Heritage man Vijayanath Shenoy Passes away
Manipal: Renowned heritage conservationist and Ex-Banker Vijayanath Shenoy (83) who had started the Hasta Shilpa Trust passed away on Thursday, March 9 at his residence in Manipal.
His Hasta Shilpa Trust had executed the relocation of the rare and precious heritage buildings while they were on the verge of demolition. The relocated structures are spread over six acres of land in Manipal. The Parishat has made a special note of his single-handed, lifetime efforts to set up the village.
He is survived by his wife, son and a daughter.
Vijayanath Shenoy’s achievements, awards and contribution:
State Awards: Rajyotsava Award by the district level Government, Dakshina Kannada district in Mangaluru in November 1992. Rajyotsava Award by the Government of Karnataka, in Bengaluru in November 2003. Service Award by Shrimad Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji of Shree Kashi Math Samsthan Varanasi on the occasion of completion of 60 years of his Sanyasa ashram sweekara in Mumbai in May 2004. Udupi Paryayotsava Award by Shree Vishwapriya Thirtha Swami of Shree Admar Math at the Paryaya Durbar Sabha in Udupi in the year 2004. Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) from Karnataka State Open University, Manasagangotri, Mysuru, at its 7th Annual Convocation held on 8th February 2007. Annual State level Award by Karnataka Lalithakala Academy in Bengaluru on May 15, 2016. Appointed by the Government of Karnataka to serve as a Member of the Committee to advise the Government on the implementation of the Recommendations of the T.P Issar Committee on conserving century old buildings of the State.
National Awards: South Asia Travel Tourism Exchange SATTE Award for Rural Crafts Heritage Tourism 2011 sponsored by INTACH, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, New Delhi, at a function held in Gurgaon in January 2011. Naadoja H.L.Nage Gowda National Award by Karnataka Janapada Parishath in Bengaluru on May 14, 2016. Jewel of India Award by International Institute of Education and Management in New Delhi on July 25, 2016. Vijay Rattan Gold Medal Award by Indian Solidarity Council in New Delhi on July 25, 2016.
International Awards: Invited by the Royal Norwegian Government through its Embassy in New Delhi to visit Norway and study its society and culture at the Summer School of the University of Oslo.
Contribution to the Field: A good number of research students and other scholars keep coming to the Heritage Village from different parts of the country and abroad throughout the year for study and conducting research on various aspects of our cultural vestiges under the guidance of our resource persons. The Heritage Village project indeed has largely achieved its goal of educating, inspiring and motivating the people at large through its multifarious activities and thereby propagating Indian culture in various parts of the country.
Contribution to the Society: Founded a cultural organisation by name Sangeeth Sabha, Udupi in 1961 to generate new interest, appreciation and understanding among the native people in Indian classical music, dance, theatre and other performing arts. Served as its Secretary for 32 years. This organisation continues to do exemplary work in the field of classical performing arts. Served as the Secretary of a literary organisation of Udupi by name, Karnataka Sangha and organised literary debates, seminars and poets meets, and started as part of this organisation, a Writers Club in 1969 70. Founded Yaksha Mandal, a folk performing art organisation at Manipal in 1981 to present stage performances of traditional Yakshagana art and also hold periodical workshops in this form of art. Visited London to study the educational aspects of the exhibits at the British Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum. Studied the process of conservation of Viking Ships and Stave Churches in Norway in 1993. Books written In English Inscribed Heritage. In Kannada 1. Nenapina Shilpagalu 2. Patra Vatsalya 3. Patravali 4. Patra Samvada.
Created a public charitable Trust, known as Hasta Shilpa Trust, got it registered, and abandoned his right of ownership of his residential house in favour of this Trust and shifted to live in a normal house in Manipal.
Initiated the project of restoration and renovation of the four-century-old Mud Palace of Sural village in Udupi district in its original location with the help of the Department of Archaeology of Government of Karnataka and involved himself in this heritage-conservation venture.
Undertook the initial phase of work of restoration and renovation of the ancestral house of the late poet laureate Kuvempu at Kuppali in Thirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga district at the instance of the Government of Karnataka, Department of Kannada and Culture.
Concept utilised and developed the entire Udupi Paryaya Festival in 1968 during the ascendancy of Sri Pejavar Seer to the Paryaya Peeta. The present format of the festival procession having a wide representation of Art and Cultural facets represented by various Tableaux was introduced so that the ceremony would benefit a larger section of people.
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