Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College, Madikeri, in association with the Centre for the Study of Saint Poet Kanakadasa and Tatvapadakaras, Bangalore and the Kannada Department of the college, organized a Rasa Grahana Camp titled “Muthu bandede Kerige”. On this occasion, the President of the Centre for the Study of Saint Poet Kanakadasa and Tatvapadakaras, K.T. Chikkanna inaugurated the program.
Kanakadasa was not only a devotee, he was also a thinker and a poet. 150 Haridasas have come and gone in the Haridas tradition. If there are any Kirtanars who have used devotion for social reform and enlightenment, Kanakadasa and Purandaradas stand first among them.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Major Dr. Raghav B. said in his presidential address that the greatest of the Dasas was Kanakadasa. He was a philosopher, poet and musician. Whoever has devotion, God will bless them. He also further said that Kanakadasa, a humanist, should not be limited to one caste.
Special lecturer Dr. Purushottam D. said that when we look at the history of our entire India along with the thoughts of Kanakadasa, two people become very important to us. One of them is Ashoka. The great emperor who refused war. Seeing the bloodshed of the Kalinga War, he decided not to fight and adopted the thoughts of Buddhism and gave a message of peace to the world. Similarly, when he came to Karnataka, Kanakadasa, who had all the charisma and power of the royal family, was another one. If Kanakadasa also wants to experience peace, he should be aware of the ill effects of war. The basic purpose of all professions is nothing other than the basic needs of man. “Everyone does it for the stomach, the poor for the clothes” is the essence of Dasara’s kirtan. Having information is not enough, there must be knowledge. It is very important to lose the ego within us. There should be no ego of being myself. We should have the quality of obeying. There should be the quality of accepting within us, then the ego will disappear, he said.
A quiz competition was organized for the students and prizes were distributed. Poonacha, the head of the Kannada department, welcomed everyone.
Dr. Mahalakshmi T.S. offered the vote of thanks. Student Sapna M. Shet sang the kirtan. Student Varsha narrated the programme. Faculty members of the Kannada department were present on the occasion.
