind belief, and belief in fate and destiny,' said Mr. Siddaramaiah. Idea of egalitarian society 'The real tribute to Basavanna and other Sharanas is to live according to their ideology,' he added. 'Basavanna and other Sharanas lived in Karnataka 900 years ago. They dreamt of an equal society and fought against discrimination on the basis of caste, class, and gender, and against blind belief. However, even now, we have not been able to realise the dream of an equal society. We need to read and understand their ideology expressed in the vachanas, adhere to it and implement it in our lives,' he said. Mr. Siddaramaiah recalled that B.R. Ambedkar made references to the philosophy of Basvanna in his writings. 'It is because of the fact that Dr. Ambedkar had studied Basavanna and the constitutions of various countries, that he was able to draft a progressive Constitution for India,' he said. The Chief Minister said that the Sharana philosophy was opposed to the Manuvadi philosophy. 'While the Sharana philosophy is based on equality and ending discrimination, blind belief and social evils, Manuvadi ideology is based on inequality and in continued discrimination, blind belief and social evils. We should decide which ideology we should be followers of,' he said. Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, he participated in the Vishwa Guru Basava Jayanti celebrations organised by the Basava Samiti and observed that it was the duty of all Kannadigas as well as Indians to remember Basavanna and his ideology.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Basava Jayanti celebrated with floral tributes, grand procession, bike rally in Ballari
Basava Jayanti was celebrated with great fervour in Ballari on Wednesday, marked by a series of events, including a bike rally in the morning, floral tributes to the 12th-century social reformer and a vibrant cultural procession in the evening. The celebrations were organised under the joint auspices of the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the Department of Kannada and Culture and the Ballari City Municipal Corporation. Floral tributes The formal celebrations began with dignitaries offering floral tributes to Basaveshwara's statue near H.R. Gaviappa Circle in the city. Deputy Commissioner Prashanth Kumar Mishra led the homage, garlanding the statue and honouring the philosopher-statesman. He urged the public to embrace Basaveshwara's timeless ideals of equality, humanism and social reform and extended his greetings on the occasion of his jayanti. Bike rally Earlier in the day, a bike rally was held across major roads in the city, led by Ballari Rural MLA B. Nagendra and Ballari City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy. Participants paid floral respects at the statue of Basaveshwara following the ride. Prior to the rally, a Bhoomi Puja (groundbreaking ceremony) was performed at Basaveshwara Circle for the construction of a grand new statue of Basaveshwara, estimated at a cost of ₹1.5 crore. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Mayor Mullangi Nandeesh, Chairman of Dr. Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Development Corporation Mundargi Nagaraj, municipal members and community leaders. Cultural procession In the evening, a grand cultural procession was flagged off by Mr Mullangi Nandeesh on the Municipal College Grounds off Dr. Rajkumar Road. The procession made its way through key parts of the city — Gadigi Channappa Circle, Bengaluru Road, Old Brucepet Police Station Road and Theru Beedi —before concluding at the Dr. Joladarashi Doddanagowda Rangamandira where a stage programme was held later in the evening. The procession showcased Karnataka's rich cultural heritage with performances of Veeragase, Kamsale, Dollu Kunitha and Tashe Randol by various folk troupes. Departmental tableaux and placards depicting the life and messages of Basaveshwara added to the visual and educational appeal of the event. The celebrations saw the enthusiastic participation of officials, cultural leaders, community members and citizens from all walks of life.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Basava Jayanti celebrated in Mysuru
Rich tributes were paid to 12th-century social reformer Basavanna on the occasion of his birth anniversary in Mysuru on Wednesday. The Basava Jayanti celebrations were organised by the district administration and the Department of Kannada and Culture. The event commenced with floral tributes offered to the statue of Basavanna at Basaveshwara Circle near Gun House. Leaders from various political parties, officials, and prominent personalities took part. Among those present were Chidananda Swami of Sri Hosamath, MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, MLC Manje Gowda, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, MCC Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif, Superintendent of Police Vishnuvardhan, and other senior district officials. Later, a programme was held at Kalamandira, inaugurated by MLA and KPCC working president Tanveer Sait, in the presence of senior officials and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sait described Basavanna as a guiding light for humanity in the 12th century and emphasised the continued relevance of his philosophy. He noted that Basavanna's doctrine rejected gender and caste discrimination and upheld the principle of equality for all. Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivaraju urged everyone to adopt Basavanna's ideals in their daily lives. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Rajashekara Jamadandi. MLA T.S. Srivatsa and MLC Thimmaiah also spoke during the programme.
