ಇಂದು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕುಲ ಪುರೋಹಿತ ಆಲೂರು ವೆಂಕಟರಾಯರ ಜಯಂತಿ.

ಈ ಮಹಾನುಭಾವನನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ಪರಿಚಯಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದು ಅವರ ಜೀವನಚರಿತ್ರೆಯ ಒಂದು ಕಿರು ಪರಿಚಯ ಆಂಗ್ಲ ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.

#AlooruVenkataRao, Revered as the High Priest of Karnataka.

@vikramsampath

“History is the seed for the present and the future is its fruit. Those who seek to reap the fruits should understand the importance of history. If we view history from this angle, we will understand its utility in building a nation. While people of different parts of the

country are rediscovering their history, the people of Karnataka have been sleeping like Kumbhakarana. Therefore, I have written this book to highlight the greatness of Karnataka wake up those young men who are yet to wake up”
Aluru Venkata Rao in his “Karnataka Gatavabhaiva”

(The Lost Glory Of Karnataka)

Rao was born at Alur in Vijayapura, Karnataka, in 1880. His father worked as a senior accounts officer in the revenue department. After his initial schooling in his hometown, Rao proceeded to Pune to pursue Bachelors in Arts and obtain a law

degree at Fergusson’s college.

Here he got acquainted with Tilak and Vinayak Savarkar, the friendship stayed forever till their last day of their lives.
Tilak’s Shivaji Utsav and Ganesh Utsav highly influenced Rao, he decided to start a Karnataka Sangha.
One thing that

struck Rao was the pride and passion Maharashtrians had for their language and culture. He felt this could be developed among Kannadigas.
At the time, those speaking Kannada were spread across five different provinces
1. Maharaja’s Mysore province of 9 districts formed strong

and single political entity.
2. Two districts of Bellary and South Kanara came under Madras Presidency.
3. Three districts of Bidar, Gulburga and Raichur came under Nizam of Hyderabad’s dominion.
4. Coorg or Kodagu formed different centrally administered district.

5.The four districts of Dharwad, North Kanara, Bijapur and Belgaum formed part of Bombay Presidency, usually identified as North Karnataka.

Partition of Bengal by Curzon had led to a ‘nation wide’ agitation. Alur returned to Dharwad determined

to serve the country, in the ways that suited him. He stared as a pleader, one of the most coveted posts in those days which brought name and fame. But soon call of mother Karnataka snatched him away from all material attractions.
THE TRANSFORMATION – It was 1905

A chance visit to vast ruins of Hampi provided Alur a clear vision about his future course of action. The greatness of Vijayanagara empire and glory of Kannada valour which spread beyond Maharashtra to Kanyakumari down south in earlier age, prompted him to awaken Kannada

people of his region.
He decided to write a book that could awaken his sleepy people. ‘Karnataka Gatavaibhava’ was the result. It is a master piece bringing out contribution of all Karnataka dynasties enriching Indian culture by conquests, constructing great temples and

monuments promoting trade and commerce, encouraging learning, promoting literature etc. It took 13 years to collect material from inscriptions, coins, and old manuscripts to write this book which created history.
Aluru Venkata Rayaru in his life time wrote 27 Books including

8 booklets, the first book came out in 1907, Vidyaranya Charitre, the Rishi who was instrumental in building Vijayanagara Empire.
He encouraged N.S. Rajpurohit, D.R. Bendre, Shantakavi, Pandit Taranath, Hardekar Manjappa etc., all stalwarts in their fields, to write.

He himself published their early books and distributed them.
He mobilized funds and popular support in founding Kannada Sahitya Parishat along with BharataRatna Sir M Visvesvaraya in 1915.
In 1920, he joined the freedom struggle and In between he was imprisoned and his

license to practice as pleader was cancelled. This made Alur devote himself completely for unification of Karnataka. He started magazine ‘Jaya Karnataka’, a publication aimed at instilling ideas of how to build a unified Karnataka.
He was vice president and real force behind

Vijayanagara sixth-centenary celebrations in Hampi when all living great South Indian historians, researchers, archeologists and writers were brought on a single platform in 1936.
Finally Alur Venkata Rao succeeded. Fifty years of his mission bore fruit. Kannada speaking land

became one under the name of Mysore State (1956). It took another 18 years to have its rightful name of Karnataka (1974).
In 1956, when Karnataka was formally carved out as a state, Rao headed straight to Hampi, the place that inspired him to fight for a separate state and

offered prayers at the famous Bhuvaneshwari and Virupaksha temples built during Vijayanagara empire.
He spent his last years of life writing books on Madhwa philosophy, Bhagavadgita for commoners leading a sage’s life.
His Nanna Jeevana Smritigalu, autobiography came in 1941.

The face of Karnataka Ekikarana Samiti, Aluru Venkata Rayaru attained Moksha on 25th February 1964.
Earlier I quoted both Veer Savarkar and Rao were friends till their last breath, please do check the dates of their Moksha.

#VandeMataram