Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Dec 9: The president of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Roy Castelino released the new Konkani calendar and Konkani documentary 'Siddhi Kalavidhe' in the press club of the city on Monday, December 7.

Speaking about the documentary he said "The short film with the duration of 23 minutes is based on the Siddhi culture and a senior Siddhi artist named Zubela Francis Siddhi has been introduced through it under the tribal developement project of the academy and Doordarshan has promised to telecast it within a month"

Speaking about the new Konkani calendar he said that photographs dipicting the Konkani culture are showcased in the new calender. "The works of the six artists in the four day art workshop are used in the calender," he said.

Konkani in schools

castelino later said that even though Konakni has been introduced in the curriculum of the schools in Karnataka, there has not been an increase in the number of students learning Konkani. "As Konkani is being used by the people of Uttar Kannada district in day to-day life, the academy has decided to meet the heads of the instituations in the district from December 9 to 11 and increase the number of Konkani learning students in the state," he said.

"Two new books published by the academy in Konkani will also be relesed in Karwar and they will be the 36th and 37th books published by the academy in its tenure of one and half years." he added.

Registrar of the academy Devdas Pai,members Lawrence D'souza and Dr Aravind Shanubhag were present in the press meet.