Mysuru: The publicity committee of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana has urged the district Kannada Sahitya Parishat to renovate the tomb of Basavappa Shastry, court poet of Mysuru Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.The tomb abuts the LIC office building in Bannimantap. The committee has suggested turning it into a memorial in order to highlight the literary achievements of the 19 century poet during the literary meet.The tomb lies in a neglected state and is covered by creepers. It was supposed to be spruced up ahead of the literary meet, but the organizers failed to take up the work. The structure was initially supposed to be one of the highlights for the literary meet.Basavappa was accorded the title 'Abhinava Kalidasa' by Mummadi Krishnaraj Wadiyar for translating Kalidasa's renowned Sanskrit play 'Shakuntala' into Kannada.Born in 1843 to Basavambika and Mahadeva Shastry, who was a court priest of Mummadi Krishnaraj Wadiyar, Basavappa lost his parents at a young age and was trained under scholar Garalapuri Shastry. Basavappa was well versed in Sanskrit, Kannada, music, and philosophy. At the age of 18, he wrote a poem 'Krishnabyudaya' and 'Bilwavruksha' puja ritual which earned him praise from the Maharaja.Stating that due to time constraint the project could not take off, deputy director of tourism department H P Janardhan said, "The publicity department put forth the proposal to renovate the tomb in front of the District Kannada Sahitya Parishat. Initially, we intended to renovate the tomb ahead of the Sammelana. Since the tender procedure takes a lot of time owing to time constraints, we were unable to take up the project. However, we will take up the project after the Sammelana."

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