“In the words of Our Founder”
My Story
On 18 August 1964 in the meeting held at Sarpabhushan Math a sub-committee was formed to get a beautiful portrait of Basavanna painted, and Ramu, the famous artist of Mysore, was entrusted with the task of painting it.
The portrait done by him is now kept in the Anubhava Mantap of the Basava Bhavan of the Basava Samithi. The same day the constitution of the Basava Samithi prepared by the sub-committee was accepted unanimously in the meeting of prominent individuals held in the Vidya Vardhak Hostel of Hyderabad.
I was empowered to appoint a Provisional Working Committee consisting of 21 members. Dr. D.C. Pavate was appointed Treasurer and Annadanayya Puranik, Advocate of the Karnataka High Court, was appointed Chief Secretary.
On 26 September 1964 the Basava Samithi was registered, and the names of the members of the Provisional Working Committee published. At the same time, it was resolved to publish 108 selected Vachanas of Basavanna in the original and their translation in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil. Telugu and other languages.
Later, a conference was held in Madras under the presidentship of Governor Jaya Chamaraja Woodeyar, in which M. Bhaktavatsalam also participated. Afterwards, the membership letter, the receipt books and the constitution of Basava Samithi were printed.
At the first meeting of the Provisional Committee of the Basava Samithi held in the Kendra Karyalay towards the end of 1964, it was decided to open Basava Samithis in different states. At the same meeting the Finance Committee and the Committee to prepare the Rules and Regulations and the Committee on Research and Publications were formed.
In May 1965, the Basava Jayanthi was observed in various important cities of India. In New Delhi, the English translation of 108 Vachanas of Basavanna (Thus spoke Basava) and the Hindi translation of the Vachanas were released by the Vice-President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain, and Dr. Sarojini Mahishi, respectively.
The collection of 108 Vachanas, Basava Vachanamruta was released by the Governor of Mysore, General Sri Nagesh. On 30 June 1965 Siddharama Purana composed by Jayadevi Tai Ligade was released by V.V. Giri, the Governor. In 1966, the Basaveshwar diary and calendar were brought out and translations of the 108 Vachanas in Telugu and Tamil were published.
The cost of the Telugu translation was met by G. Shivappa and that of the Tamil translation by Jayanna Chigateri.
On 21 March 1966 in the meeting held in Jayadeva Hostel in Bangalore under my presidentship a Working Committee of 39 members was unanimously appointed.