Karnath Smaraka Bhawan in Udupi

There is a building in the Karanth village known as the Karanth Samarka Bhawan. It is a huge building constructed at a cost of Rs. 2 crore. The main aim of the Bhawan is to reflect the memory of the Karanth especially at his birth place. He is the winner of the Jnanpith Award; one of the most prestigious literally awards in the country. It is the village Panchayt which took the initiative of constructing a memorial building for Karnath. Ranga mandir- the theater, library, the Bal Bhawan and the famous pond in the premises never fails to attract tourists to the spot. The Ranga Mandir is a beautiful theater and library consists of books based on Karanth’s life history, his teachings and achievements.

Karnath used to love children and hence the Bal Bhawan was constructed. In the middle of pond which is also known as the ‘Karanth Kola; is a statue of Karanth. The statue is made up of bronze.

There are rumors that the villagers are planning to take in more pieces of land and expand the Bhawan area and focus on life of rural people. The Bhawan is decorated with old and traditional architecture work. The wall of the Bhawan is beautifully painted by a superior artist named Purushotham Adve. Also at the four corners of pond you can find arrangements of four fresh water fountains to make it the ambience of the Bhawan more attractive and appealing. It was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda. The inauguration was done on 12 October in the same village.

The main aim behind building the Bhwan was not only to reflect and to tell about life of Jnanpith Award winner but also to make something with which the people of the village could associate themselves with, a memorial which would bring about a sense of pride along with a strong sense of belonging.

It is a huge attraction for the tourists too as they get to know and acquire knowledge about life of such a great personality If the village Panchayat is successful in expanding the Bhawan area then a lot of expectations are going to be fulfilled and more favorable things will be done for the poor and the rural people.