Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Mar 11: “I do not have adequate knowledge about sculpture (Daru shilpa). Late Vijayanath Shenoy had the real zeal of uniting people. That’s why he is a spiritual Guru in a true sense. A spiritual guru is one who unites the hearts and not divides them,” said popular poet Jayanth Kaikini about the legacy of late Vijayanath Shenoy on the occasion of his first death anniversary at the premises of Heritage Village on Friday, March 9.
In a conversation Jayant Kaikini said, “One day master Hirannayya came to Udupi with the purpose of drama show. But he was disappointed with audience and felt bad. Later he had arranged five shows of master Hirannayya that were houseful. Vijanath Shenoy had a charm of bringing scholars to his home town with his excellent writings. He knew well about management.”
“He conducted a Yakshagana ballet of Kota Shivaram Karanth. He also arranged a programme of well known poet Gopalkrishna Adiga. Shenoy introduced new edition of Adiga during his period. All major poets in Kannada have a poem on Adiga at the age of his 50th anniversary.”
“Shenoy is a key person in getting all scholars of literature under one stage. He recognised many scholars and made them explore their knowledge. One of the popular poets Ananthmurthy came to Udupi due to his immense love towards Shenoy. He is a man of evolution. It is very difficult task to get all poets under one stage. Heritage means evolving mind, holistic mind and moreover today's mind. There is a separate department formed for conservation of culture for the integrated development of heritage. Shenoy did all these during his time. Thought process was prime fact in his activity. He strongly believed in it. This was his shastra of life.”
“Shenoy was an explorer and seeker within. He was a man who had interests in poetry (kavya), vachana, bhajans, music, harikathe, paintings of Vasudeva and loved arts of Ravivarma, writers like Kuvempu, Thejaswi and many other fields. He also had a plan to construct a memorial for Kuvempu but he quit from that committee at the last moment because of financial crisis. There is a memorial for Dara Bendre in Darwad installed by government but now it has become dusty. There is no memorial for Kota Shivaram also.”
“He was influenced by many personalities. B Gururaj is one among them who was working in archaeological department of Milagres College, Udupi. Shenoy conducted joint operation with Gururaj and collected valuable sculptures, inscriptions.”
“He had close relationship with Kogga Kamath who is a puppet artiste. Shenoy had hope that he would do something for the conservation of folk art,” he said.
Speaking about his personality, Kaikini said, “He was a man of restless spirit and known to be a straight forward person. His anger was like that of Shivaram Karanth. He even wrote a letter to Sathyakama.”
Kaikini read out a page of letter on the occasion to highlight Shenoy’s contribution to literature.