Govinda Pai and Vallathol on the same pedestal, thanks to Moily

MANJESHWAR: An 11-year-long single-minded pursuit by M Veerappa Moily, as chairman of the National Administrative Reforms Commission in 2005, is set to materialize in the form of Gilivindu, a memorial for ‘Rashtrakavi’ Manjeshwar Govinda Pai. With funding from PSUs and the governments of Karnataka and Kerala, Gilivindu is Moily’s effort to place Govinda Pai on the same pedestal as his counterpart Vallathol Narayana Menon, revered in this state.
With the chief ministers of Karnataka and Kerala having indicated their preference to dedicate the project to the nation at a date convenient to the duo between December 20 and 30, Moily said he is happy that collective efforts led by him have finally done justice to Manjeshwar Govinda Pai. Having taken up a similar exercise for Da Ra Bendre, Kota Shivarama Karanth and Kuvempu, Moily said it is his way of ensuring that Kannada poets remained etched in the minds of all for perpetuity.
Encompassing six main components, Gilivindu has Nalanda – restoration of poet’s residence and converting it into a museum, Bhavanika – a new 800-seater auditorium, Vaishaki, Saketha and Anand – the three guest houses, and Bodhiranga – an open air theatre, annexure building with library, study room, archives to store old documents, dormitory for research students, kitchen with dining hall, and an architectural front compound wall. It also entails landscaping of the 1.75-acre land.
Moily said restoration work of Nalanda, the ancestral house of the poet, has been completed as per plan. The renovated house now has ‘Parti Subba Yaksha Vedike’ with a green room, the original kitchen of the poet, AV room, museum to keep personal effects of the poet with copies of books written and collected by him and books on him. It will also house the office room of the director, who will be chosen in the next 10 days. This project costs an estimated Rs 88 lakh.
Nearly 85% of work on Bhavanika, taken up at a total estimate of Rs 2.9 crore, is complete. While two of the three guesthouses are ready, work on Ananda, the third guesthouse, will be taken up with Rs 18 lakh given by local MLA Abdul Razak. Yaksha Degula, a Yakshagana museum inside Nalanda, is ready at an estimated cost of Rs 19 lakh. Three sides of the compound wall have been completed at a cost of Rs 6 lakh, donated by realtor P Dayanand Pai.
Work on the front architectural compound wall at an estimated cost of Rs 13 lakh is in progress with funds given by Kasargod MP P Karunakaran. DK Chowta, managing trustee of Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Memorial Trust has completed work of repairing the open well at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. Chowta too has come forward to install a metal bust of Govinda Pai in the open verandah of Nalanda. Work of digitizing the 4,500 books collected by the poet too is under way.