Aluru Venkata Rao Birth Anniversary: Remembering the Kannada Kulapurohita and His Efforts to Revive Karnataka's Rich Culture

ALURU VENKATA RAO BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: The language was employed as a tool for political and national awakening throughout the Freedom Struggle in the country. Aluru Venkata Rao was instrumental in the linguistic establishment of Karnataka. As regional languages flourished and several organizations formed along linguistic lines to promote independence, he aimed to unite the population and make them aware of the rich culture and heritage of the region. On his birth anniversary, here are a few interesting facts about the legend.

Aluru Venkata Rao Birth Anniversary: 15 Facts

1. Aluru Venkata Rao, born on July 12, 1880, in present-day Karnataka’s Vijayapura district, was a lawyer, historian, writer, and journalist who led the drive to reunite the country’s Kannada-speaking regions.
2. He was the son of a revenue department officer from a well-to-do family and attended Fergusson College in Pune and then Bombay University. He had finished his schooling in Dharwad, Karnataka.
3. In 1905, he returned to Dharwad and began practising there.
4. He gave up his legal career in 1920 to devote his life to the independence movement.
5. Apart from the struggle for Indian independence, he was motivated by Maharashtrians’ passion for their language, which prompted him to establish a Kannada Sangha in college.
6. He founded the Jaya Karnataka magazine in 1922 with the purpose of uniting Karnataka.
7. Rao was influenced by freedom fighters such as Lokmanya Tilak and Gopal Krishna Gokhale in Pune. Rao quickly became interested in politics.
8. Under their influence, during the Civil Disobedience Movement, he created the Karnataka unit of the Home Rule League, which led to his arrest in 1931.
9. Rao was driven by the Kannadigas’ lack of awareness of their language and cultural history.
10. The large protests by Bengalis against the 1905 partition of Bengal had a profound impact on him. It foreshadowed the plan to unite the community.
11. His visit to Hampi in 1905 opened his eyes to the immense, undiscovered heritage of Karnataka.
12. For his attempts to unite Kannada-speaking territories, he was granted the title Kannada Kulapurohita (High Priest of the Kannada family).
13. He co-wrote Kannadigara Bhramanirasana (The Disillusionment of Kannadigas) with Nargundkar Ramarao, a book aimed at promoting pride in Karnataka’s culture among the youth.
14. Reportedly, Rao produced 12 books and eight pamphlets for the benefit of Karnataka in his lifetime and established various schools and institutions.
15. At the age of 84, Aluru Venkata Rao passed away on February 25, 1964.