Puttur: Kannada Rajyotsava was celebrated at St Philomena College sports ground today. The President of the function, Very Rev. Fr Lawrence Mascarenhas, who is also the Correspondent of Mai De Deus Institutions, raised the National flag, while the state flag was hoisted by Prof V B Artikaje, an alumnus of St Philomena College, Puttur, and a former Principal of Vivekananda College, Puttur.
The event commenced with the students of the institutions presenting the Nadageethe (Kannada anthem), and guests and heads of Mai De Deus Institutions paid their respects to Mother Bhuvaneshwari.
Chief Guest Prof. VB Artikaje spoke during the event, emphasizing the importance of honouring our motherland and mother tongue by celebrating Kannada Rajyotsava. He stressed the need to incorporate Kannada into our daily lives, insisting that its usage should be pure.
Prof Artikaje urged the audience to explore the rich literary heritage of the language to truly appreciate its beauty. He emphasized that Kannada should be a language that comes from the heart, and celebrating Kannada Rajyotsava should be meaningful only if we work to preserve and promote the language.
The President of the function, Correspondent of Mai De Deus Institutions, Very Rev. Fr Lawrence Mascarenhas, addressed the gathering emphasizing the point that, despite belonging to different religions, all are the children of Kannada Maate (Mother Kannada), and he expressed his wish for Kannada to become a language of daily use for all.
He highlighted the excellent collection of Kannada books in the libraries of the institutions and encouraged students and staff to utilize these resources to enhance their knowledge. He also urged everyone to stay united as children of mother Kannadaambe.
Various dignitaries attended the celebration, including Vice President of the Church Committee Gerald D’Costa, Campus Director of St Philomena College Rev. Fr Stany Pinto, Principal of St Philomena College Rev. Dr Anthony Prakash Monteiro, Principal of St Philomena PU College Rev. Fr Ashok Ryan Crasta, Headmaster of St Philomena High School Rev. Fr Maxim D’Souza, Headmistress of St Victor’s Girls High School Rosaline Lobo, Headmaster of St Victor’s English Medium School Harry D’Souza, Headmistress of Mai De Deus Higher Primary School Janet D’Souza, Headmistress of St Philomena English Medium School Rev. Sr Lora Pais, members of the administrative committees of these institutions, presidents and members of the Parent-Teacher Associations, and students from these institutions actively participated in the celebration.
The students of Mai De Deus institutions presented “Koti Kantha Gayana,” an artistic performance, which was coordinated by Prashant Rai, Convener of Performing Arts at St Philomena College, and Sumana Prasad from the Kannada Department of St Philomena PU College.
Dr Bashtyam Pais, assistant professor of Kannada at St Philomena College, extended a warm welcome, while Shilpa M S proposed a Vote of Thanks. Usha Yashwanth from the Department of Kannada at St Philomena PU College compered the program.
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