Sir,
I had promised my mother to get "Mysore Mallige" by K.S.Narasimhaswamy. I hoped that if the book would be in my house, sooner or later I would also read it and be able to enjoy the beautiful romantic songs. Getting the book, I thought would be very easy. After all, my office is on St Mark's Road and some Big names in selling books like Gangaram's and Higginbothams are on MG Road. But I was into a rude shock when I learnt that neither of the two stalwarts stock Kannada books - irrespective of its fame or sellability. I have been there before and admired the collection on Indian, and more specifically Dravidian Arts. On closer observation, they are all written my foreigners in English. There are scores of books on Indian fables for children, again all in English. May be I was simply searching in the wrong place.
Its a pity that the so called Heart-of-Bangalore is a wrong place to search for Kannada (Non-English) literature. There should some good book store catering to really wide section of people at a place which boasts itself to be a hub of all cultures.
Thanks
Prashanth Kota
Address:
498, 3rd main,
Rajajinagar II stage,
Malleswaram West,
Bangalore - 560 055
Posted on : 17, July 2003
Posted to : Times of India
Outcome : None that I know of
Continuation:
I am not against globalization. I do not believe that Bangalore could be anything as it is if talent from all over the country came here to work. In essence I will be proud if one day Bangalore can attain the status of a "Cosmopolitan" city. In a successful and truly cosmopolitan environment there will be many cultures living together for long periods. Each of them bring along a unique flavor to the city. Over years, these individual flavors all put together constitute a single identity of the city. The city can not be imagined to be complete without any one of them. In this unique amalgamation of numerous cultures, each one can still identify its part and raise another generation protecting their flavor as much as possible. This protects the composition of the society even after many generations. However, this protectionism exhibited by certain sects, should not be on the extreme - should not go into a shell of their own or vehemently push their cultures on others.
In light of all these, I tried to see which community in Bangalore can raise their hand and say they look up to the MG Road area as an embodiment of their culture. The Brits have long left Bangalore. I feel 90% of the people walking on MG Road each day are lost souls... (the remaining 10% earn their bread there) Given a choice they would be somewhere else where they can be themselves. But are too chicken to admit it... You can actually see on faces of people on those streets... pretense written all over it.
Comments :
lEy, "Mysooru mallige" bEku andre "Sapna" aThavaa
saNNa angaDigaLige hOgu. Gangarams/Higginbothams
ellaa "cultured" janagaLige, nannanThaa, ninnanThaa
baDapaayi KannaDigarigalla.
"beTTadaa mElondu maneya maaDi,
mrgagaLige anjidoDe enThayyaa...
MG Roadnalli angaDige hokku,
Kannda pusthaka huDukidare enThayyaa..."
"ellaadaroo iru, enthaadaroo iru,
endendigoo nee Kannadavaagiru,
aadare bengaLoorinalli maathra
Kanndakke gowrava nireekshisadiru..."
-Madhu
Translation:
hey, If you wanted "Mysore Mallige" go to some small shop
or Sapna(a famous book store in Majestic). Ganagarams/Higginbothams
is for "cultured" people, not for poor kannadigas like you and me.
"It does not make sense to make a house on top of a hill (in a forest)
and be scared of animals...
So does it not make sense to enter a shop on MG Road
an search for Kannnada Books..."
(Modification of a "vachana" (a form of poetry) by Akka Mahadevi )
"Where ever you are, How ever you are,
you be a Kannadiga for ever,
But when in Bangalore
Do not seek for respect for Kannada..."
(Modification of a well known kannada song by KuVemPu)
-Madhu