Kodagu: In the present time, what people rely on in the midst of paper printing is technology is digitalisation. Digitisation is essential to reach more people amid books of information, stories and novels. Thus the Karnataka Arebhasha Samskruti and Sahitya Academy has taken a bold step towards digitalisation
Celebrating its centenary, the Academy has played a major role in taking Arebhashe literature to people all over the world by digitising and publishing 84 works containing several original literatures including journals and works of Arebhashe literature, on the internet. In order to make Arebhashe literature available free of charge to all people, and thus ensure that the Arebhashe spoken in the coastal districts including Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod reach the people of the entire country, digitisation has been planned.
There are 38 books published by this Academy out of which 21 books are in Kannada and 17 in English by various authors. In all, 23 works of Hingara Quarterly magazine and 142 issues of Kodagu Saathi Fortnight edited by Pattada Prabhakar and books related to Arebhashe and Arebhashe environment will be digitised.
There are recent academy-published books from Gowda Samskruti published by Kodagu Gowda Samaja, Bangalore in 1968. There are essays, dissertations, glossaries, grammar, stories, folk tales, poems, plays, memoirs, history books related to Arebhashe. Mainly the Gowda Culture published by Kodagu Gowda Samaja in 1968, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Gowda Samaja Samskruti published by Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Gowda Samaja in 1970, Gowda Jananga – Ithihasa mattu Samskruti published by Vokkaliga Yane Gowda Seva Sangha (R) Mangaluru, ‘Amara Sullia’s Swatantrya Samara by Devi Prasad of Sampaje, Prof. Kodi Kushalappa Gowda’s ‘Gowda Kannada’, K. R . Gangadhara’s Arebhashe-Kannada-English dictionary, Dr. Vishwanatha Badikana’s Arebhashe folk tales, the books ‘Karavali Janapada by Dr. Purushottam Bilimale are available on https://arebashe.sanchaya.net/ website.
“All the books available on the website have been acquired and published by authors, publishers and editors. We have taken up book digitisation in association with Sanchaya Foundation, Bengaluru. Creative Commons Share Alike is available for all to read under the CC by SA license. We can also download and use books if we want. However, it cannot be used for private purposes,” Academy Member Bharatesh Alasandemajalu informed.
The launch of digital books was held on Saturday June 25 at 11.00 am at Bharathi Vidya Bhavan, Madikeri. The book was released by Chief Minister’s Advisor e-Governance Bolur Sudarshan. The programme was presided over by Karnataka Arebhasha Samskruti and Sahitya Academy President Lakshmi Narayana Kaje Gadde. Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Kodagu District President M.P. Keshava Kamath was the Chief Guest. Kodagu Gowda Communities Federation President Somanna Soorthale, Kodagu, and Mysuru Gowda Samaja President Tonta Bailu Manohar were present.
