The legacy of Rev. John Hands, a lesser-known missionary who spent more than three decades in Ballari, towards popularising Kannada among non-Kannadigas, especially the British, and establishing Kannada-medium schools, much earlier than Rev. Ferdinand Kittel, is being recalled by celebrating the bicentennial celebrations of his arrival here way back in 1810.
Rev. John Hands was the first Protestant missionary to be sent by the London Missionary Society to come here on May 5, 1810, to establish a Canarese (Kannada) Mission and commence the study of the Canarese language.
On realising that it was difficult for him to study without either a dictionary or grammar, he laid emphasis on preparing a lexicon from English to Kannada and another from Kannada to English and also a book on Kannada grammar.
In 1811, he established a charity residential school in Kannada medium in the Fort area in the city and also an English medium school for the children of the British. He was also instrumental in setting up a school for girls in the Fort area.
Rev. John Hands was also the first to translate the Bible into Kannada
In recognition of his pro-academic activities, the East India Company allotted ‘Neelamma Garden’ to him in Brucepet, which came to be known as mission garden where Rev. John Hands established a Kannada school, a church, a Kannada printing press (first one to be established).
In 1844, the first Kannada newspaper ‘Samachar’ was printed at the Ballari Mission Press. Several Kannada books, including the Bible, were also published from here.
Ravikumar Niranjan, Bishop, Church of South India, North Karnataka, Dharwad, and chairman of the bicentennial celebrations committee, told presspersons here on Wednesday that a function was planned in Ballari for two days in May to mark the occasion. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had expressed his willingness to participate in the function.
David Simeon, former Chairman of Legislative Council, who is also the convenor of the celebration committee, said that the Department of Kannada and Culture and the Kannada Sahitya Parishat were also keen to join hands with the CSI to pay a tribute to John Hands for his contribution to the cause of Kannada and education and its growth.
