Gandhi Bhavan

Brief Introduction

The foundation stone of the Centre for Gandhian Studies of Bangalore University was laid by the President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on 8th December 1965. The present building was formally dedicated on 2nd October 1969. The ‘Gandhi Bhavan’ of BU today boasts of Bangalore's biggest 'charaka', in brass, designed by Tajendra Singh Baoni, which was gifted to the Centre by Dr. D.K. Chowta. Another highlight of the building is an amphitheatre called ‘Sabarmathi Open Air Theatre’. Also located in the premises is the Albert Einstein-Charlie Chaplin Sit-Out and a sculpture of the Mother Goddess. The building has a Meditation Hall which can accommodate about 300 persons. The Centre has a Library with a collection of more than 2000 books.

Aims and Objectives

The Centre for Gandhian Studies was established to fulfill the following aims and objectives:

• To offer suitable courses in Gandhian Thought;
• To hold lectures, seminars, symposia, workshops and training programmes on Gandhism and its contemporary relevance;
• To sponsor and publish research studies on Gandhism and its contemporary relevance;
• To bring out suitable publications to promote and propagate Gandhian values;
• To celebrate/remember the birth and death anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi in meaningful ways; and
• To network with like-minded organizations in propagating Gandhian values.

Director: Dr. H. L. Nataraj , Prof. Centre for Kannada Studies

Tenure: 24.04.2014 to UFO

Contact Details:

Gandhi Bhavan,
Jnana Bharathi Campus,
Bangalore – 560 056
Ph: 080 – 22961146

A. Courses Offered -

a) P. G. Diploma in Gandhian Studies
b) Certificate Course in Gandhian Studies

B. Nature of the Course - Annual Scheme

C. Duration – a) 1 year  b) 6 months

D. Intake - 20 each

E. Eligibility:

a)  for P. G. Diploma Course:
A candidate who has a degree in any faculty of this University or any recognized University in India or abroad is eligible for admission. Preference will be given to those who have completed Certificate Course in Gandhian Studies in this University.

b) for Certificate Course
Candidates above 18 years of age with minimum S.S.L.C qualification.

    1. Workshops/Seminars/Lectures/Write-Ups/Paintings/ Theatre

    Centre for Gandhian Studies (CGS) has taken quite a few initiatives to popularize Gandhian thoughts, in and around the university.  CGS has continued many of the on-going programmes this year too, while launching new ones during  this academic year.

    • CGS organized Gandhi Jayanthi on 2ndOctober  Prof. S. Chandrashekhar, Retd.  Pro- Vice Chancellor, Central University of Karnataka and Prof. D. Jeevan Kumar  were the chief guests. Prof. L. N. Mukundaraj, well-known Kannada poet, recited poems on Gandhi. Famous folk singer Appagere Thimmaraju rendered Gandhi songs. Prof. B. Thimme Gowda, Vice-Chancellor, BUB, presided over the function.
    • As part of the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations, the Director, CGS, contributed a cover page article titled “A man who comes once in Ten Centuries” to March of Karnataka, a Karnataka Government publication. The Gandhi Jayanthi special issue was released on 2nd October 2014 in the programme by the Vice-Chancellor, BUB.
    • This year, CGS has launched a programme titled “Rediscovering Mahatma Gandhiji” and has organized extension lectures for students at various colleges. In one such programme organized by P. S. College, Bangalore, on  10 January 2015, Prof. S. R. Keshava, Professor, Dept of Economics, BUB, spoke on the relevance of Gandhi’s economic thoughts. The Director, CGS, gave a lecture on “Rediscovering Gandhian Values in our Times.” The Principal of APS College presided over the function.
    • The NSS students of Maharani’s College and the students from First Grade colleges of Kadugodi and Malleshwaram visited Gandhi Bhavan and did ‘shramadan’ at the premises of Gandhi Bhavan on 9 Jan 2015. An introduction to Gandhian thoughts was given to the students by the Director, CGS. Later, the  students were taken to Kuvempu Bhasha bharathi and National School of Drama  in Kalagrama in the Jnanabharathi Campus where Sri Basavalingaiah, the Director, NSD,  addressed the students and spoke about  the need for rational outlook in the students.
    • The Director, CGS, has published two edit page articles in Prajavani, leading Kannada daily on relevance of Gandhi - “E¯Éèà J¯ÉÆèà EgÀĪÀ UÁA¢üÃf” was published on 1st October 2014 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. Another article, “UÁA¢üÃf ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ ªÀÄgÀ½zÀ – ZÁjwæPÀ gÀÆ¥ÀPÀ” was published on 7th January 2015 on the occasion of the celebrations of the 100th year of Gandhiji’s return to India (on 9th January 1915) from South Africa. The Director also contributed an edit page article on “Ambedkar Samvidhana and Obama” in ‘Varthabharathi’, daily newspaper. 
    • The Director gave a talk on All India Radio on 9th January 2015 as part of the celebrations of the 100th year of Gandhiji’s return to India from South Africa.
    • Sarvodaya Day was commemorated on 30th Jan 2015 which was attended by nearly 200 NSS students of four different colleges of Bangalore. The NSS students from S.E.A. College, Bangalore, Maharani’s College, First Grade colleges of Kadugodi and Malleshwaram attended the programme and took out a peace march ‘±ÁAw0iÉÄqÉUÉ UÁA¢ü £ÀrUÉ’ in the campus displaying Gandhi sayings on the placards. The students from Department of Visual Arts actively participated in the programme and painted a huge canvas depicting the peace march. The group painting was guided by well known painter Prof. Jayakumar, HOD, Dept of Visual Arts, BUB. The group painting was inaugurated by the well known Gandhian and freedom fighter Sri H. S. Doreswamy and well known thinker and actor Prof. G. K. Govinda Rao and Prof. B. Thimme Gowda, Vice Chancellor, BUB. The painting was prominently displayed in the peace march organized in the campus. The guests took part in the programme and discussed the need for promoting Gandhian values in our times.
    • CGS organized a two-day National Seminar on 11th and 12th February 2015 in collaboration with S.E.A. College, Bangalore on “Mass Media: Challenges and Possibilities” at SEA College. Prof. K. N. Ningegowda, Registrar Evaluation, BUB, inaugurated the seminar. Noted journalist  Dinesh Aminamattu, Media Adviser to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Dr. Banjagere Jayaprakash, Chairman, Pustaka Pradhikara, B. M. Hanif, Editor, Sudha, Weekly Magazine, noted columnist N. M. A. Ismail, Prajavani, Devu Pattar, District Bureau Chief, Vijaya Karnataka, Prof. T. R. Chandrashekhar, Kannada University, Hampi and many more scholars from different parts of Karnataka presented papers in the seminar which had quite a few  brain storming sessions.
    • CGS organized a two day workshop called “UÁæªÀÄ PÀ£ÁðlPÀ - CzsÀå0iÀÄ£À ²©gÀ” on 7th and 8th March 2015 in collaboration with the Taluk Sahitya Parishat, Tiptur which was attended by 100 college students. The Director, CGS gave the keynote address on “Gandhi, Ambedkar, Lohia and Rural Karnataka”. Noted Kannada writers Dr. Mogalli Ganesh, Dr. M. S. Sriram, Nataraj Honnavalli, K. T. Gangadhar, President, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and many other writers and activists took part in the workshop and addressed several issues related to rural India.
    • Students of the Dept. of Political Science from Christu Jayanthi College visited Gandhi Bhavan on 16th March 2015 and two special lectures on “Rediscovering Mahatma Gandhiji” were arranged for the students. A competition was conducted for the students on Gandhian thoughts and prizes were distributed to the students. Prof. S. R. Keshava, Dept of Economics, gave a power point presentation to students on the relevance of Gandhi’s economic thoughts. The Director, CGS, gave a lecture on “Rediscovering Gandhiji in our Times.”
    • The students of the Dept. of Visual Arts visited Gandhi Bhavan along with their Director and presented a huge canvas depicting Gandhiji and his followers on 16th March 2015 to Gandhi Bhavan. The painting is prominently displayed in the Prayer Hall of the Gandhi Bhavan.
    • As part of its programme on Rediscovering Gandhiji, CGS has formed a group of actors who would present Gandhi Narratives to present Gandhiji’s life and vision and to popularize Gandhian values and Gandhian thoughts. CGS is collaborating with the Department of Visual Arts, BUB, and Theatre Tatkal group. CGS has developed the concepts and is working with the said theatre groups in this regard. It as produced two Gandhi Narratives.
    • CGS has prepared three books this year in the series ‘£ÀªÀÄä ¸ÀÄvÀÛt UÁA¢üUÀ¼ÀÄ’ and they are ready for publication. The ongoing series which already has over 50 books in its list, now includes three new books on noted Gandhian Ho.Shrinivasaiah, dedicated environmentalist Saalu Marada Thimmakka and freedom fighter Subrahmanya Shetty. CGS also intends to bring out special publications to mark the 100th year of Gandhi’s visit to Karnataka.
    • CGS has prepared a volume of Poems written on Gandhiji by prominent Kannada poets and has sought the help of Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara for a joint publication.
    • Lokanayaka Jayaprakash Narayan Award was conferred on the Director, CGS, on 11TH October 2014 by Bharatha Yatra Kendra in recognition of his service in popularizing  the thoughts of Lohia and Gandhi through his writings and speeches  which have richly contributed for the spreading of socialist values in the society.

     

Papers Presented/Lectures Delivered/ Visits by the Director

  • The Director, CGS was invited by Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi to present a paper on ‘Mahatma Gandhi and Ramamanohar Lohia’ in the seminar on "ªÀĺÁvÀä UÁA¢ü ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¸ÀªÀÄPÁ°Ã£À aAvÀPÀgÀÄ” on 14 June 2014.
  • The Director was invited by the Maharani’s College, Bangalore, to be a panelist in the National Conference on ‘Rediscovering the Vision of Mahatma Gandhiji in the Modern Era’ on 25th July 2014.
  • The Director was invited to present a paper in the Two Day National Seminar on “Untouchability and the Caste Question: Interrogating the Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate” in the Department of History, Sikkim Central University at Gangtok in Collaboration with ICHR, New Delhi, on 21st September, 2014.
  • The Director presented a paper titled “Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi in” the seminar on “qÁ. ©. Dgï. CA¨ÉÃqÀÌgï CªÀgÀ §zÀÄPÀÄ-aAvÀ£ÉUÀ¼À vË®¤PÀ CªÀ¯ÉÆÃPÀ£À” organised by Dr. B. Ambedkar Study and Research Centre, BUB and Prasarabharathi on 11th October 2014.
  • The Director was invited by the First Grade College, Kadur to present a paper on Secularism: The Perspectives of Gandhi, Marx, Ambedkar and Lohia” in the UGC sponsored National Seminar on 21st October 2014.
  • The Director presented a paper on “Contemporary  Challenges  of  Our  Culture”  on  15th   November 2014  in  the  National     Conference Alavas Nudisiri.
  • The Director was the Chief Guest for  Ambedkar Parinirvana Day, organized  by   the  Directorate of Kannada and Culture, Government of  Karnataka on  6th  December 2014. He presented a paper on the “Life and Writings of Dr B. R. Ambedkar”.
  • The Director has been selected as a member of the Executive Board of Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Gandhi Bhavan, Bangalore  and CGS is taking  an active part in the  programmes of Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi in promoting Gandhian values in the society.
  • The Director presented a paper on “Social Movements in Karnataka” in the All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held on 2nd February 2015 at Shravanabelagola.
  • The Director is appointed as a member of the publication of the ambitious project titled “£ÀªÀPÀ£ÁðlPÀ ¤ªÀiÁðPÀgÀÄ” taken up by Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara, Government of Karnataka.
  • The Director was the chief guest for the celebration of Ramamanohar Lohia’s Birthday on 23rd March 2015 at Gandhi Bhavan organised by Janata Dal United.