Poetry and drama in Karnataka’s Western Ghats
Live MintThe sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky an ethereal pink-orange. Christened Kavi Shaila, the hillock was a favourite haunt of Kuvempu, and is located in his ancestral village of Kuppalli in Shivamogga district. At Kavimane, Kuvempu’s ancestral home, set amidst lush greenery, near the hillock, you get glimpses of his life—his books and manuscripts, awards, the items he and his family used. Some of the items on display evoke a smile, like his wedding invitation card and the mantapa where the ceremony took place; some invoke sadness, like the clock frozen at the hour of his death; and others a mix of wonder, like the loft in which he did his writing and from where he had an unobstructed view of the hills and valleys. So, in the evenings, an Odissi dance recital might sit next to a Marathi play, followed by a Kannada fusion band, while mornings are given to talks, discussions and lectures by artists, writers, film-makers and cultural icons from across the country.
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