Mangaluru: The 27th District Kannada Literary Conference, organized by the Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Parishat in collaboration with Mangaluru University, will take place on February 21 and 22 at the university campus. The conference will be presided over by eminent scholar Dr. Prabhakar Shishil. On February 21, at 8:45 AM, a Kannada cultural procession will arrive from Asaigoli Central Ground. Padma Shri Harikala Hajabba will inaugurate the procession, and the formal inauguration ceremony will begin at 10 AM at the Mangal Sabha Hall of the university.
Dr. Prabhakar Shishila will serve as the conference’s president, and senior poet B. R. Lakshman Rao from Bengaluru will be the chief guest. Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker and Ullal MLA, Hon. U.T. Khader, will release the souvenir. Dinesh Gundurao, the Minister for District Affairs, will inaugurate the cultural programs, while Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chouta will inaugrate the exhibition. Mangaluru University Vice-Chancellor Prof. P.L. Dharma will inaugurate the bookstall and other facilities.
Other dignitaries expected to attend include Mamatha Gatti, Chairperson of the Karnataka Gears Development Corporation, Sadasiva Ullal, Chairman of the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority, and District Commissioner Mullai Muhilan M P, among others.
In the afternoon, 18 new books will be launched during the event, with Raju Mogaveera, K.A.S., University Registrar, presiding over the ceremony. The day will also feature a special lecture on Kudmal Rangarayar by Sridevi K. Puttur and a discussion on "Coastal Perspective" featuring Dr. Varadaraj Chandragiri, Dr. Kumaraswamy H., and Jabar Samo Sampaje.
A tribute will be paid to renowned Yakshagana actress Leelavati Baipadithaya, the first woman to perform Yakshagana. Kadri Navaneet Shetty will offer a tribute, while Shalini Hebbar and Hem Swathi Kuriaje will perform a musical homage.
On the second day, February 22, youth thinkers will present their perspectives on the elderly, with Chetan Mundaje, Mohammad Mik Dad, and Fatima Rafida taking part. The event will also feature discussions on "Literature and Literary Moments" with Dr. Jayaprakash Mavinakuli, B.M. Hanif, and Narendra Rai Dera. A special lecture on Queen Abbakka will be delivered by Dr. Tukaram Poojari.
Poets such as Radhakrishna Uliyattadka, Smita Amritaraj, Chetan Someshwar, and Wilson Katilu will participate in a poetry dialogue. Dr. Sundar Kenaje will give a special lecture on Progressive Voices, Niranjan-Nur's Remembering.
The conference will also feature several cultural performances by groups like Alvas Cultural Wing, Sanatana Natya Mandir, Bharati Gopal Shivapura, Reshma Nirmal Bhat, Kolalu Music School, and many others.
In the concluding ceremony, prominent personalities will be honored, including author Jogi (Girish Rao Uppinangadi), who will deliver the closing speech. The event will conclude with cultural programs showcasing the region’s traditions and performing arts.