Terming the Vachanas composed by the 12th Century Sharanas as a valuable treasure, Rachappa Kumbar, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Managing Director of Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, said that the credit of retrieving Vachana literature by collecting as many Vachanas as possible from different sources and publishing them went to Fa. Gu. Halakatti.
“Fa. Gu. Halatakki, who is known as Vachana Pitamaha, is the man behind retrieving valuable Vachanas from different sources and publishing them for the world. It is because of his relentless efforts that Vachana literature, which would have otherwise remained buried, saw the light and enlightened the world,” he said, after inaugurating the Fa.Gu. Halakatti birth anniversary programme at S.M. Pandit Rangamandir in Kalaburagi on Sunday.
“The birth anniversary of a great person is meant for remembering their life, work and contributions to mankind and adopting their values in our lives. Vachanas are not meant for mere intellectual deliberations. They are meant for practicing in our lives. They should be guiding light for us every day,” he said.
Shivaranjan Satyampet, a journalist and writer, described how Fa.Gu. Halakatti extensively toured different places and collected the Vachanas composed on palm leaves in the 12th Century. He also narrated how the institutions that the Vachana scholar founded brought positive changes in the lives of people in North Karnataka.
“The BLDE Education Society, Sri Siddeshwar Urban Cooperative Bank, Drought Handling Centre, Weavers’ Development Association and many more institutions that Fa.Gu. Halakatti had founded celebrated centenaries. The Vachanas he collected have enlightened the world. Now, they are studied all over the world. These Vachanas and these institutions are the living reflections of Fa.Gu. Halakatti’s commitment to the cause of Lingayatism,” he said.
Apparao Akkoni, president of Akhil Bharata Sharana Sahithya Parishath, who presided over the event argued that Lingayat was not a caste but a culture. Fa.Gu. Halakatti, who had sold his own house for collecting the Vachanas and protecting them for the next generation, should be an inspiration for all, he added.
Scholar R.K. Hudgi, Kannada Sahithya Parishat’s district unit president Vijayakumar Tegalatippi and others were present.
