First printed Kannada Book?

      

A Grammar of the Kurnata Language

 

Last month I went to Kolkata to visit National Library to look for information on translation of social science materials into Kannada in the last 200 years or so. This was my second visit to the Library but third proper visit to Kolkata. Earlier I had gone to the library to gather information on translation of Kannada texts into other Indian Languages. I was so busy with my work in my earlier two visits to Kolkata, I couldn’t visit Serampore.       

You might ask what is so special about Serampore. Answer is this was the Karma Bhoomi of William Carey. Now again you might ask who is this?       

William Carey (1761-1834) was a missionary; one of the founder members of English Baptist Missionary Society; is also called the “father of modern missionaries”. He in Serampore, which is around an hour journey from Kolkata, laid the foundation for typesetting of many of the Indian languages including Kannada.  A Grammar of Kurnata Language might be the first ever book that was printed and published. This book was authored and published by William Carey at Serampore.       

This time it was inevitable for me to visit Serampore. I had met a friend in one of the seminars who works in that college. This time in my field trip to National Library I was not alone. Dr. Usha of Kannada University, Hampi, my co-investigator in the project, was also with me. She was also interested in visiting Serampore. With the help of Mr. Kumarappa, a well known Horanaada Kannadiga; a translator of repute between Bengali and Kannada; the librarian of Kannada section in the library, our work was accomplished smoothly. When I told him about the visit to Serampore he immediately expressed his willingness to undertake the trip. Finally four of us, including Mr. Kumarappa’s wife, decided to visit Serampore, William Carey College, especially William Carey Library.       

But my friend Dr. Swati Datta, who works in the college, told me that there would be student union elections in the college on that day. Given West Bengal’s party (that too cadre based parties) rivalry between Communists, Congress and Trinamool, even the small student union election in a college will be a highly charged event. But we had made-up our mind: Now or Never. It was very difficult for us to locate the college in Serampore, it was neatly tucked away in a bylane. Once we approached buildings that were in dilapidated conditions, we thought the college must also be somewhere here. There was a heavy police bundobust outside the college; it was like a M.L.A. or M.P. election in our part of the country. The political party camps with posters and flags, supporters, activists of the party were in large number outside the gate. But we were able to get into the college without any trouble, when we showed our University identity cards and told the police that we would like to meet the Principal. One of the staff of the college took us from the gate to the Principal’s chamber. The principal was very cooperative, she rang up the William Carey librarian from her office and asked her to help us out.       

We reached the place, explained to the library staff the purpose of our visit, then things went on smoothly, we first visited the museum and then the stock section. Once we laid our hands on the 1817 book: A Grammar of Kurnata Language, our happiness knew no bounds. Mr. Kumarappa was saying that he has touched the book that was touched by William Carey. They allowed us to take a photograph of the first few pages. But I was not happy with it, as I wanted the whole book to be copied in my digital camera. We were not able to locate the other Kannada book, the translation of parts of New Testament into Kannada. But the title page was on display in the museum, I captured it in my camera. We purchased some books that were on the mission, the letters of William Carey and related issues and left the place with utmost satisfaction.       

The college was located on the river bank of Hooghly (Bengali name for river Bhagirathi, the tributary of river Ganga). We visited the river bank spent some time there to capture it in our digital camera. Then we moved towards another colonial (French) settlement. That is a different story.        

Outside William Carey Library: Dr. Usha, Mr. Kumarappa and his wife