H. Y. Sharada Prasad

Holenarsipur Yoganarasimham Sharada Prasad (H. Y. Sharada Prasad) was a well known freedom fighter, journalist, translator and a press information advisor to four Indian Prime Ministers – Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (H. Y. S was editing ‘Yojana’ - a Government of India publication at that time), Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Sri Moraji Desai and Rajiv Gandhi. He was born on 15th of April, 1924 to Sri H. Yoganarasimham and Smt. Saraswathamma. His father was an erudite Sanskrit scholar and a musicologist. Mother was a well known social worker who was one of the founders of “Makkala Koota” at Bangalore & Mysore.

H. Y. Sharada Prasad came into prominence during his B. A. (Hons.) student days at Maharaja College, Mysore. He was a brilliant student of English Literature and a debater. He was also president of the student union. He was taught by such eminent professors as J. C. Rollo, S. Srikanta Sastri and A. N. Murthy Rao. As a student leader, he was deeply involved in the 1942 Quit India movement. He was arrested and jailed in Mysore & Bangalore prisons twice during his college days. He spent totally sixteen months in jail from 10 August, 1942 to December 1942 and from 20 February, 1943 to 9 December 1943. In his prison diary (A Window on the Wall), he has narrated his encounters with other great leaders and the depressing atmosphere of an Indian prison. His B. A. (Hons.) education was resumed after he was released from jail. H. Y. Sharada Prasad later got married to Smt. Kamalamma – a contemporary of his while at Maharaja’s College, Mysore and a honours graduate in Psychology.

H. Y. Sharada Prasad who was called ‘Shouri’ by near and dear ones left for Bombay to pursue a career in Journalism in ‘The Indian Express Group’. During 1955 – 56, he was ‘Nieman Fellow’ in Journalism at Harvard University. After this stint, he moved on to New Delhi to take up the post of Assistant Editor of ‘Yojana’ – a journal of Planning Commission of India. During this period, by organizing an exhibition on India’s Economic Development, he caught the attention of Prime Minister Nehru. Later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invited him to join PMO as an Information Adviser. After Emergency, when Morarji Desai became Prime Minister, he continued to hold his post despite a sea of change in the PMO. After the return of Mrs. Gandhi to power in 1980, Shouri continued to be her confidante counselor. When Rajiv Gandhi became PM after his mother’s assassination, Shouri continued to serve him for some time. Sharada Prasad was instrumental in the establishment of The Indian Institute of Mass Communication and The National Institute of Design. His close proximity to the powerful personalities did not alter his character. He remained humble, modest and simple as ever.

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P. V. Kane: A Brief Biography by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri (Prajamatha - 1963)

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New Photo Discovered - Maharaja College History Department Centenary Celebration Photo

New Photo Discovered - Maharaja College
History Department
Centenary Celebration Photo

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Karnataka Music: The Story of it's Evolution

Mysore School of Painting

The broad division of Indian music into Hindustani and Karnataka types that obtains at present amongst the writers on the subject is capable of further sub-division from the evolution view-point. The main stream of musical tradition that originated from Bharata underwent many changes with the changing years. New influences were brought to bear upon the two branches of the main stream, so that each acquired a characteristic peculiar to the cultural tradition of its part of the country. It is a long way from the classic purity and restrained beauty of Dhrupad to the imaginative intensity of the Thumri in the history of North Indian music, which was subjected to Arabian and Persian influences. But South India here as elsewhere stands to-day as the rigid custodian of more or less traditional forms. Not that there were absolutely no changes whatever, for music was always a “live” art and is still so in spite of the scant attention it receives from the so-called educated classes. No vital art can be static and so we find that certain changes and improvements were effected from time to time.

Karnataka culture in this as in other branches of its activities presents a synthesis of forms and symbols of apparently alien cultures. It reconciles the northern Samskrta tradition with the Dravidian forms of the far south. Modes indigenous to the country were assimilated into the scientifically evolved forms of the north in such a skillful way that it is usual to find in ordinary parlance an impression that mathematical rigidity of form characterises Karnataka music.

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G. Venkatasubbiah: A brief biography

Prof G. Venkatasubbiah

Ganjam Venkatasubbiah (G. V.) is a Kannada writer, grammarian, editor, lexicographer and critic who has compiled over 8 dictionaries, authored four seminal works on dictionary science in Kannada, edited over 60 books & published several papers. Recipient of the Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award & the Pampa Award, G. V's contribution to the world of Kannada Lexicography is vast. G. V.’s ancestry can be traced back to a quaint old village enroute to Melukote from Mandya which goes by the name of Mudagundooru. For generations, his forefathers lived here practising priestly activities before they were faced with the famine of 1876 – 88. This famine dealt a severe blow to the already arid region necessitating their exodus elsewhere. Thus, the family came to a village on the banks of river Cauvery by the name of Ganjam. The family continued with their priestly affairs earning meagre sums. The chief priest among them Narasimha Joyis had 2 children. His first son – Thimmannaya was a Kannada teacher by profession at the local Government school and had to endure frequent transfers to other cities.

L-R: B.L.D'Souza, S.Karanath, J.Wodeyar, A.N.Murthy Rao, V.Si., G. V., Kuvempu

Thimmannaya and Subbamma had eight children. Second among the eight children was Ganjam Venkatasubbiah born on 23rd day of August, 1913. While at Ganjam, Venkatasubbiah’s grandfather would regularly walk to the banks of river Cauvery to fetch water. Little Venkatasubbiah would accompany his grandfather on these trips all the while reciting the Amarakosha.  Venkatasubbiah would accompany his father across several towns owing to frequent transfers. Among these towns were Bannur and Madugiri. G. V. stayed at Madugiri between 1927 – 1930 and had an engaging childhood taking an active part in local sports, trekking, extra-curricular activities at school and listening to inspirational speeches by national leaders. Mahatma Gandhi visited and spoke at Madugiri in 1927. Even the doyen of Kannada literature, Maasti Venkatesh Iyengar visited Madugiri during these years and presided over a local event.  G. V.’s classmates included the likes of K. S. Narayanaswami – the editor of Gandhi Sahitya Samputa and K. S. Krishnaswami – an eminent economist who would become deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India and vice president of World Bank. G. V.'s elder sister Gowramma was rendered blind due to plague. He had 6 younger brothers – Seetharamayya, Narasimhamurthy, Dakshinamurthy, Krishnamurthy, Suryanarayan & Visweshwara and a younger sister Lalitha. Eventually, his father would get transferred to Mysore and along came G. V. In 1932, G. V. joined Yuvaraja College at Mysore to pursue his intermediate course. While at it, his subjects included Ancient History, Sanskrit and Logic. His teachers included Na Kasturi, Kuvempu and M. A. Venkata Rao. Here G. V. made it a point to read “The Hindu” & “Madras Mail” to keep abreast of national and international affairs.

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A Suave and Sophisticated Biochemist - Dr M. Shadakshara Swamy (Star of Mysore Article)

S. Srikanta Sastri reminisced in Praja Vani (Kannada Newspaper) on 28.05.2016 by Suryaprakash Pandit

S. Srikanta Sastri reminisced in Praja Vani (Kannada Newspaper) on 28.05.2016 by Suryaprakash Pandit

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S. Srikanta Sastri remembered on All India Radio FM 100.6 Mysore Akashvani

S. Srikanta Sastri remembered on All India Radio FM 100.6 Mysore Akashvani in this Live "On - Site" Radio broadcast from his former residence at Diwan's Road, Mysore

Sir Brajendranath Seal - Architect of University of Mysore (Star of Mysore article)

Article in "Star of Mysore" Newspaper on Sir Brajendranath Seal - Second Vice Chancellor of University of Mysore and its chief architect.

Y. G. Krishnamurti - Star of Mysore

Article on Y. G. Krishnamurti (1) in Star of Mysore on 16.04.2016

Article on Y. G. Krishnamurti (2) in Star of Mysore on 16.04.2016

Star of Mysore Article on Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

Star of Mysore Article by Dr Bhagirath. S. N. on Dr S. Srikanta Sastri - 1

Opinion on “Veda Bhoogolamu” (వేద భూగోళము) by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri (1962)

Bramhasri Subraveti Thippa Josyulu
of Yadiki
(author of Veda Bhoogolamu)

Bramhasri Subraveti Thippa Josyulu of Yadiki has published under the name Vedic geography three volumes in Telugu till now. The first volume Virat-Swarupa-Vimarsana was published in 1940, the second volume Bramhanda-Bhuvana Kosa-Vimarsanam was published in 1952. The third part on Sahasrara was issued in 1962. Thus for nearly a quarter of century the author has been pursuing this line of investigation. In spite of old age and financial difficulties, the courage of conviction and motive impelled the author to achieve so far a portion of his contemplated scheme.

Sapta Dweepa Samudra
Tantric Chart

     The title Vedic Geography is apt to give a distorted notion of the contents of the volume. Under the heading Vedic he includes Puranas, Tantras, Dharma Sastras. It is not a geography in the ordinary sense. The whole cosmos – (Macro-Cosma and Micro-Cosma) is compromised and naturally it required proficiency in exegetics, Astronomy, Ayurveda and all sciences and arts. The author mostly uses the Yajurveda Taittareya Sakha. 

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ಹರಪ್ಪ ಮೊಹೆಂಜೋದಾರೊ (Harappa - Mohenjodaro)

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