by  K. Vijaya Kumar, Former Jt. Director of Information & Publicity

Udaya Ravi, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu’s house in Mysore (5th Cross, V.V. Mohalla), is not just a simple house but has a greater significance since Kuvempu wrote his magnum opus Sri Ramayana Darshanam sitting in his room from this home. Acharya Vinobaji during his padayatra in Karnataka (Kuvempu had great reverence to him) was eager to visit Kuvempu’s house since he had come to know about Ramayana Darshanam. When (on 25.9.1957) Vinobaji enters inside Udaya Ravi, Kuvempu records in his diary, he pronounces in Hindi three times ‘Bahut prashanth hai’ (very peaceful atmosphere).

Tarini Chidananda, Kuvempu’s daughter, in her book Magalu Kanda Kuvempu (Kuvempu as seen by his daughter), vividly describes how much Kuvempu was sentimental and attached to Udaya Ravi and the garden he had raised with various flowers and fruit plants in front of the house. Kuvempu built this house in 1937 and the then President of Ramakrishna Ashrama Swami Deshikanandaji sent a Bengali contractor, one K.C. Dham (who had migrated to Mysore and a devotee of Ramakrishna Mission) who had earned a good name as a committed person in his work.

Tarini, who spent most of her life in Udaya Ravi and taking care of Kuvempu after the death of her mother Hemavathi, writes how her father after building and living in Udaya Ravi, got married, worked in the University, wrote most of his works and breathed his last in the midnight on 11.11.1994 in Udaya Ravi.

Many of those who had visited this house, just to cite a couple of them as recorded by Tarini — a Soviet Delegation, UGC Chairman C.D. Deshmukh and his wife Durga Bai Deshmukh had expressed great appreciation of Udaya Ravi and its garden and complimented Kuvempu and his wife Hemavathi for their efforts in maintaining it so neat and tidy.

It is appreciable that the State Govt. has declared Kuvempu’s native place Kuppalli where his body has been laid to rest in Kavishyla as a memorial of Kuvempu and entrusting it to Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishtana to maintain it, who have opened a Kuvempu Museum for visitors.

I recollect here my memory of 30-35 years back, when my Dept. of Information was producing a documentary film on Kuvempu, directed by Chaduranga, the noted writer, my numerous visits to Udaya Ravi to meet Kuvempu in that connection and on many several other occasions, I fondly remember the pious moments spent with the poet in his house.

Many felicitations to Kuvempu used to take place at Udaya Ravi only as the poet was reluctant to accept it and I remember one such felicitation organised by State Bank of Mysore in early eighties wherein I was made the chief guest.

I sincerely feel and as many other literary figures of yesteryears, who were direct disciples of Kuvempu, with scores of others who have high liking for Kuvempu’s literature, might also agree that Udaya Ravi in Mysore where Kuvempu spent most part of his life needs to be declared by the Govt. as a Memorial in his memory and a Museum could be established entrusting it to be run and maintained by an organisation locally, either University of Mysore or a similar body like Kuvempu Prathistana. I am sure scores of Kannadigas will support this cause.

Even now, quite a few visitors, particularly student groups on conducted tour visiting Mysore do come to see Udaya Ravi. Though inconvenient to Tarini and her husband Prof. Chidananda Gowda who reside there, do not disappoint the visitors. Besides many even in Mysore and around have not been able to see the place though they have a desire to visit.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature articles / by K.Vijaya Kumar   e-mail: kumarkv59@gmail.com / January 29th, 2014