The keertanas authored by poet and social reformer Kanakadasa is a unique experiment in Kannada literature, said writer Kiran Gajanur.
He was speaking at a programme organised by the district administration to observe Kanaka Jayanti at Kuvempu Rangamandir here on Thursday.
The keertanas of Kanakadasa are a rare blend of spiritualism and rationalism. In keertanas, Kanakadasa has articulated his displeasure against the superstitious believes and the discrimination that were practised in the name of caste, creed and gender. Moreover, the keertanas were written in the language spoken by the common people, Mr. Gajanur said.
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He said that Kanakadasa successfully employed keertanas as means to create awareness among the people against the social evils that prevailed then.
Mr. Gajanur regretted that even after significant strides made in the realm of science and technology, superstitious practices and the discrimination on the basis of caste and religion have continued. The keertanas of Kanakadasa, that offer solution for present day social problems, need to be popularised, he said.
Addressing the gathering, the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa said that social reformers like Kanakadasa should not be confined to a particular caste.
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He also released a handbook on Kanakadasa published by the Department of Information and Public Relations on the occasion. K.B. Prasanna Kumar, MLA for Shivamogga, R. Prasanna Kumar, MLC, Deputy Commissioner M. Lokesh, and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare were present.
The students of Kanaka Vidya Samsthe and Podar International School presented dance-drama on the keertanas of Kanakadasa.