Departments of Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies

When the University of Mysore was established, one of its avowed objects was to foster the language of the people and give it an important place in the curricula of studies. Kannada M.A. course was started in the University of Mysore in July 1927 at the Maharaja’s College. The Institute of Kannada Studies was established on December 8th, 1966 with a valid purpose of accomplishing an overall development of Kannada language and literature and bringing all teaching as well as research academic activities pertaining to Kannada under one shelter.

Late His Highness Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar- IV, at the time of inaugurating the First Senate of the University, was pleased to say “ I am naturally interested in the special encouragement of Kannada literature which is provided for in the University scheme; we all know that the study of the vernacular is very apt to be neglected nowadays in both schools and colleges and I am glad to see that our University scheme provides for a fuller and more continuous course of teaching not only in Kannada but also in the other vernaculars of Southern India which are spoken in Mysore”. The dream of the founding fathers have been fulfilled and the scholars of the succeeding generation have enriched the Kannada language and literature to serve the society effectively.

At present the Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies has rich potential in human resources and suitable facilities for academic research. The institute has a separate library containing valuable and rare books on indigenous knowledge and priceless manuscripts on cognate areas of enquiry. And also, the faculty members of the Institute have expertise in different fields of Kannada Language and Literature, Comparative Literature and Translation, South Indian Studies, Linguistics and Folklore. There is ample scope for collaborative personal as well as team research in the Institute. The Institute has published more than seven hundred books on different subjects, many of which are directly or indirectly related to indigenous knowledge, culture and language. The prestigious volumes of General Encyclopaedia, Subject Encyclopaedia and the Volumes of Epigraphia Carnatica, a number of textbooks and edited manuscripts and their publications are real credit to the Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies. In the Editing Section of the Institute, many old and indigenous manuscripts have already been edited and are ready for publication.