‘ವಿಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ’ದ ನೆಪದಲ್ಲಿ...

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಇಂಡಿಯನ್‌ ಇನ್‌ಸ್ಟಿಟ್ಯೂಟ್‌ ಆಫ್‌ ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್‌ ಕಲ್ಚರ್‌, ಅನೇಕರಿಗೆ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಅನೇಕ ಅನುಭವಗಳನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಮಧುರ ನೆನಪುಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಈ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಶ್ರೀವತ್ಸ ಜೋಶಿ ಅವರ ‘ವಿಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ’ ಶನಿವಾರ ಸಂಜೆ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಳ್ಳಲಿದೆ. ಇಂಡಿಯನ್‌ ಇನ್‌ಸ್ಟಿಟ್ಯೂಟ್‌ ಆಫ್‌ ವರ್ಲ್ಢ್‌ ಕಲ್ಜರ್‌ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಐದು ದಶಕಗಳ ನೆನಪಿನ ದೋಣಿ.

Dear Shrivatsa Joshi,

Hearty congratulations on the Vichitranna Book Release on Saturday. I can only imagine the anticipation and excitement created in the Bangalore Kannada literary and intellectual circles by this historic event. My best wishes for a very successful function to recognize and celebrate your remarkable achievement. And I thank you again for bringing together the world wide Kannada community together ,week after 148 weeks to share the deliciuos and intellectually stimulating Vichitranna.

I wish I could be present at the function in Bangalore that too at the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) which I consider to be a gem of an institution in Bangalore thus the befitting venue for your, (now our), Vichitranna Book release. I have sentimental attachments to that remarkable institution in Basavanagudi going back 50 years. Just as your columns keep me intellectually stimulated now , the IIWC helped shape my personality in my teens. As a BMSCE College student, I lived in the William Quan Judge Cosmopolitan Home, adjoining IIWC and attended the IIWC events week after week.

There I used to meet and or hear often, DVG, ANAKRU, Adiga, V.C, YNK, Dasharathi Dixit, and other Kannada poets and writers. IIWC was also the venue where I met many great personalities from around the world such as Martin Luther King Jr. Coretta Scott King, JBS Haldane, VK Krishna Menon, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, P.Kodanda Rao, HN, R.R. Divakar,US Krishna Rao, Madame Sophia Wadia, B.P Wadia etc.

I had the honor of directing Martin Luther King Jr. to DVGs house on the then Nagasandra and now DVG Road ! MLK wanted to meet a real Gandhian. In 1960 I did not know the greatness of MLK.

I was there when MLK and Coretta together sang "We shall over Come" on the same stage where from Shrivatsa Joshis Vichitranna Book will be released and make people say "Vichitranna brings Kannadigas together".

I had many more positive and profound expereinces at IIWC & WQJ which have helped shape my life. Many imporatnt overseas visitors to Bangalore would visit IIWC and many times interact and dine with the residents at WQJ. Meerabaii DoraiSwamy a sari clad Britisher was our hostel warden and Jaques Dedain, an impeccably dressed Frenchman was the IIWC Director and both made lastng impressions on me that have stayed with me even today.

Your Vichitranna Book Release Event brought back those wonderful memories of my youth. Your weekly columns, in my opinion, have added a new dimension to Kannada writing combining the trails blazed by Choo -Bana, Koravanji, Kasturi, Sudha, BeeChi etc. . In honor of your achievement and in appreciation of IIWCs long and continuing service to the community, I pledge to make a donation to IIWC the next time I visit Bangalore.

I look forward to receiving an autographed copy of Vichitranna upon your" home coming " to Washington D.C.

Namaskara

G.S.Satya, San Jose, CA
[email protected]

ಮುಖಪುಟ

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