The Kannada department of SDM College Ujire and the Belthangady wing of Kannada Literary Association jointly organized an appreciation event for laureate Hampa Nagarajayya at SDM College Ujire on the 14th of August.
The Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala, Dr. D Veerendra Heggade inaugurated the event and said “Hampa Nagarajayya is a laureate rich in intellect and by heart. He has made immense contributions to the Kannada literary field.”
“The tradition of ‘Shastris’ has become extinct today. Shastris were the learned men who studied and propagated Jainism in the past, but there is hardly anyone in the line anymore. But Hampa Nagarajayya definitely qualifies as a Shastri,” he added.
Maatrushree Hemavathi Heggade, having released a book named ‘Beru-Benki-Belalu’ by Nadoja Kamala Hampana at the occasion, appreciated the easy flowing and interesting nature of the book.
Retired Professor B.A.Vivek Rai spoke at the occasion and said “Retirement is the inception of a second phase of life. An individual must venture into extensive reading and knowledge propagation after retirement. Kannada literature and Jain literature in particular offer a vast scope for study, which can be taken up by many of us in the future.”
Popular writer and Director of Central Literary Association, Chandrashekara Kambara, delivering the presidential remarks stated “It was an opportunity for everyone to grow intellectually once India came out of the British stronghold. Literary movements such as the Bhakti movement made a great impact, but stories are always the core of a successful literary impact. Hampa Nagarajayya, having authored more than 3,000 stories, is a literary genius in that regard.”
The Hampana couple were felicitated at the occasion. The Secretaries of SDME Society D Harshendra Kumar, Prof. S Prabhakar and Dr. B Yashovarma were present at the occasion.
