Heggodu is a culturally rich village in State. It is located at a distance of about 8 kms from the Sagara Town in the Shivamogga District. Heggodu is famous for being the location of the cultural organisation NINASAM which is making outstanding contributions in the fields of theatre, films and publishing.
NINASAM stands for Sri Nilakanteshwara Natyaseva Sangha. It is a world famous drama institute cum organisation dedicated to the growth of art and culture. NINASAM was founded in 1949 by Kuntagodu Vibhuthi Subbanna, an acclaimed dramatist and writer in Kannada. NINASAM has around 100 members. Currently NINASAM is headed by K. V. Akshara, son of K. V. Subbanna.
NINASAM started from a small thatched hut in the green environment of Heggodu viyllage. In the last 6 decades NINASAM has grown to become one of the most renowned cultural organisations of Karnataka through their socio-cultural work. NINASAM developed into a multi-faceted organisation and branched out into several units like the NINASAM Theatre Institute, NINASAM Tirugata, NINASAM Foundation and others. NINASAM’s work has brought it national and international recognition in the field of theatre and related arts.
Akshara Prakashana is a publishing house in Heggodu that was established by K. V. Subbanna in 1957. It was started as a small private publishing unit with the intention to publish K. V. Subbanna’s own writings. Soon it began to expand and publish the writings of the up-coming new writers of that era. Akshara Prakashana focused on publishing literature in Kannada related to theatre, which included translations of plays from other languages as well.
Akshara Prakashana is now a widely known organisation. It has so far published more than 800 books belonging to various subjects like literature, theatre, films, philosophy and humanities. It also supports NINASAM through relevant publications. The presence of Akshara Prakashana in Heggodu has further established Heggodu’s identity as a culturally vibrant place.
