Brahmins misled foreign scholars about Kannada: Purushothama Bilimale

March 21, 2012

Mangalore, March 21: Kannada scholars at a seminar here on Tuesday said that there was a need to throw light on people who helped foreign scholars in their contribution for Kannada in 19th century.



The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore, and the Karnataka Theological Research Institute, Balmatta, had organised the seminar on “Kannada as a classical language in 19th century and contributions of foreign scholars” at Sahodaya here.


Senior Kannada scholar T.V. Venkatachala Shastri from Mysore said the contributions of those who helped foreign scholars in their research on Kannada should be recorded.


In his keynote address Purushothama Bilimale, Director, American Institute of Indian Studies, Gurgaon, said that it appeared that a majority of those who assisted and provided information to foreign scholars during their study were Brahmins. It appeared that they gave selective information to foreign scholars.


A case in point was the fact that Yakshagana was missing from the studies undertaken by foreign scholars who visited the coastal belt. He said that not enough records were available on foreign scholars' contribution to the study of Yakshagana. To support his point of view, Mr. Bilimale said that Yakshagana did not enjoy the patronage of people belonging to higher castes in the 19{+t}{+h}century. They did not support watching and participating in Yakshagana performances. Hence Brahmins might not have introduced Yakshagana to foreign scholars. Otherwise, Mr. Bilimale wondered, how could foreign scholars keep themselves away from studying Yakshagana.


D.R. Sadananda, Director, Karnataka Theological Research Institute, who agreed with Mr. Bilimale's point of view, said there was a need to study why foreign scholars did not throw much light on Yakshagana.


B.A. Vivek Rai, Professor, Wurzburg University, Germany, released Govinda Pai Nighantu written by A.V. Navada, Kannada scholar and convenor of the two-day seminar.


Mr. Rai said Tamil got an importance as a classical language after an American linguist wrote on Tamil.


But no such scholarly article written by any American linguist on why Kannada should become a classical language was available on the internet.


He stressed on the need for digitalising Kannada manuscripts of importance.

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News Network
April 12,2025

Bengaluru, April 12: Karnataka is set to experience a fresh spell of rainfall across multiple districts from April 12 to 18, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast comes on the heels of an unusually wet start to April, with most parts of the state already recording significantly above-average rainfall.

Data from the IMD reveals that Karnataka received 19.1 mm of rainfall in the first week of April—well above the state’s average of 4.7 mm for the period. The coastal region recorded 18.1 mm (compared to the usual 4.7 mm), the north interior region saw 13.9 mm (against 3.8 mm), and the south interior region reported a striking 23.8 mm (surpassing its normal 5.5 mm).

Out of Karnataka’s 31 districts, 25 experienced excess rainfall during the first week of April. Three districts received normal rainfall, one recorded deficient rainfall, and another remained dry.

The upcoming week is expected to bring moderate rainfall to a wide swath of the state, including:

Coastal Karnataka: Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada

Southern and Central Districts: Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Tumakuru

Northern Districts: Ballari, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Vijayanagara

Scattered rainfall is also forecast in several areas of north interior Karnataka.

Rainfall Outlook by Date:

April 12: Showers expected in Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, and Vijayapura

April 13: Belagavi and Raichur likely to receive rainfall

April 14–16: Rain likely across all districts of Karnataka

Rainfall activity was already observed on Friday in parts of coastal Karnataka, north interior Karnataka, and isolated pockets of the south interior region. Mangaluru (Dakshina Kannada) recorded 4 cm of rain, while several areas in Yadgir—including Kakkeri, Shorapur, Saidapur, and Gabbur—each received 3 cm. Similar amounts were recorded in Jalahalli (Raichur) and parts of Bidar district.

With more wet days ahead, the rainfall is expected to bring some relief from the heat as Karnataka continues into the heart of summer.

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News Network
April 10,2025

Mangaluru: A seemingly harmless YouTube advertisement has cost a Mangaluru man his life savings, after he fell victim to an elaborate investment scam and lost a staggering ₹55 lakh.

According to the police complaint, the victim was lured in by a man named Shardul Jani, who claimed that a trading app called Abans Pro would deliver high returns. On February 11, the man made an initial investment of ₹15,000. A trading account was created for him, which soon began displaying encouraging profits.

Buoyed by these promising numbers and under constant persuasion from the accused, the man was convinced to invest more. Reassured that the money could be withdrawn at any time, he not only continued investing himself but also involved his relatives, who collectively transferred ₹39 lakh into his account for further investments.

Between February 11 and March 27, the victim transferred a total of ₹55 lakh to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused. But when he finally attempted to withdraw the funds, nothing came back. The profits were a mirage—his money had vanished.

Realising he had been conned, the man approached the Bajpe police, who have registered a case and begun an investigation into the fraudulent scheme.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 10,2025

waqfinayathali.jpg

Mangaluru, Apr 10: In a profound act of generosity and faith, senior businessman and Congress leader Inayath Ali has donated 1.5 acres of prime land in the heart of Mangaluru for the construction of a Haj Bhavan. The land—strategically located just 1.5 kilometres from the Mangaluru International Airport and adjacent to a major road—is estimated to be worth over ₹8 crore.

The donation, made earlier this week, has captured public attention not just for its magnitude, but for the spirit behind it. At a time when the nation is engaged in an intense debate over the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, this selfless contribution opens a new chapter in understanding the true essence of waqf.

According to sources, the upcoming Haj Bhavan will house a mosque, and offer training and orientation services for pilgrims travelling to Mecca—providing both spiritual and logistical support to hundreds of Hajj aspirants from the region.

What sets this gesture apart is the absolute surrender of rights by Inayath Ali. Despite not being a high-profile industrialist or real estate mogul, he has forfeited all claims over the land. Under Islamic waqf principles, once a property is donated, neither the donor nor their descendants can reclaim or profit from it—making it a permanent endowment for the community.

This timely development is sparking fresh conversations about the spiritual and charitable foundations of waqf, especially amid allegations and controversies surrounding waqf properties in various parts of the country. Critics often claim that waqf lands have expanded disproportionately or were historically acquired from other communities. Inayath Ali’s donation stands as a counter-narrative—one that reflects the voluntary, sacred, and socially uplifting nature of such endowments.

For generations, Muslims—from wealthy businesspersons to humble individuals—have donated land and property to build mosques, madrasas, orphanages, and cemeteries. Elders from the coastal Muslim community affirm that such acts are not merely cultural traditions but are deeply rooted in the belief that sadaqah jariyah (a continuing charity) benefits the soul in both this world and the hereafter.

Inayath Ali’s contribution, thus, is not just a donation of land—it is a message of unity, service, and spiritual vision for generations to come.

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