Mangaluru (TNN): Kannada litterateur 'Nadoja' Kayyara Kinhanna Rai will turn 100 on Monday.
Commemorating the occasion, the department of Kannada and culture will take the celebration to the writer's home 'Kavita Kuteera' at Perdala in Kasargod district in Kerala. Even at this age, Kayyara's enthusiasm to integrate Kasargod and Karnataka has not dampened, and the writer continues to play his part in reviving Kannada in the 'gadinadu' (border regions).
K Durgaprasad Rai, president of Kavitha Kuteera, said that Kayyara is one of the few Kannada writers who have lived till 100 years. "His lifetime achievements call for celebration. This explains the association of the department of Kannada and culture with Kavitha Kuteera in organizing this event," Rai said.
A multi-faceted personality, Kayyara has played the role of a freedom fighter, a litterateur, a model teacher (recipient of National Teacher's Award) and as an elected representative too (he was panchayat president for 15 years). "Born in a Tulu-speaking Bunt family, Kayyara is an adroit Sanskrit scholar, who lived in Kerala, and has espoused the cause of Kannada. This makes his life commendable," Rai said.He received numerous awards, including the Nadoja award conferred on him by Kannada University, Hampi. Mangalore University had conferred a honorary doctorate on him a year earlier. Kayyara also has had the distinction of chairing the All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in 1997, Rai said, adding that all these facets of the writer's life will be celebrated on Monday.
Former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde will inaugurate the celebrations. District in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai will be present.
Writer Aerya Lakshminarayana Alva will release books of Kayyara's translated poems in English by A Narasimha Bhat and Mithali Rai, and in Hindi by Vishnu Bhat. Three scholars have received PhD and one, an MPhil, for their thesis 'Vidwan Kayyara Kinhanna Rai', he added.
