The Hindu : Aradhana delayed by late funding

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bellary

Aradhana delayed by late funding

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, JAN. 21. The aradhana of Sri Purandara Dasa, poet saint and composer who is considered the father of Carnatic music, at Hampi was not held on Pushya Bahula Amavasya this year also. This is because the State Government has delayed the release of funds. Amavasya was on Wednesday.

According to several artistes who have been participating in the function regularly, this speaks of the scant respect paid to the composer by the authorities concerned.

The aradhana has not been organised on amavasya in the past several years because of the lapse. However, the district-level officials remind the Department of Kannada and Culture about the event a couple of months in advance.

It was at Hampi that Sri Purandara Dasa spent his last days composing keertanas. A mantap on the bank of the Tungabhadra, used by him, is named after him. Artistes from all over the district assemble at Hampi for the aradhana. After performing puja at Sri Purandara Mantap, they offer a musical tribute to him. Before the Congress Government assumed charge, the State Government had limited the allocation for the event to Rs. 10,000. The programme used to be held in association with the Virupaksha Temple authorities. Gradually, the Government stopped releasing the money. When the Minister of State for Kannada and Culture, Rani Satish, was informed about this during her visit to Hampi in 1999, she promised to organise the programme on the scheduled day and enhanced the allocation to Rs. 50,000. The promise is yet to be fulfilled.

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Aradhana delayed by late funding