Won’t sell but will convert Kuvempu’s home Udayaravi into museum, says Kannada poet’s family

Prof K Chidananda Gowda, Kuvempu’s son-in-law, said in the statement that the poet’s family was never willing to sell the house but wanted to construct a museum so that it would inspire generations to come.

“We will come out with a plan to turn it into a museum. We have informed the same to Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi during his visit to the house. We have no plans to sell Udayaravi,” the statement said.

Gowda’s statement came after Shivaraj Tangadagi recently visited the family seeking cooperation to convert the place into a museum. The minister then said the family had set certain conditions and that he would discuss them with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Earlier, Tangadagi told the Legislative Council that the family members were asking for Rs 15 crore for the house. “In the 2018-19 budget, it was decided to convert Udayaravi to a museum. Initially, they sought Rs 5 crore, but later they asked for Rs 10 crore. They asked the previous BJP Government for Rs 15 crore and have set some conditions,” he said.

However, Gowda said the money part was immaterial as the family did not want to sell the property.

An official in the Department of Kannada and Culture said the family was demanding market value for the property, while the Government was ready to pay a government-set guidance value. Many meetings were held, even before the Congress Government came to power, and none had yielded any results, the official said.