Classical Kannada – PRESS NOTE

     Kannada is declared as a classical language by the Government of India and this is an important juncture in the history of Kannada. It is of paramount importance that knowledge about our land, culture and people is globally made available to interested scholars as well as laymen. This website is constructed to cater to these needs. This is a data base of information and analysis. It is made available in English and Kannada. The English version aims at people who are not conversant in Kannada and the Kannada version intends to cater to the needs of those with a cursory knowledge of Kannada but with no access to traditional bases of knowledge. We hope to establish a living link between the scholars who are working on Karnataka in other languages and Kannada scholars who have things to contribute to the outer world. We have always kept the multi cultural and multi lingual realities of Karnataka. 

     The data in this website is made available in eleven sections namely language, literature, inscriptions, arts and archaeology, religion, folklore and folk arts, traditional knowledge bases, land-history-people, important places, scholars and Karnataka studies. Each entry is provided with supplementary information in the web as well as the library. Audio and visual material is given where ever necessary. Hyper links to related sources is given inn each entry. This web site spans the period right from the beginnings of Karnataka up to the end of the seventeenth century. This point in time coincides with the advent of modern Kannada as also the period during which new social and cultural forces were set in motion.  

     This website is dynamic and flexible by its very nature. Provisions are made to include new entries, add more information to the existing entries and make corrections and deletions if necessary. Feedbacks from the users are welcome and they will be helpful in improving the quality of the website both in terms of content and presentation.  

     This website is created at the ‘Central Institute of Indian Languages’, Mysore. This idea was envisaged by an advisory committee consisting of eminent Kannada scholars, Prof, M. Chidananda Murthy, Prof. M.M. Kalburgi, Prof T.V. Venkatachalashastry, Prof K.V. Narayana and Dr N.S. Taranatha. Prof. Udaya Narayana Sing, the director of C.I.I.L. and Prof. K.V. Narayana have given invaluable suggestions as the consultants for the project. Shri Lingadevaru Halemane and Dr Mallikarjuna have acted as the academic co-ordinator and technical co-ordinator respectively. Prof. H.S. Raghavendra Rao is the resource person for the project. Smt. Sunitha Rajendra, Sri K.N. Ashoka and Sri Keshavamurthy have rendered requisite technical help.    The website which is now being launched partly in order to facilitate inter action with the users, will be a full fledged entity shortly.