Report and pics by Vinay Pais
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Aug 26: Dr T M A Pai Foundation Manipal president K K Pai informed that the Vishwa Konkani Kendra at Shakthinagar Mangalore, being built at a cost of around two crore rupees, is nearing completion.

He was speaking at a ceremony organized at Narayanaguru Complex in the town for observation of Konkani Diwas and inaugurating Konkani Ghar, under the aegis of Jai Konkani organization, Kundapur. He explained that the long-cherished dream of the Konkani speaking people would soon be realized with the opening of the Vishwa Konkani Kendra in the month of December this year. This centre is a standing testimony to the unity and solidarity of the Konkani-speaking people, who had migrated from the banks of river Saraswati, mentioned in mythologies. The Konkani speaking people are spread out from Kochi, Kerala in the south to Kashmir in the north and upto Assam in the North East of India, he noted.

Basti Vaman Shenoy, president, Konkani Bhasha and Samskrithi Pratisthan, Mangalore presided. He expressed the opinion that the town can be an ideal place for the development of Konkani culture and language, as fourteen dialects of Konkani are in use within the limits of Kundapur, Byndoor and Bhatkal regions. The organizers of the function have done the right thing in choosing this place for opening a novel home called Konkani Ghar, he stated.

U S Shenoy, president of Jai Konkani welcomed the guests. Laxmidevi Kamath sang a few Konkani folk songs. K Ramananda Kamath compered the programme. Writer P Jayanth Pai proposed vote of thanks.