Karnataka > Malayalam Language in Karnataka
Evidence of cultural unity between Kerala and Karnataka emanate from the legends like those of Parashurama creating the coastal belt. Though the two cultures could be sprouts from a common Dravidian source, both perhaps had exposure to more or less identical foreigh influences also, because the entire strip of the West Coast constituted a centre of commerce and trade.
Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya cannot probably be considered as an exclusive representative of Kerala culture, since what he embodied was the general Hindu revival. He established one of his Peethams in Sringeri in Karnataka. He is said to have consecrated the present idol in the famous Mookambika temple at Kollur near Kundapur. Many Tulu Brahmins have migrated to Kerala. The latest link in this trail is perhaps the influence of Lord Ayyappa, the diety whose shrine is in Kerala, over the Kannadigas.
In the realm of linguistic feature, Kannada and Malayalam have originated from a common source, the Dravidian. Halegannada was often surprisingly close to Malayalam. Alphabets, basic vocabulary, underlying structures are all identical to great extent in these languages. Sanskrit influenced both the languages profoundly. The amount of influence of the great Sanskrit works of poets like Kalidasa, Bhasa etc., over Kannada and Malayalam is obvious.
The age old contact between Karnataka and Kerala entered into a new era during the missionary activities in the West Coast. Due to the patronage extended by the Sahitya Academy 'Chemmin', Yakshi' etc., have been translated into Kannada.
There are instances, though rare, of Kannada writers drawing inspiration from certain setting and features of Kerala life and vice versa. The well known progressive novel in Kannada, 'Chirasmarane* by Niranjana revolves around an incident that occured in Kerala village Kayyar, and its Malayalam rendering won overwhelming appreciation. One of the latest poems by Dr. Ayyappa Panieker, the outstanding modern poet of Malayalam, is titled 'Chamundimaleyile Thiruvilayattam'. Mention may also be made of the Trivandrum Karnataka Association which brought out a volume 'Mandara Mallige', a collection of representative pieces of Malayalam literature, translated into Kannada. In the recent period a band of new writers have come up whose translation of short stories, novels, monographs etc., are bringing the two languages and culture into closer contact. K.T.Sridhar ('Manju'), P.V.Puninchattaya ('Nannajjanigondaneyittu'), Srikrishna Bhat Arthikaje ('Ayyappan'), K.K.Nair, C.Raghavar, M.S.Lakshmanachar, N.S.Sharada Prasad, P.G.Kamat, Sarah Abubakar and Venugopala Kasaragod are prominent among them. The Karnataka Sangha of Thiruvanantapuram has brought out a publication called 'Purandaradasara Keerthanavali'with Malayalam translations with details of musical notes and explanations.
The universities in Karnataka offer Malayalam as one of the languages to be studied at the degree level. There is a department of Malayalam in the Mangalore government college. The M.A. course in South India studies is being run by the Mysore University has also given Malayalam its due recognition.
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