BUNT

COMMUNITY

By Shloka Shetty

1
Index BUNTS:
THE COMPLETE
PICTURE
Chapter One : Introduction And History

Chapter Two : Culture, Lineage And Religion

Chapter Three : Cuisine

Chapter Four : Education And Philanthropy

Chapter Five : The Enterprising Bunts

Chapter Six : The Medical Prowess

Chapter Seven : Political Dominance

Chapter Eight : The Bollywood Connection

Chapter Nine : Law And Jurisdiction

Chapter Ten : The Creative Pursuit

2
Preamble
E
ver since I was a little girl, I was told numerous stories about
our community, our culture, and our heritage. Being part
of the Bunt Community, I have always been surrounded
by immense talent and more importantly, a great sense of
virtue. I have always been intrigued by this commmunity, which
I am proud to be a part of. Further, I have always hoped to
increase my sense of belonging to my community, and broaden
my knowledge on its origins and the role that it plays in today’s
society. I have also had a long lasting desire to help raise
awareness for the Bunts, who have made significant, yet slightly
unrecognised contributions to our society.
What characterises the Bunt Community is its unique history, and
the fact that its ancient cultures and traditions are alive even today.
This is what keeps all its members closely linked to eachother -
their common desire to continue the practices intiated by their
ancestors, and carry their community forward in diverse ways.
Even today, the members of the Bunt Community are known for
their mutual sense of concern and affection for eachother. I have
been witness to this all my life, observing that whenever anyone
faced an adversity, the whole community would be ready to help
them. I believe that it is this sense of support that has allowed the
Bunt community to achieve accolades in almost all disciplines,
be it entrepreneurhsip, medicine, film, politics or arts. The Bunt
community has left an indellible imprint on our community, and
has made immense contributions at a global scale as well.
Before undertaking this intiative, I, like most of the younger
members of my community, was unaware of how special the
Bunts are Writing this book has made me even more proud
of my heritage, and I wish to cultivate this sense of pride and
gratitude to all the members of my communtiy. I also hope to
inspire people outside of my community, to stay in sync with
their origins, be proud of where they come from, and give back
to society in whatver way possible.
-Shloka Shetty

3
Foreword

O
n behalf of the entire Bunts community I
would like to congratulate Shloka for her
interest and initiative in documenting our
history!
People from Mangalore have had a very interesting past.
Post Independence, the Government by then strongly
backed the implementation of land reforms, believing
them to be necessary in terms of social equity but also
for economic development. Land to the tiller would
allow income distribution more evenly among the
peasantry and thus give them the purchasing power.
In this way the internal market would expand and
productive forces of the country would grow. This
affected many Bunts familes in Mangalore and deprived
many owners of their farms and income forcing them to
migrate to cities like Mumbai in search of work.
I was one such person who worked in paddy fields till
the age of 17 and then had to pick up my life and move
on to build a life elsewhere. I chose Mumbai like many
others, and built a successful and fulfilling life.
Many Bunts have put India and our community on the
global stage and it humbles me to see their growth
and success. The next many generations will have
opportunities we could only dream of and I wish they
work hard with a sense of purpose and commitment.
It makes me very proud to see a young bunt girl put
together this piece on our history and capture it so
beautifully. To me it is a display of being firmly grounded,
for which I must also congratulate her parents. I wish
her all the very best in all her future endeavors.
-Manmohan Shetty, Founder, Imagica Adlabs

4

Mumbai
Andhra Pradesh
Mangalore
Kerala
HISTORY
The Bunts are Tulu and Kannada speaking people
found in Udupi, Mangalore and Mumbai. They are
originally from region of Tulu Nadu which includes the
districts of Udupi and Mangalore in the Indian state of
Karnataka but are also found in Kasaragod of Kerala.
T
here is no one anthropologically
established theory of origin
of Bunts’ community, rather
dif-ferent scholars and
historians have given their own
versions and theories regarding the genesis
of people of Tulunadu.
There is a reference to people from Tulunad
in ancient Greek texts and historical
references to Alva clans in Tulunad way
back in 150 AD.
According to Prof S. Shivaram Shetty of
Basrur, the Kosars tribe from the North
came south af-ter the Aryan invasion. This
powerful and martial tribe wandered in the
Decan for a few years as mercenaries of
the local rulers. While some settled in
and founded Shatava-hana kingdom, some
settled in Tuluva region and founded the
Aulpa kingdom.
Renowed Kannada poet, Govind Pai also
concurs that ‘Alupa’ rulers became Tulu
‘Aluvas’ and Alupa dynasty is synonymous
with Naga dynasty and Tulu people are the
same as the those Chandra dynasty.
During the rule of Vijayanagara, Tulu nadu
was administered in two parts ‘ Manaluru
rajya and Barakuru rajya. The people of the
community to the north of River Kalyanapur
(closer to Bar-akuru) called themselves
Nadavas and spoke Kannada and people
south of the river (closer to Mangaluru)
came to be known as Bunts.
As a warrior class, the Bunts attained their
greatest glory during the rule of Vijayanagara
Em-perors belonging to the Tuluva Dynasty
which was founded by a chieftain Bunt
called Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.
5
A distinctive feature of Tuluva local administration, The term Nadava too means those who reside in the
according to Prof. Shetty was the division of the Nadu nadu as farmers. Nadu also means ‘to plant’, and Bunts
into guttus. The guttadara had definite functions linked could have been primarily farmers who later took up
with it and the guttadara (holder of a guttu) enjoyed arms and thus got asso-ciated with the military class.
power of hereditary right. The guttedar belonged to
Another interesting facet of Bunts’ history is their close
the Nadava community and was called as ‘Bantaru’.
relationship with Jains in the Dakshina Kannada region.
He had to help the ruler of the Nadu in times of crisis.
Bunts were here before the arrival of Brahmanism and
So while Nadava denoted a community or caste, the
Jainism into the region. It is said that many Bunt’s
Bunt denoted a position of power.
with high social standing were converted to Jainism
After the fall of the dynasty, the Bunts again into the region. It is said that many Bunt’s with high
concentrated themselves in Tulu Nadu where they social standing were converted to Jainism and took
took to large scale agriculture in the vast area of land to that religion many of the Bunt social customs like
they still possessed and also served as administrators Aliyasanthana which is not found in Jainism else-
and warriors in the various minor Hindu and Jain where. Also Bunt surnames like Chowta, Banga, Ajila,
kingdoms that controlled vari-ous parts of the region found coinage in Jainism. 
from time to time. No wonder the community till date
is known as tough and resilient.
Another theory from Dr. K.V.Ramesh, author of A
History of South Kanara, suggests that Jaya Bhutala
Professor P. Gururaja
Pandya (345 BC) was the first Alupa ruler of Bunt
extraction. It is almost certain that in around 2000
Bhatt offers three
BC, there were kings in Tulu Nadu, some independent
and some under the suze-rain of overlords like Alupas,
hypotheses with regard
Kadambas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. There were to the profession and
constant skir-mishes and fighting, and the ‘Buntaru’ or
warriors were important stabilizing segments of the the origin of the Bunt
population. In due course the Bunts succeeded in
becoming owners of lands. community.
Professor P. Gururaja Bhatt offers three hypotheses
with regard to the profession and the origin of the
Bunt community.
The first hypothesis says that they were the builders
of nadus (land), and as warriors their chief occupation
and obligation was to protect the land.
They may have been mainly agricultural people, living
in families known as okkalus, thus earn-ing the name
okkelme in Tulu (an okkaliga, meaning farmer).

6
 INTRODUCTION
AND HISTORY
“ I alone cannot
change the world,
but I can cast a
stone across the
waters to create
“
many rip-ples.
Mother Teresa
“By nature, Bunts are extroverts. When
the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961 came
into force, the youth started migrating to
Bangalore, Mumbai and the Gulf in search
of jobs. Their hard-working and creative
nature found them various lucrative offers.
It’s not just the hotel industry or other
corporate jobs. Their attractive physical
appearance, coupled with their creativity,
found Bollywood and Sandal-wood
scouting for them as well,” says Dr Indira
Hegde, a national laureate who has penned
a book on Bunts titled “Bantaru: Ondu
Samajo-Samskritika Adhayana (Bunts : A
Socio - Cultural Study)”
Historian Edgar Thurston in his book “Caste
and tribes of south India” says, “Men and
women of the Bunt community belong to
a beautiful race of Asia. Men have a broad
forehead and a parrot nose. Mostly they
are of fair complexion. Even today they are
of independent nature, short tempered,
self-respecting and have a muscular body,
which tells about the history of belonging
to warrior families.”
I
f we tell you that names like Aishwarya Rai, actor and
model; Suneil Shetty, actor and business man; Dr. Devi
Prasad Shetty, internationally renowned cardio-surgeon,
Dr. R.N.Shetty, owner R.N.Shetty group of companies;
A B Shetty, founder, Vijaya Bank; Late Kayyara Kinhanna
Rai, freedom fighter and poet; Shashi Kiran Shetty, founder
All Cargo Logistics, have something in common. Will you
be surprised?
Well, don’t be. All these performers par excellence in
their respective domains who have made it big with sheer
hard work and perseverance are connected to each other
through their com-mon roots in the Bunt community.
Bunts are everywhere and have excelled in every facet of
life- from Bollywood to underworld, banking to writing,
philanthropy to medicine, religion to engineering, law to
enterprise, they are ubiquitous and each one of them has
cast many stones across different waters creating their own
ripples and niche.
Add to this description their entrepreneurial skills and you
have all the Shettys, `Rais, Choutas and Hegdes ruling the
roost.
The word Bunt comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Bhata’ which
means powerful man or a soldier; the Tulu equivalent
is ‘Bunte’ meaning protector. Bunts are also referred to
as ‘Nayaka’, ‘Shetray’ and ‘Nãdava’ which means leader,
nobility, and landlord respectively in Tulu.
Shetty is the anglicised form of ‘Shetray’ and is the most
common of all Bunt surnames followed by Rai. In areas,
where the community has migrated like Mumbai, the
community is simply referred to as the Shettys.
7
 Aliyasanthana tradition

T
his tradition is one of the defining customs of the
Bunt community. Bunts believe that this tradition
was inherited from king Bhutala Pandya who ruled
Tulunadu and introduced this system in 77 A.D. It is
said that when the maternal uncle, king Deva Pandya
of prince Bhutala Pandya wanted to launch his newly constructed
ships with valuable cargo in them, the king of Demons Kundodara
demanded a hu-man sacrifice. The king Deva Pandya desperately
asked his wife’s permission to offer one of his sons for sacrifice,
but his wife refused and went away with her seven children. At
this juncture, King’s sister Satyavati offered her son Jaya Pandya
for the sacrifice. The king of demons, Kundodara discovering
the child’s sign of future greatness, waived the sacrifice and
permitted ships to sail. He then took the child, restored to him
his father’s kingdom of Jayantika and gave him the name Bhutala
Pandya. When some of the ships brought immense wealth, the
demon again appeared and demanded from Deva Pandya another
sacrifice.
The king Deva Pandya spoke to his wife again but she refused and
publicly renounced her title and that of her children to valuable
property brought in the ships. Then Kundodara demanded that
Deva Pandya disinherit all his sons of the kingdom and his
wealth and to bestow all on his sister’s son Bhutala Pandya.

CULTURE,
Thus, Bhutala Pandya inherited his kingdom from his maternal
uncle and not from his father and ruled for 75 years. After him,
his nephew Vidyadyumna Pandya inherited the kingdom and

LINEAGE
ruled for nearly eighty years and like. The Aliyasantana or the
Matriarchal system gives property rights to the lady and all rights
and responsibilities are centralized in her. This may be because
when men went to the battlefield, the wife took the whole

AND
responsibility of the family and became the decision-maker.
So in the Aliyasantana system more importance is given to the
mother’s side of the family. More respect is given to maternal
uncles than to the paternal uncles. 

RELIGION Bunt categories

There are different categories
Bunts have always lived under a joint like Bantaru, Nadavaru, Jain Maasaadika Bunts:
They are the Tulu speaking
family system governed by “Aliyasanthana” Bunts, Masaadika Bunts,
Parivaara Bunts, Setru, common Bunts of Tulunadu
(Matriarchal) tradition. Their ancestors have Halarusetru, Baraga, Ullaye, who have mostly settled
in the Southern part of
followed this system for generations together Dokkaludethi, Kartharu,
Palavaru, Okkelakalu. South Kanara from Udupi to
and according to their customs the entire Kasaragod.
property vested with eldest member of Naadavas or
the family, either male or female known as Nadabunts: They are
Kannada Speaking people
“Yajaman” or “Yajamanthi”. from northern parts
of South Kanara from
The law was recognized by the modern Brahmavar to Baindoor.
courts as far back as the British India in 1843.
Parivaara Bunts: They are
normally from northern side.
Jain Bunts: They are bunts Their matrimonial relationships
who converted to Jainism are however restricted with
influenced by Jain Kings. other divisions. They follow
Some common surnames Brahmin culture.
are like Alva, Hegde, Banga,
Konde, Ajila etc.

8
 YAKSHAGANA
Yakshagana is a folk theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue,
costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form.
This folk theater style is mainly found in the coastal districts and the
Malenadu region of Karnataka, India, specifically in the districts of Uttara
Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga and Kasaragod.Yakshagana is
traditionally presented from dusk to dawn. However, Yakshagana defies
simple classification into categories such as folk, classical, or rural. It
can be included in each or all of these, depending upon the rules used
for classification. It is more varied and dynamic than most dance forms.
Yakshagana can, however, be classified as one of many traditional dance
forms.Yakshagana is a separate genre of music, independent of Karnataka
Sangeetha and the Hindustani music of India. It is believed to have
survived as an indigenous phenomenon only in Karnataka.

9
History
Experts have placed the origin of Yakshagana
somewhere in the period of the 11th to 16th centuries
CE.Yakshagana was an established performance
art form by the time of the noted Yakshagana
poet, Parthi Subba (c. 1600). His father, Venkata, is
attributed by some to be the author of the great
Hindu epic, Ramayana.The Yakshagana form of
today is the result of a slow evolution, drawing its
elements from ritual theater, temple arts, secular
arts (such as Bahurupi), royal courts of the past,
and the artists’ imaginations—all interwoven over a
period of several hundred years.[8]It is also believed
to have been strongly influenced by the Vaishnava
Bhakti movement.
Mela or Troupes
There are about 30 full-fledged professional troupes,
and about 200 amateur troupes in Yakshagana.
Professional troupes go on tour between November
to May, giving about 180-200 shows. There are about
one thousand professional artists and many more
amateurs. Further there are off season shows during
the wet season, the anniversary shows, school and
college students Yakshagana and of course the
Talamaddale performances. Yakshagana commercial
shows witness 12,000 performances per year in
Karnataka generating a turnover of Rs. Six crore.
Important Components
The important components of this dance form include
Raga (melodic framework), Tala (rhythmic framework),
Prasanga and literature (collection of poems written to
form a musical drama, some of which are still preserved),
costumes and ornaments(rich in colour, elaborate,
heavy make-up especially for devilish characters).
Variations of Yakshagana
Puppetry variant
The presentation of the puppetry in Yakshagana style
is highly stylized and adheres strictly to the norms and
standards of Yakshagana. The puppets (generally 18
inches high) wear costumes similar to those worn by
live actors of Yakshagana, and have the same elaborate
make-up, colorful headgear, and heavy jewelery.The
puppeteer is known as the Suthradhara. The content
in the Yakshagana puppetry, is also mainly drawn from
the ancient epics.
Ballet Variant
The second half of the 20th century saw experiments
and adoptions of this art into other venues. One
notable effort was that of Shivarama Karantha, who
produced and exhibited Yakshagana ballet, using and
training local artists. Some of the changes brought
about by Karanth, however, attracted criticism.One
legal decision even banned any public performance of
his experimental ballets being billed as “Yakshagana.”
10
 RELIGION
& GODS
The main deity of worship, long before Vaishnavism spread in Tulu
nadu in the 8th century, was Shiva (and Durga as well as members
of their family- Ganesha and Subramanya).

11
T
he Bunts of Tulu nadu were originally Shiva The legend of Siri
worshippers like the rest of the population.
A few temples managed by Bunt households deify the
Only after the visit of Shankaracharya in the 8th
legend of a Bunt woman called Siri who stood for the
century and the impetus of Vaishnavism after
dignity and honour of Bunt women and fought against
Madh-vacharya’s influence in the region in the
gender discrimination. Ka-vathar is the venue of a temple
14th century did the Bunts, like the others in the region,
of Siri where the annual festival is held. The Epic of Siri is
embrace all forms of Hindu gods.
an epic poem in the Tulu language. Consisting of more than
One of the unique aspect about the Bunt community of Tulu fifteen thousand lines, it holds the distinction of being the
nadu is their reverence of various spirits in addition to the longest poem in Tulu.
established gods of Hinduism. Daivas or bhutas as they are
The epic is essentially a biography of a legendary Bunt
referred to do not have a set form of physical representation.
princess Siri Alvedi (Alva) and expands to describe the fate
Symbolically a piece of rock is sanctified and considered
of her progeny - son Kumara, daughter Sonne, and grand
as bhuta. Figurines made of wood or metal, often crudely
daughters, Abbage and Darage. The epic declares Siri’s
carved, are also used as symbols of bhutas. Planks of wood
divinity and also that of her progeny and she is worshipped
or stone pillars with a niche and a conical or a flat stone on
as a Daiva (demi goddess) across Tulu Nadu region, in
its top also are symbols of the spirit. Some of the stronger
temples known as Adi Alade. Siri is the patron deity of
spirits have more elaborate stone pillars and may even have
the Bunt people. The epic poem, though in Tulu, is also
temple-like permanent abodes called bhuta stanas. These
well known among Kan-nada speaking populations in and
shrines are not elaborate, but are simple structures usually
around Tulu Nadu. It is recited in parts with accompanying
single cells with projecting thatched roofs. A number of
rituals during the annual festival of Siri Jatre. Complete
weapons, made of wood or metal, are kept in the bhuta ‘
recitation of the epic takes close to about 25 hours.
stanas.
The Epic of Siri has been translated into English by Lauri
The Bunts and other communities see these good natured
Honko, a Finnish linguo-folklorist. Siri Epic has been
bhutas as protective spirits who are either classified as
compared to the Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey in the
belonging to the whole village, or to a particular community
academic circles.
or caste, or a family. Some bhutas have a special revered
position with certain communities, e.g. Bobbariya has a
special place in the heart of the Billava community of Tulu The Legend of Agoli Manjanna
nadu. While some of them are off-shoots of the more
The portrait of Bunts will not be complete without
famous gods of Hinduism, e.g. vishnumurti and berme, who
mentioning the name of Bunt Manjanna. Agoli Manjanna was
are identified with Vishnu and Brahma, others are spirits of
the Bhima of Tulu Nadu. His adventures and achievements
dead people who were prominent figures in the community
were superhu-man. Manjanna is known as a noble and
and had done good deeds while they were alive. Yet some
helpful person with no education, no special skills, but for
are derived from animals, like the panjurli (pig) and Pili-
his super strength. He used his unique strength for the
chamundi (tiger).
benefit of the public and for noble causes. He acquired the
Worship of the bhuta or daiva gives Tulu nadu a distinct flavor. name of Agoli Manjanna because of his eating habits; he
It is thought that be-fore bhakti Hinduism was introduced to had a huge appetite and needed an enormous amount of
the region, the spirits were the main deities worshipped by food daily. Manjanna was born at Katla in Su-rathkal village.
the local people. Shaivism was the main religion and spirits A hill is named after him near Kavoor - Manjanna Gudde.
are naturally associated with Shiva, as he is the overlord of
all the spirits. With the advent of Vaishnavism, the spirits
attained a secondary role to the numerous other gods of
Hindu pantheon. However, the spirits’ worship did not
become obsolete and continues even today. Other castes,
especially Brahmins, also accepted the spirits as lesser
divinities and facilitated their worship by the non-Brahmins of
Tulu nadu. It is not uncommon to see the yearly ceremonies
for the bhutas conducted in the households of Brahmin
landlords, attended by the local village people.

12

EDUCATION &
PHILANTHROPY
Currently, we have 1.26 million government
schools, 80,000 private schools, 31,000 colleges
and 611 universities in India. Perhaps, now is the
period than ever before in the history of the
Indian subconti-nent, public interest in education
and its life-sustaining social and private benefits
is at its peak. But there has to be a deep past
if such a bright future has been created for the
coming generations.
Without any exaggeration, we can state that
there are many educationist and philanthropist
that bunt community has contributed to the
world.
B
unts community is not limited to
arts and culture or the old traditions
started by their forefathers. We can
say that almost every person knows
how to create a path for themselves
with hard work and determination, but for
bunts, it runs in their blood. Considering
how important the bunts community is to our
history and future, many people don’t know
about them.
Here we bring you a list of names of those
people who have been successful in their
profession and caused a change in the
community.
One name comes to our mind immediately,
Dr.M.Shantaram Shetty, Chairman of “World
Bunts Foundation”. His achievements are
backed by a selfless service to the society, not
just in medicine but also in education, social
service based on the bedrock of profound
Knowledge. Born on April 14, 1942, Dr M
Shantharam Shetty MS (Ortho) FICS FIAMS,
orthopaedic surgeon, who was formerly
professor and head of the department of
orthopaedics and director of PG studies at
the Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore from
1980 to 1997, is now the dean of the K S Hegde
Medical Academy (KSHEMA) at Deralakatte in
the outskirts of the city.
He has presented more than 110 academic
papers in international, national and state-level
orthopedic and surgeons’ conferences and
published most of them. He has delivered more
than 35 lectures, including state and national
continuing medical education programs and
delivered 5 orations of different surgical and
medical associations. In the case of awards, he
has been awarded the best paper award at a
national conference in 1978 at Udaipur.
Along with above-mentioned achievements,
he has also conducted more than 54 medical
camps - to various parts of Dakshina Kannada,
Udupi and Kasaragod districts, which clearly
shows his love for his people.
Another gem is Chintamani Nagesa
Ramachandra Rao FRS, also known as C.N.R.
Rao, one of the world’s leading solid state and
materials chemists. Born on 30th June 1934, he
currently serves as the Head of the Scientific
Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of
India. Rao has honorary doctorates from 60
universities from around the world and has
authored over 1,500 research papers and 45
scientific books.
13
On 16 November 2013, the Government of India announced
his selection for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in
India, making him the third scientist after C.V. Raman and A.
P. J. Abdul Kalam to re-ceive the award. He was conferred
the award on 4 February 2014 by President Pranab Mukherjee
in a special ceremony in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
Then comes, Shakuntala Shetty, who is a social worker and
MLA from Puttur, Karnataka. She is also considered as the lone
woman legislator to be accommodated as the parliamentary
secretary.
Shakuntala who had won from Puttur in the 2004 Assembly
elections, had later lost the 2008 elections. However, with
thousands of her fans, she ultimately decided to join the
Congress.
Shri Rajashekharananda Swamiji of Shri Vajradehi Mutt has
dedicated himself to the social service in a religious way.
His Purvashrama(real) name was Nonayya Shetty. With his
continued dedication towards social service and outlook,
extension travel and experience he earned great reputation
all over the world.
In the 1990s, students had to travel 40-50 km to college and
institutions, at a place called Moodbidri. However, a chain of
institutions started in 1995 has transformed Moodbidri into an
international educational township. The man behind this is,
Dr.M.Mohan Alva.
The chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation, Dr.M.Mohan
Alva was born in an agrarian family on 31st May 1952 in Mijar,
a small village near Moodbidri.
Dr. Alva has established several institutions providing basic
education starting from Pre-University, De-gree courses
in faculties like Arts, Commerce, and Science. He also
established institutions in Medical sciences in particular
Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Naturopathy and Yoga at Graduate
level and Post Graduate courses in Ayurveda and Para Medical
Courses like Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medical Laboratory
Technology, latest being a full-fledged Engineering college
called Alva’s Institute of Engineering & Technology.
Kanthadi guttu Harish Pergade is the founder of Sri Matha
Lakshani -Old Age Home, which takes care of elderly with
love and care.
Dr.K.Sanjeeva Shetty, a veteran Kannadiga activist titled as
Bheeshmacharya of Kannada, teacher, and mentor. He was a
renowned poet, critic and Kannada columnist, story writer and
founder editor of Bantaravani bulletin published by metro-
based Bunts Sangh. He has bagged more than 150 awards from
social, welfare, voluntary organizations and literacy unions
from all over the country.
Dr.B.A.Vivek Rai is a veteran scholar, researcher, and writer
and has been the former vice chancellor of Hampi Kannada
University and Mysore Open University. He has been elected
as the President of Alva’s Vishwa Nudisiri Virasat-2013.
Born on December 8, 1946, in Punacha of Puttur taluk, Dr. B
A Vivek Rai completed his school, PU, and BSc in Puttur, his
MA in Kannada and Ph.D. in Mysore University. He has done
research in the field of language and culture, written books,
poems, novels, etc and has bagged a number of awards
and recognitions for his works. He has also been a member
of various associations like Folklore Fellows, Finland, and
International Society for Folk Narrative Research, Sahitya
Academy, New Delhi and so on.
He was awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1999,
Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Acade-my Award in
1996, Sandesha Award in 2000, Tulu Sahitya Academy
Award in 2002 and much more.
Vishu Shetty is a social worker. He has rescued many
helpless orphans and sick persons. Bunts are very well
aware of the importance of giving back to the society.
H. S. Ballal, an Indian radiologist and Academic Administrator
is another significant contributor in the field of education
and philanthropy. He is the Pro-Chancellor of Manipal
University and has been the Chairman of FICCI - Higher
Education Committee.
Ballal hails from an ethnic Bunt Hebri Beedu family. Ballal
graduated with an MBBS from Mysore Medi-cal College and
post graduated with DMRD and MD in Radio-diagnosis from
Government Medical Col-lege, Bangalore.
Dr Ballal has been an active member of Indian Medical
Association (IMA). In 1987 he was elected as President
of IMA, South Canara Branch and the Vice-President of
Karnataka State Indian Radiological and Imaging Association.
He is a member of Central Council of Indian Radiological
and Imaging Assoc. and member of National Advisory Board
of Indian Journal of Radiology.
It’s because of these pioneers of education and service to
the society that the Bunts could lay a solid foundation for
the entire community. The initiative of these dynamic people
who were determined to bring the transformation to their
community and the nation .
14
You have achieved so much in your life values in me. Our people are known for our hard
being a Philanthropist, industrialist of fame work and the community history shows that our leaders
& educationist. What lead to your success? have always led from the front sacrificing their own lives
and personal interests in the process. Our people have
Success, as they say, is a relative term. I am a believer made a name globally in every field and many of us owe
in destiny because I feel destiny has taken me closer our success for our devotion to carry out the task on
to the goal I aspired for both as a businessman and as hand with sincerity and utmost responsibility. There
an educationist. My father was a strong man with clear is always a give and take characteristic in the bunt
views and a vision. He had a burning desire to achieve community and I am proud to say I have derived my
something in life. Unlike my father initially I was not at strength from my community.
all driven by any aspirations to be an ‘achiever’. Life
I have been the fortunate son of this vibrant bunt
has always been kind to me and I feel whatever little I
community which has played a stellar role in the
have achieved has been beyond what I was expected
progress we have achieved in socio, economic, political
of vis-a-vis my intellectual ability and expectations of
and cultural fields. Our community has a rich tradition
others. There is no denying the fact that hard work is
and proud heritage and it is the bounden duty of every
the key to success and the same logic applies to me.
member to carry forward this rich legacy.
Hard work is the tonic which keeps me energised and
channelized to continue what
I have begun. Being a philanthropist of such
At the same I believe the magnitude, what are some
success of an institution cannot of your own plans for the
be attributed to the hard further uplift-meant of your
work of a single person. It is community & suggestions/
the result of collective work guidance to the young bunt
and responsibility of all those generation going to come
who are involved in the task. to the main stream of our
I have to be honest and give society.
the credit where it is due. I Education is the social institution that
attribute my accomplishments can bring about drastic changes in the
to the team work wherein the lives of the population. I strongly
efforts, diligence and dedication believe that education is the best tool
of hundreds of my colleagues to bring about the required change
have contributed appreciably in and it applies to the entire society
making Nitte Education Trust irrespective of the community they
a successful institution. In belong to. Through the Foundation of
the process I am enjoying the Nitte Education Trust we have been
laurels of success and fame the trying to provide quality education to
institution has achieved. our children and we have succeeded
to a great extent on that front.
The Foundation is also involved in
Your father was a driving charitable work like village adoption,
force? You derive great housing, education and healthcare,
influence from him? vocational training and resettlement
My father was a philanthropist of displaced children. This work of
and naturally I must have the Foundation will continue in the
inherited some of his qualities. years to come and would benefit all
At the same time I don’t call including the weaker sections of the
myself a philanthropist in society. These benefits would also
the strict sense. After his be available to the worthy people of
retirement my father started the Bunt community also. Though I
the Nitte Education Trust to cannot repay the debt of the society
help the native people of Nitte entirely which has given me everything
and empower them. I just I want to repay my gratitude through
continued what he had begun
by giving wings to his vision and
Dr. Vinay Hegde, my contributions to the field of
education and healthcare.
Founder and Chancellor,
make it more practicable. I
Nitte Education Trust There is a pressing need for the
had the good fortune of living
community to pay attention to
in a big family amidst a group of
educational and healthcare sectors
three to six children who were
as both these sectors are interlinked
our relatives. Living in such an

15

atmosphere instilled in me the quality of give and take
at a young age and this give and take policy has become
a part and parcel of my life all these years. I feel it
was my duty to give back to the society from which I
have benefitted a great deal and it was spontaneous. I
followed it long back even before the term corporate
social responsibility became a buzzword in our country.
Many students seek their education from
Nitte Education Trust. Tell us more about
its foundation?
Under Nitte Education Trust we have established a
foundation to undertake philanthropic work. There is
definitely no shortcut to hard work and whatever I have
achieved as a businessman and through Nitte Education
Trust is not accidental. It is the fruit of my long
term vision, commitment, desire, ability to work hard,
also an ardent urge to render a helping hand to the
deserved apart from the the collective efforts of . Of
course, in achieving this success I had to make a few
compromises here and there and that is a small price
I had to pay to do something good to the society as a
whole and I have no regrets on that count.
You must be extremely proud of your
lineage. If you can say a few words about
the fact that you are a member of the bunt
community.
I am thankful to god that I am born in the bunt
community and I think that is usually true about all of
us. My father Justice K S Hegde was an eminent
lawyer and politician and was a public figure. In his
absence from home due to his preoccupation it was
my mother who moulded my personality. My mother
constantly kept reminding me about my responsibility
to live up to the expectations of my father and that of
the community. I derived my motivation from by father
and moral and emotional strength from my mother and I
must acknowledge that the families of our parents have
contributed in their own way in making me what I am.
Being the son of a famous father who was judge of the
Supreme Court and Speaker of Lok Sabha was not at
all a deterrent for me to establish my own identity. I
must admit my lineage might have come in handy in
my endeavours knowingly or unknowingly. But I must
admit that I never misused that lineage and the need to
do so also did not arise.
To what extent you believe that the
Community’s proud heritage helped you?
The Bunt community to which I belong to is always
known for its leadership quality wherein community
leaders have worked as an inclusive community. From
my community I have learnt not to differentiate between
people and communities and I am happy to say I have
been able to put into practice these aspects. I firmly
believe in human relationships and I am thankful to my
community for imbibing such constructive and humane
and play a pivotal role in reducing poverty and creating
wealth. Quality education will pave the way for
improved healthcare and an educated and healthy
population is a treasure to any community. It would a
dream come true for me to provide free education and
healthcare to our community.
We have some great women achievers in
the community. Would you also like to
share some of your wisdom with them?
The Bunt community has always given respect, status and
position to women. The betterment of any community
would depend to a great extent on the empowerment
of their women. Our community should work diligently
to empower our women and also strengthen the family
bond. The evil of dowry is a major social malpractice
widely practised in our community and it has caused
havoc and despair among many Bunt families. The evil
of dowry is a bane to our community and though there is
a considerable decline in this trend recently and I would
like to work to completely wiping out this evil. Wiping
out this practice would go a long way in empowering
our women and thereby strengthening the institution of
family. Our community should come out of its archaic
thinking and practices which are detrimental to our
progress.
The future of our community lies in the
hands of the upcoming generation who are
spread all around the world. What is it that
you will advice them about our culture?
I consider it my duty to contribute in my own way to
safeguard our rich traditions, customs, culture, heritage,
art, literature, art and language. Long back our
community took to agriculture out of love for the soil
and we need to continue this tradition. I am willing to
render whatever help I can towards this cause. We
have to guide our youth not to abandon agriculture
totally and to concentrate on activities that might help
preserve the distinctive culture of this land.
There is a pressing need for the community to pay
attention to educational and healthcare sectors as
both these sectors are interlinked and play a pivotal
role in reducing poverty and creating wealth. Quality
education will pave the way for improved healthcare
and an educated and healthy population is a treasure to
any community.
Our people should realise the importance of preserving
our vibrant culture, art, tradition and language. The
youngsters of the community should realise the
importance of continuing this bequest and our
community leaders should guide our youth in this
direction. The youth should join the mainstream of
the society and become harbingers of change that can
improve the society as a whole.
16
 SK Shetty
AB Shetty Founder & Chairman,
Founder, Vijaya Bank Allcargo Logistics

THE ENTERPRISING
BUNTS
The entrepreneurial story of Bunts goes back at the turn of the
19th century, when, although Bunt landlords and entrepreneurs
had plenty of money no one had the strategic vision, or the
drive, or the skills, or the contacts to think big. This is one of
the biggest reason why South Kanara remained an industrially
backward region for the early part of the 20th century despite
the rise of major business houses across India.

BR Shetty Dr. RN Shetty Manmohan Shetty,

MD & CEO, UAE Exchange Philanthropist & Educationist Founder, Imagica Adlabs

17

S
o, only the Bunts who migrated to
Mumbai or other parts of the country
could excel and learn busi-ness.
Thimmappa Bhandary, an engineer
in metallurgy, was one of the first
Bunts to be a successful entrepreneur. He was
followed by many young Bunts who made big
names in manufacturing and earned accolades.
While, in South Kanara many Bunts started to
venture into modern industry and managed
highly suc-cessful companies. Badila Dooma
Rai seem to have been the first Bunt to start a
tile factory in Manga-lore.
Business and money making qualities of Bunts
is not unheard of. They have the leadership
instinct the, team building qualities and grit
that makes them successful in their ventures.
Startups might be the buzz word in today’s
day and age, but bunts have been using their
enterprising skills for quite a while now.
It is the later half of the 20th century that Bunts
in Karnataka made big names in the construction
sector, including some major hydro electric
projects and tunnel drilling, road building and
dam construction. They went on to become
household names in Bunt families. While men
with excellent managerial skills joined the
bandwagon of public works contractors.
In the 1920’s and 1930’s Bunt entrepreneurs
became legendary captains of hotel industry in
Mumbai. To an extent that the name “Shetty”
was synonymous to the “hotel industry”.
Hence, they became the backbone and the
financial strength for their coastal district.
A businessman is a spokesman of the society
and they have important obligations toward
the society. Bunts are very well aware of their
responsibility and duty towards the larger good
of their culture and community. They provide
equal opportunities to talented people to get
ahead on the basis of their skills or character.
That is the reason why you find so many
Bunts filling the shoes of the other successful
entrepreneurs only because of their skill set.
The entrepreneur Bunts like Shashi Kiran
Shetty, Founder & Chairman, Allcargo Logistics
Ltd have not only excelled in their business
but have also set new standards of excellence
for other service industries.
Allcargo Logistics is India’s first truly integrated
global logistics company with operations in
over 160 countries . It has been Shashi Kiran’s
professional acumen and perseverance that
today Allcargo Logistics is India’s largest
integrated logistics service provider in private
sector, listed on BSE & NSE.
Acknowledging his contribution in taking India’s
logistics industry to the global arena, he was
conferred with the ‘Distinction of Commander
of the Order of Leopold II’ by H.M. King Philippe
of Belgium. Shetty’s strong entrepreneurial
skills are rooted in firm beliefs in Corporate
Social Responsibility. His acts of philanthropy
are reflected through the ‘Avashya Foundation’
a non profit NGO of the Avvashya Group.
The foundation focuses on social programs
for Natural Disaster Relief, Education, Health
Care, Women Empowerment, Sports and
Environmental Sustainability.
Dr.R.N.Shetty is an Indian entrepreneur,
philanthropist and an educationist. He is the
owner of R.N.Shetty group of companies which
includes R.N.S.Maruthi Suzuki, Murdeshwar
ceramics and Navin Hotel Limited and he is also
the Chairman of the educational institutions
under the R.N.Shetty trust. He is credited with
modernisation
of the temple town of Murdeshwar. The
Murdeshwara Shiva temple and temple complex
including the 249 feet tall Raja Gopura which is
credited the tallest Gopuram in the Asia
18
as well as a huge towering statue of Shiva
considered to be the tallest statue of Shiva in
the world, were built by the finance provided
by R.N.Shetty.
Attavar Balakrishna Shetty (A.B.Shetty) is a
name to reckon with. He is the founder of
Vijaya Bank, which is today one of the foremost
nationalized bank in India. He is counted amongst
the most inspiring Indian political leaders. The
weekly Kannada language publication, called
“Navayuga” is also his enterprise. He started
it as he was aware of the need for circulation
of news and information about world affairs
among people in the erstwhile South Canara
district. In addition, Canara Printing Press in
Mangalore was also pioneered by Mr. Shetty
realising the necessity of good financial backing
for the progress of any community Deeply
secular and progressive in outlook, Shetty was
interested in the activities of the Theosophical
Society, the Brahmo Samaj, the Arya Samaj,
the Depressed Classes Mission, etc., all of
which were engaged in the uplift of neglected
sections of society. He also served as Minister
in the erstwhile Madras Presidency and later
in Madras State, holding various portfolios
such as agriculture and veterinary, medical and
public health, cooperation, housing and ex-
servicemen .
Bunt women are also known for their multi
tasking and dynamic attitude. Mrs. Subi Mally
the Chairper-son and Managing Director of
Strategic Sourcing Group, has a persona which
is said to have revolution-ized the concept of
Marketing as an overall industry.
S M Shetty is a familiar name in the education
sector, his chain of schools are more than
popular. He is a businessman and educationist
par excellence.
In the late 90s UAE became a rising spot for
Bunts, thanks to the active role of people like
Dr. B.R.Shetty and Varadaraj M. Shetty. V. M
Shetty came to the Middle East at the age
of 18 and initially worked in various roles in
hospitality sector. He started the Ramee Group,
which owns 37 properties including hotels,
apartments and resorts in India,U.A.E.,Bahrain
and Oman.
Dr. B.R.Shetty is the M.D.and C.E.O. of
U.A.E.Exchange. Today, the company is
headquartered in Abu Dhabi and operates more
than 700 offices across 30 nations globally.
The company when established in 1975 was
initially interested in hospitals and hospitality,
but since then has diversified into sectors
in-cluding pharmaceuticals, global financial
services, retail, advertising and information
technology. Health care sector has been highly
benefitted by Mr. Shetty’s enterprises, his
London-listed NMC Health, is UAE’s largest
private health care provider. He has been on
a buying spree recently, snatching Americare
Group, which provides in-home health care
services, Sharjah-based Dr. Sunny Healthcare
Group and Provita International Medical Center.
Manmohan Shetty, the
brain behind India’s first
of its kind theme park
Adlabs Imagica, based in
the outskirts of Mumbai,
is a testimony that he is
a man with many feathers
on his cap.
He ruled the Mumbai’s
Bollywood industry through movies made
under the banner Adlabs Films till 2007. The
listed entity on the Bombay Stock Exchange is
now owned by Reliance ADAG Group. Ardh
Satya, made under Adlabs Films even made it
to the prestigious National Award.
Manmohan Shetty brought IMAX and the first
ever multiplex screen to India, marking a huge
milestone for the Indian film industry.
He also chaired the National Film Development
Corporation a Government of India entity set
up to promote Indian cinema, till 2003. He
was the president of the Films and Television
Producers Guild of India in 2008 and initiated
digital projection system in Indian cinemas in
2005.
While he held some notable positions, he made
key contributions to the community.
 President of Bunts Sangha
1996 – 2000
 Responsible for setting up Bunts
Sangha S M Shetty High School in
Powai which has 7000 students today
 Former Chairman of Higher Education
Committee at Bunts Sangha for
setting up Bunts college
Since 2013, his latest venture, Adlabs Imagica
has been enjoying a huge footfall from people
of all age group and has become the favourite
entertainment spot for the people from all over
India.
19

THE MEDICAL
PROWESS
There is no easy way to excel in the fields
of science and medicine. And despite
the difficulties faced, Bunts have made
phenomenal contributions there. They
occupy significant roles as
doc-tors, scientists and researchers at top-
notch universities and institutions.
T
hey have contributed extensively for the
upliftment of rural health care right from early
20th century which can definitely be termed
as a golden chapter in the history of Bunts.
They were highly qualified during those times
being equipped with diplomas such as LCP, LIM, LMP etc.
Hence, they made sure that with their skills they served to
far off villages in the old Hyderabad, Mysore, Madras and
Bombay provinces and provided much needed medical
care to the rural population. It was at a time when there
was a huge shortage of doctors in rural areas. The re-
spect they earned for their valuable services to the rural
community is priceless.
But, what became even better was the second half of the
20th century. Bunt doctors achieved great name, fame and
respect during this time. Today we are counted amongst
the world’s most proficient heart surgeons, cardiologists,
radiologists, neurologists, general surgeons, ENT sur-
geons, orthopaedic surgeons and outstanding physicians
and ophthalmologists.
Bunts rule the fields of health care and medicine with
numerous hospitals in UAE, Bangalore, Mangalore and
other cities in Karnataka that are owned and managed by
enterprising Bunts and contributing to the welfare of the
society.
Back in the 1930’s Dr. Venkat Shetty co-founded the Nair
Hospital in Bombay, along with Dr. A.C. Nair, which later
developed into a well known Medical and Dental college
complex way. He remained the Chairman of the Institution
for 20 years.
There are people whom we read about in textbooks
and then there are those unsung heroes who are silent
contributors to the various sections of society. These men
have influenced the world through their research in science,
technology and medicine. But not all of them survive the
collective consciousness of the people. Though there are
many we are listing a few exceptional ones.
20
Another such name that stands out is Dr B M Hegde, also
known to most as the ‘people’s doc-tor.’ Padma Bhusan
Awardee Hegde is an Indian medical scientist, educationist and
author. He started teaching at a very young age and continues
to do the same even today. Dr. Hegde is a visiting professor in
almost all countries except the South American continent. He
is a retired vice chancellor of the Manipal University and the
head of the Mangalore chapter of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He
is known for his unconventional methods and was awarded the
Dr. B. C. Roy Award in 1999. He has authored several books
on medical practice and ethics.
Late Dr. Kullal Chickappu Naik, popularly known as K. C. Naik
was the first Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore. He is known for his contribution as an
Indian ag-ricultural scientist mainly dealing with horticulture.
He was an academic administrator and au-thor. A man who
is responsible for laying the foundation for a disciplined work
culture and started many colleges.
In today’s day and age the words angiography and angioplasty
are not alien, but meet Dr. Sadanand R. Shetty who holds the
unique distinction of performing the 1st angiography and first
angioplasty at two leading private institutes in Mumbai. An
excellent orator and outstanding leader he definitely has all
what it takes to be a Bunt.
But one name that has changed the way people look at
“doctors” is of Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, bet-ter known as
the “Henry Ford of health care” is a Bunt that that the
entire country is proud of. The car-diac surgeon has several
firsts to his credit: He performed India’s first neonatal
cardiac surgery on a nine-day-old baby, nation’s first video
assisted PDA ligation, India’s first video assisted open
heart sur-gery to name a few.
He also performed Asia’s first dynamic
cardiomyoplastyoperation. He is also responsible for in-
troducing the concept of an assembly line heart surgery,
which aims at reducing the
cost of sur-gery and achieving
zero mortality.
Dr. Shetty also introduced
the concept of free heart
camp for villages of
Northeastern hill states as a
simple screening mechanism
to detect early stage heart
diseases and proved the concept of largescale heart
surgery by performing twelve heart surgeries a day.
He is the founder and also leads the world’s largest and
also the cheapest heart care institute called Narayana
Hrudayalaya(NH). Shetty believes that the cost of
healthcare can be reduced by 50 percent in the next
5–10 years if hospitals adopt the idea of economies of
scale. Apart from cardiac surgery, NH also has cardiology,
neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, haematology and
transplant services, and nephrology among various others.
The heart hospital is the largest in the world with 1000
beds performing over 30 major heart surgeries a day.
Another very prominent name is Dr. K Bhujang Shetty who
started his ophthalmology practice in a small clinic in the
eighties. It was because of his great vision to grow and the
foresight to antic-ipate future needs that an eye clinic became
a multi specialty eye hospital. To meet the growing demand
for quality eye care, modern sophisticated equipments were
acquired. Dr. Bhujang Shetty encouraged devolopment of
various sub-specialities in Narayana Nethralaya and has been
responsible for transformation of Narayana Nethralaya as the
largest superspeciality eye hospital in Karnataka.
It is this level of influence that has set them apart from other
innovators of their time. The com-munity stresses upon
the importance of scientific literacy for everyone. It is very
important to make educated choices in life.
21

Interview
Dr B.M Hegde
Being a highly renowned doctor & educationist, you
must be extremely proud of your accomplishments.
Your life must be fulfilling?
Life would have been fulfilling to me even otherwise and I
have been able to do what I did because I was destined to do
that. Man is not to be proud of any achievement as he is only
nimitha maatram. Contentment at any level is the essence of
stress free life. We came here with nothing and do go back with
nothing. If we do well here we will do well there as well. When
we become proud of our achievements we will be like what
Shakespeare wrote:
“But man, proud man,
Dress’d in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d—
His glassy essence—like an angry ape
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven
As makes the angels weep
How much are you proud about your lineage and
if you can say a few words about the fact that
you are a member of the Bunt community, to what
extent you believe that the Community’s proud
heritage helped you?
I am aware of the great Bunt tradition and respect it but let me
assure you that the community did precious little for me and
I did not climb up the ladder, if I may use that phrase, with
the community’s help. Words like community, state, country
mean very little for me as I believe that this world is but one
large family (vasudai eva kutumbakam) which has now been
authenticated by quantum physics where the same energy
pervades in all of us. I have been teaching my students in the
last half a century that the letter “I” is the beginning of Illness
and the word “we” the beginning of wellness.
You have been making a lot of effort by
communicating with the masses about healthy
living. What has inspired you to take up such a
noble cause? What are some of your own plans
for the further uplift-ment of your community? Any
suggestions that you would like to give?
I simply followed the essence of being a doctor is to keep
society healthy. Health is not absence of disease as the western
medicine proclaims to the world. In truth there can be NO
ONE who has NO DISEASE at any given time although most of
those diseases die a natural death, thanks to our inner healer,
the immune system. Today medical education, doctors, and the
Dr B M Hegde was honoured
with the Padma Bhushan, the third
highest civilian award in India,
in 2010. He is renowned for his
medical prowess, practices and
ethics. His books have become a
guiding light to many students. He
is also the Editor in Chief of the
Journal of the Science of Healing
Outcomes.
Only few doctors offer a
perspective that can change
the course of medical science.
Dr Hegde is one of them. His
philosophy that one should focus
more on health and not on disease
has also garnered him the name of
a spiritual leader.
Interview with Dr. BM Hegde,
medical scientist, educationist and
author.
corporate hospitals do not do anything for health of the public.
In fact, in medical education nothing is taught about health and
all about diseases and treatment.
When I got convinced about it I worked with a handful of like
minded people from all over the globe, a few Nobel Laureates
included to start the World Academy of Authentic Healing
Sciences and have our own Journal, The Journal of the Science
of Healing Outcomes. (www.thejsho.com) I have been the
founder editor in chief with two Nobel Laureates as co-editors in
chief. We have been working hard at it and have the satisfaction
that we have been able to at least change the perception of
society about health, disease and treatment thereof.
We succeeded to change the definition of health of Alma Ata to
a more humane definition which was accepted by the Institute of
Medicine, the highest body in the USA. Our definition of Health
is “”Enthusiasm to work and enthusiasm to be compassionate.”
My book WHAT DOCTORS DON’T GET TO STUDY IN
MEDICAL SCHOOL has become a great hit.
If you could kindly write a brief ideology you pursued in your
life which could be a guiding light to many of us to be better
citizens & human beings to make a difference to the world.
My ideology has been to follow the great Indian culture.
“Do not do anything that you do not want the world to know.”
“ Walk your talk. Do not give up and do not give in.”
22

POLITICAL
DOMINANCE
Political leaders are necessary for
initiating as well as hastening the
process of change in any society. It
may be social or economic change,
constitutional or political change. In all
these processes of change, the bunts
also play an important role. The political
leaders of the Bunt community carry
out the process of change by applying
their leadership attributes like politically
relevant beliefs, socially adored values,
wide knowledge and wisdom acquired
through learning and experience.
B
ellipady Ramanath Rai is an Indian politician.
His political journey began from the Indian
National Congress. He has been given
the portfolio for the minister for forest,
environment and ecology in Karnataka state
government. He also won 2013 Assembly election from
Bantwal.
Dr. K. Amarnath Shetty entered the Political arena in
1965. In 1983, he was elected through Janatha Party as a
Member of State Legislative Assembly from Moodbidri-
Mulky Constituency. On August 1984 he was sworn
in as a State Minister for Tourism and Religious
Endowment in the Ministry of Mr. Rama-krishna Hegde.
In 1985, he was re-elected through Janatha Party as a
member of State Legislative As-sembly from Moodbidri-
Mulky Constituency. He once again came to Karnataka
Legislative Assembly in 1994.
Jayaprakash Hegde is an Indian political leader born in
Korgi, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district. He is man of
legal prowess and charisma. A practicing advocate,
Jayaprakash entered politics very early in his life. He
has been elected thrice to the Karnataka Legislative
Assembly from the Brahmavara constituency. He has
handled various portfolios as a minister with great
efficiency and character. Hegde has been elected to
Lok Sabha from the same constituency following by a
election in 2012.
Yedthare Manjayya Shetty served the people with
selflessness by providing basic facilities and starting
the public favour projects. He is an example for us to
serve the society. He was elected 3 times as M.L.A.
and once as M.L.C. unopposed. He is the man behind
the Yedthare Manjayya Shetty law college, in Kundapur
(which is affiliated to Mangalore University) and also
the Yedthere Nursing Home also is in Kundapur.
Before entering politics, K. Nagappa Alva, had been a
medical practitioner, who also holds a M.B.B.S. degree.
His political career begun with his election to the
Karnataka legislative assembly in 1957. He served as
Minister of Health in the State Government of Mysore
(now known as Karnataka).
KK Shetty joined the Indian freedom struggle and
played a pivotal role in the independence of India. After
the independence of India, Shetty turned to politics
and served as the Vice-President of Mysore Legislative
Council. He was also the former Deputy Chairman and
former Chairman of Mysore Legislative Council. He
had also served as Member of Parliament from the
Mangalore Constituency. Apart from being a politician,
he was a great journalist who edited and published
Kannada weeklies such as ‘Navayuga’, ‘Sarvodaya’ and
‘Rashtra Jyothi”
23
 Interview
Manjunath Bhandary
You have achieved so much in your life being
a Good Samaritan, leading political figure in
India and educationist. What factors have been
instrumental in your success?
Society has given me the name and fame, I felt it is my duty
to return back to the society, hence chose to involve myself
in the politics with a focus on imparting educationto the
youth and lower strata of society. I decided to dedicate my
resources and expertise to the cause of upliftment of society
and took a firm foot in that direction by establishing ‘Bhandary
Foundation’ which has come a long way in a short span of
a decade, to become an enterprising entity in the global
education. Contributing my best to the society motivated me
to take various initiatives which in turn led to my success.
How much are you proud about your lineage and
if you can say a few words about the fact that
you are a member of the bunt community, to
what extent you believe that the Community’s
proud heritage helped you?
I am definitely very much proud of my lineage. I was born
and brought up at Shimoga. My lineage played a vital role in
building my foundation and leadership qualities which gained
me the confidence to contest in the Parliament election against
the former Chief Minister, Mr. B. S. Yedyurappa and Mrs.
Geetha Shivrajkumar, daughter of the former Chief Minister.
The election was a very tough contest, I could still manage to
stand in the second position. Major voters were from the rest
of the communities. My community has given me the identity.
My community has given me the recognition in the society.
Interview with Manjunath
Bhandary, Politician, Entrepreneur
and Founder of Bhandary
Foundation
He is the Founder Chairman of
‘Bhandary Foundation’ which
encompasses many educational
institutions, under the name
‘Sahyadri’. His novel thoughts
added a new dimension to the
world of education. His dynamic
leadership brings about much
needed social reforms through
education to empower individuals
to become the backbone of
an enterprising and productive
society.
Being a successful member of the bunt community
of such magnitude, what are some of your
own plans for the further uplift-meant of your
community & suggestions/guidance to the young
bunt generation going to come to the main stream
of our society.
Though I hail from Shimoga, I have established an Engineering
college at Mangalore, (Tulunadu) providing the education and
job offers to people of various different communities. However,
we at our institution have employees in key positions, which
are from the bunt community and also have been providing
scholarships to students of our community. We were the host
for Vishwa Tulu Parba, which glorified the Tulunad (Mangalore)
culture and also looking forward to hosting such events even
in the future, which upholds our integrity and community. Also,
it feels proud to recall the role models of our community
who made huge contributions to the society, to list a few,
Mr. Sundaram Shetty is the man who created and offered
employment opportunities for educated class in the banks,
Mr. R. N. Shetty & Mr. Narayana Shetty, Civil contractors
provided Job opportunities to the unemployed class of our
society. Mr. B. R. Shetty has created employment opportunities
through the UAE exchange and has won several accolades
for his achievement Mr. Vinay Hegde, an entrepreneur and a
technocrat has made remarkable contribution to the society.
Mr. Mohan Alva, a prominent educationist and never the less,
Mr. Shashi Kiran Shetty having set up his business across
the globe, and is one of the well known philanthropists, has
created huge employment opportunities, thus upholding the
dignity of the bunt community. These are the people who
inspired us to work for the Community towards its betterment.
24
 Mr. Hegde graduated in law in 1965 and
after completing apprenticeship training
was enrolled as an advocate in January
1966 and designated as senior advocate
in May 1984. He was ap-pointed as
the Advocate General for the state of
Karnataka in February 1984 and held
that posi-tion till august, 1988. He also
worked as additional solicitor General of
the union of India from December 1989
to November 1990. He was re-appointed
as the solicitor General of India in 1998
and was appointed as a Judge of Supreme
Court of India in January 1999.

Justice N.Santhosh
Hegde

LAW &
JURISDICTION
Bunts are not just a beautiful
race but bold too, having
proved their mettle in every
walk of life. Legal domain is
no exception to this rule with
Mr. Tadyal Jayaram
prominent names like Justice Chowta
K. Jagannath Shetty and Justice Was practicing advocate in the
K.S. Hegde having carved a High Court of Karnataka. He
worked as govt. pleader in High
niche for themselves in the Court and thereafter he was
Indian legal system. elevated to the post of High
Court Judge and posted to High
Court of Tamil Nadu.

Justice P.
Vishwanath Shetty
Justice Perody Vishwanath Shetty practiced in the Karnataka
High Court, Karnataka Administra-tive Tribunal and Central
Administrative Tribunal.
He also worked as counsel for University of Agriculture Science
Bangalore, Mangalore Universi-ty, Mysore University, Vijaya Bank
Bangalore, Indian Bank Bangalore, Corporation Bank Banga-lore,
Indian Oil Corporation and Bangalore Development Authority.
He was designated as a sen-ior counsel by the full court of the
High Court in the year 1993. He was the chairman of Karna-taka
State Bar Council and also a Member of Bar Council of India. He
was part of delegation of six judges and five lawyers led by the
Honourable Chief Justice of India, Honourable Shri Justice A.M.
Ahmadi during April 1995 to the United States. He was appointed
as a permanent Judge of the Karnataka High Court on 18th
December 1995.

25
 Justice K.S. Hegde Justice N.R.
Kowdoor Sadananda Hegde had his early Kudoor
education at Karkala and Mangalore . He
started his career as district
pursued his collegiate education at Presidency
judge and later he was
College, Madras and obtained his B.A. degree
elevated to the position of
in Economics and later a degree in Law from
high court judge of Karnataka.
the Government Law College, Madras. He
After retirement he settled
began his legal prac-tice at Karkala in 1936 and
down in Siddakatte near
later proceeded to Mangalore to be appointed
Bantwal.
as the Public Prose-cutor of the South Kanara
District in 1948.
K.S.Hegde was elected to the Rajya Sabha
as a Congress Party nominee in the year
1952 and served the upper house till 1957.
Justice Kalmanje
He was a member of the Panel of Chairman
and also a mem-ber of the Public Accounts
Jagannath Shetty
Committee and of Rules committee. In Studied law at the Hyderabad Osmania
1954, he represented India at the General University and grad-uated in 1954. He was
Assembly of United Nations. Later he was appointed as the Judge of the Karnataka High
appointed as the Judge of the Mysore High Court in 1970 and became the acting Chief
Court . Justice of the High Court of Karnataka in
1985. Later in 1986, he was appointed as the
In 1966, he was appointed as the first Chief
Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Justice of the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh
And on May 1, 1987, he was appointed as the
High Court, many of his judgments during
judge of the Supreme Court of India.
this period were path-breaking.
Having acquired extensive practice in all
In 1967 he was appointed by the President of
branches of Law and in particular Civil,
India as a Judge of the Supreme Court. K.S.
services and constitutional matters, he
Hegde was known for his uprightness and
served as a part time Professor of Law at
authority and as a learned Judge who always
the Government Law col-lege, Bangalore for
gave precedence to the rule of law. A man
about 10 years.
of matchless honesty and utmost integrity,
Hegde ten-dered his resignation on 30th April
1973, when one of his junior colleagues was
appointed as the Chief Justice of India. In
1977, Mr.K.S. Hegde was elected to the Lok
Sabha and was later elected as the Speaker of
the Lok Sabha, the office he held till 1980.
After a distinguished career Justice
K.S.Hegde retired from public life and
settled at Nitte. Jus-tice K.S. Hegde’s belief
that education is pivotal in acquiring skills
and knowledge prompted him to found the
Nitte Education Trust. Justice K.S. Hegde
passed away on 25th May 1990.

26
 THE BOLLYWOOD
CONNECTION
One space where Bunts have
stood out and performed
exceptionally well is the
Indian film Industry especially
Bollywood. Other than having
famous actors in the regional
cinema, Bunts are some of
the very successful names in
Bollywood.
That is why we want to call it
the “Bollywood Connection”,
stories of the people who are
part of this list is also no less than
a Bollywood song-dance-drama.
They have lived those stories
both on screen and off screen.
Prakash Raj
Prakash Rai’s story is full of action drama emotion.
He once acted in back-to-back stage shows for Rs
300 a month in the initial stages of his career. Today,
he is a multilingual Indian film actor, film director,
producer, and television presenter who is known
for his works in the South Indian film industry, and
Bollywood films.
Yes, the man has seen it all, born in Bengaluru,
Prakash is fluent in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi,
Hindi and English. His handwork has won him a
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in
Aishwarya Rai
No introduction is needed for Aishwarya Rai, as an actor
or model. She was born in the city of Mangalore but did
her schooling in Mumbai and always aspired to be an
architect. She started modelling at the age of twenty and
got her first big break with Aamir Khan in the famous Pepsi
commercial.
Aishwarya Rai was then crowned Miss World in 1994, aft~
a Tamil film called Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam. Her
journey from Iruvar to Sarbjit has been full of classics
like Devdas, Hum dil de chuke sanam, Dhoom 2, Guru,
Jodha-Akbar etc. What began as a dull start with Aa ab
last chalein soon became the mot talked about actress in
the film industry. After marrying Abhishek backhand she
has brought two cultures together on the global platform.
Aishwarya is also considered as the first global Indian
actress who opened the doors of Hollywood for the
Indian actors. Bride and Prejudice, The Last Legion and
Pink Panther 2 are some of her successful films in the
West. She was the first Indian jury member at the Cannes
Film Festival in 2003 and since then have graced the event
every year.
1998 for Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar, a National Film Award
– Special Jury Award and a National Film Award for
Best Actor in 2009 for his role in Kanchivaram, a
Tamil film directed by Priyadarshan. He has also won
a National Film Award for Best Feature Film as a
producer in Kannada for Puttakkana Highway directed
by his long-time theatre friend B. Suresh in 2011.
27
 If you have seen Baahubali: The Beginning (2015)
you already know Anushka Shetty, originally
named, Sweety Shetty, but known by the stage
name, Anushka Shetty. Yet to make a bollywood
debut, the actress is making waves right from the
beggninning.
She was voted as “Hyderabad’s Most Desirable
Woman of 2015”, and made her acting debut
through the 2005 Telugu film “Super”. She went
on to star in a number of Telugu films such as
Vikramarkudu (2006), Arundhati (2009), Vedam
(2010), Rudramadevi (2015).
Anushka Shetty
Pooja Hegde
Mohenjodaro is making moves
in the social media world.
Pooja Hegde is an Indian model
turned ac-tress, who is soon
going to appear on big screens
with Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh
Gowariker’s forthcoming period
film Mohenjo Daro.
Born and brought up in Mumbai,
Pooja is a former beauty
pageant contestant, who was
crowned as the second runner-
up at the Miss Universe India
2010 competition. She has
been shown as a pure greek
goddess in the movie. Yet to
make a mark in Bollywood, but
definitely launching with a big
bang.
If you are a dance fan you already know about
him. He is not a new name in the industry.
Ganesh Hegde is one of the many gems that
Bunts Community has contributed to Bollywood.
He is best known for his work, in the Oscar-
nominated film Lagaan and for his musical
numbers in Company, Ganesh Hegde is an Indian
singer, performer, video director, and Bollywood
choreographer.
Having choreographed many stage shows,
including Temptations 2004, the Bollywood rock
concert which toured America with huge stars
such as Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity
Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Rampal, he is highly
acclaimed in his field. Infact, Hegde is the person
behind the con-cept of “item number or item
gal” in Bollywood. He started this trend for the
music video type of execution of dance numbers
in movies with Kambakht Ishq (Pyar Tune Kya
Kiya) and Khallas (Company). Dances at Filmfare
Awards have been choreographed by hi, for the
past decade and he has also been associated with
the Zee Cine Awards since its very conception.
Ganesh Hegde
Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Shilpa Shetty’s path to success has been full of ups and
downs, but it never shows on her million dollar smile
and that awe-inspiring body. She began her career as
a model in 1991, then entered the industry as an Indian
film actress, producer and also worked in a few Telugu,
Tamil and Kannada language films. Today, she is also
the co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket
team Rajasthan Royals. Shetty is also a social activist
and is unreserved about the issues such as feminism
and animal abuse.
She one on to win the international reality television
series Celebrity Big Brother 5 and became one of the
most popular and high-profile celebrities in India. She
is the recipient of numerous awards and nominations,
including four Filmfare nominations.
28

Suniel Shetty is one of
the leading names as the
action hero of Bollywood.
He holds a Black Belt in
Kickboxing. He was born
to an ethnic bunt family
in Mulki. Today, Suniel
Shetty is an Indian film
Tête-à-tête actor, producer, and a very
Suniel Shetty
successful entrepreneur.
If we talk numbers than
he has acted in more than
110 films. He was highly
appreciated for his role in
“Dhadkan” and “Main Hoon
Naa” which also also won
him many awards.
As a producer he owns the
banner of “Popcorn Motion
Pictures.” He produced
films such as Khel – No
Ordinary Game, Rakht
and Bhagam Bhag. As an
entrepreneur, he owns
clothing boutiques and
restau-rants some of which
specialize in Udupi cuisine.
When did the learning curve for you as an actor
happen?
In the first place I did not have to struggle. My background of martial
arts helped me get my first movie. I consider I was lucky that
someone saw me perform and offered a movie.
But my struggle as an actor started as I came from a non-acting
background. Although my first movie was successful but critics
wrote me off as an actor. This is when my journey as an actor began.
I knew that I needed more opportunities to unleash the actor within
me and learn further. To carve a niche, I did death defying stunts to
prove that I was the best action hero of the time.
Would you talk about your humble beginning?
Success for me was purely from a very humble background. The
Food and Beverage business was the first that I got into. There
I learnt that the customer was always right and hardwork was
something that went along with the job.
I used all that in the business of cinemas
and it worked very well for me. My belief
in sincerity, hardwork, will power, urge to
learn and, the quality of taking criticism in
my stride gave me an edge over others.
Do you owe your success and
achievements to your background?
2) Yes I do attribute my success to my
background and my community from
when I come from. Our forefathers came
to Mumbai with nothing and struggled to
make ends meet. My father was a 9 yr old
boy when he first came to Mumbai, studied
at night school and started to work in
restaurant. He then became the manager,
owning the same restaurant that he once
worked in. He will always be my hero. I
never shied away from any kind of work.
We come from a background where men
and women both are physically strong and
that helped me, my physical strength and
my confidence. I found myself adapting to
any situation easily.
Some word of advice for the
younger generation?
To the younger generation, I would say,
believe in your dreams. Nothing can stop
you from achieving it. Master the art you
want to follow and educate yourself in
that field. Don’t take success for granted.
Handle failure with a lot of grace, for failure
also teaches you. Try harder next time and
be positive. I never negotiate my way when
it comes to faking it or even lying.
Some fitness goals that you would want
us to know as you as widely known for
rigorous fitness regime.
Fitness is in my genes, we Mangaloreans
(people from Mangalore) both men and
women are very strongly built as we come
from a race of warriors, farmers and landlords. We know
how to work out and we really work hard towards it.
Functional training is something that each member of my
family is up for.
Fitness has been my obsession, I took to martial arts at a
very young age; more so because I wanted to play cricket
for the country which unfortunately did not happen. So I
got into martial arts and weight training to be able to hit
harder which eventually helped me to become the actor
I am today.
Fitness to me is breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince
and dinner like a pauper. Fitness to me means more of a
strict diet and understanding food. Training every single
day of my life whether its yoga, running any sport weight
training. As you age you should hit the gym more often to
look younger. That’s how I manage to have a lean figure.
29

THE CREATIVE
PURSUIT
Ask a roomful of art historians and critics
“who is the best artist ever?”, and you’ll
get only different answers. Why? Because
there is no single standard by which to
measure who is the greatest painter, writer
or sculptor, “fine art is too subjective”.
H
owever, with a great sense of pride
for their language and culture, bunts
community has completely engrossed
their lives into various art forms like
music, dance, and acting.
Bunts zestfulness to negotiate with the perpetually
changing modernity without losing their cultural and
traditional links to their village roots defines their
success in the developing world. Their versatility is
what defines them as a community. It is like they
have make their mark felt in all spheres of life and
hence their creative pursuit is not a secret. Be it any
form of Art like music, literature or fine arts their
works are still revered and looked up to.
Bunts have devoted earnestly to the art of
Yakshagana, a folk theater form that combines
dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and
stage techniques with a unique style and form.
Few households of Bunts like Ichlampady House
in Kasargod district encouraged Yakshagana and
other folk arts. The Ichlampady Yakshagana troupe
promoted by Kotianna Alva (1827-1927) made waves
in the field of Yakshagana for several decades.
Many Bunts excelled in folk arts. There were many
talented artists in Yakshagana and Thalemaddale.
Kavi Bhushana Venkappa Shetty was a household
name along the coast.
Early Yakshagana poets included Ajapura Vishnu,
Purandaradasa, Parthi Subba, and Nagire Subba.
King Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar II (1704–1714)
authored 14 Yakshaganas in various languages in
the Kannada script. Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar
(1794–1868) also wrote several Yakshagana
prasanga, including Sougandhika Parinaya. Noted
poet, Muddana, composed several Yakshagana
prasangasa, including the very popular Rathnavathi
Kalyana
Adve Vasu Shetty was another popular artist,
specifically a performer in Yakshagana. His son
went on to became a highly successful sculptor for
India. Born in 1961, Sudarshan Shetty, says “a lot of
music and singing in the house” where he grew up.
He is today a modern Indian artist who has excelled
in painting, sculpture, installation, video, sound and
performance. The artist has been a resident at the
Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, USA, and was a Ford
Foundation Fellow at the New School for General
Studies, New York.
Shetty has become an important voice on the
International stage of contemporary art. His work
has been exhibited at the Fukuoka Asian Art
Museum, Fukuoka, Japan, and the Tate Modern,
London, England.
Shetty’s work is part of many important public
collections including the Kiran Nadar Museum
of Art, Devi Art Foundation (Anupam Poddar),
India, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan and the
FC MoCA (Frank Cohen Museum of Modern Art),
Manchester, UK.
30

Gurukiran Shetty is a music director of the Kannada
acted by Upendra. Along with acting and singing, he is
He was a singer even in his School days at St Aloysius
V. MANOHAR
V. Manohar, who started
his career as a cartoonist
working for some leading
newspapers and maga-zines,
is a music director, lyricist,
film director, and actor in
Kannada and Tulu movies. He
has scored music for several
Kannada and Tulu films. He is
the recipient of several awards
including the Karnataka State
Award. He has written lyrics
to more than 1000 songs in
Kannada cinema.
Besides composing and
lyric writing, Manohar has
tried his hand on the film
direction as well. His debut
film as a director was the
hugely popular O Mallige
starring Ramesh Aravind
and Charulatha. This film
ran for more than 100 days
across Karnataka cinemas.
Indradhanush starring
Shivrajkumar is V. Mano-har’s
2nd film. He has thus far
directed three films.
GURUKIRAN:
film industry in India. He started his career as a mu-
sic director of the Kannada movie “A”, directed and
SHUBA PUNJA:
popular for his foot tapping musical scores. Shubha Poonja is an Indian
actress and former model,
pry school in the early 70s. After completion of
who mostly appeared in Tamil
and Kannada films. Shubha
graduation in commerce from Mangalore University,
Poonja in personal life is a
Gurukiran started performing in orchestras in and
graduate in BA from Bishop
around Mangalore as a singer and a keyboard
Cotton Girls College in
performer.
Bangalore.
He has been awarded with Filmfare Award for Best
Shubha Poonja, a Mangalorean
Music Director in 2001, 2002 and 2004. Other
by birth, brought up in
awards includes Nava Yuva Prathibe’ award for the
Bangalore, studied in Carmel
best entry in the TV Industry for acting and Music
Convent School, Jayanagar in
(1994),
Bangalore before she started
‘Chitra Premigala Prashasthi’ and ‘Indira Priyadarshani modeling, appearing in various
Prashasthi’ award for ‘Pavithra’ and ‘Jeevan Chakra’– television ads.
Kannada TV serials (1996) and ‘Aryabhata Award’ for
She entered the Tamil
the title music of ‘Balabeladingalu’ (2000).
film industry, after K. S.
Vasanthakumar, director of the
Tamil film Machi ap-proached
her to enact the lead female
role in the film. Afterward, she
appeared in several Kannada
films, including Chanda, Moggina
Manasu, and Slum Bala.

D. K CHOWTA
Born in an ethnic Bunt
family in Meeyappadau near
Manjeshwar, Kerala, Darbe
Krishnananda Chowta is
an Indian businessman,
writer, artist, and
theater personality.
Chowta’s literary works,
Kariyavajjerena Kathekkulu
and Plilipathigadasu, a
drama, received awards from
the Karnataka Government’s
Tulu Sahithya Academy. His
other works include Pattu
Pajjelu, Dar-mettimaye,
Uri Ushnada Maye and
Mittabailu Yamunakka.
He has been awarded an
honorary doctorate by
Mangalore University.
His son, Sandeep Chowta, is
an Indian music director has
been carrying the tradition
of the family. He is also the
head of Columbia Records
in India. He has also sung
some of his songs, who
has primarily worked in
Bollywood, Kannada films,
and Tollywood.
In 2003, he produced
an anti-substance abuse
documentary, titled Dead
End, that was entered into
numerous film festivals and
was government acclaimed.
This was produced by a
seventeen-year-old college
student and drug activist,
Tanya Khubchandani. When
it comes to Tollywood,
he composed music for 10
films.
A lot has been said about
the glorious past, present
and future of the Bunts,
having said that, it is just
the tip of the iceberg, there
are a lot of other notable
artists, sportsmen, bankers
and businessmen who might
not have featured above.
That does not make their
efforts or effi-ciency any less
worthy. Many of them are
still in the process of “making
themselves” or “pol-ishing
other gems” for lighting the
future path with their art and
.
talent

31
 K USHA P RAI
Usha P. Rai is an accomplished
writer, artist, and novelist,
who writes in 3 languages
Kannada, English, and Tulu.
She has authored 7 novels, 2
short story collections, 3 poem
collections one essay collection
and a travelogue in Kannada,
and one poem collection in
Tulu . Many of her poems, short
stories, and articles have been
published in leading newspapers
and magazines. She is a recipient
of prestigious Padma Bhushan
Sarojadevi Literary Award from
Kannada Sahitya Parishad in the
year 2002 along with several
other honors.
KEDAMBADI
JATTAPPA RAI
Kedambadi Jattappa
Rai is the author of
“Reminiscences of a
Hunter”. It is a narrative of
the exciting adventures of a
hunter.
DR.SUNITA M.SHETTY
Dr.Sunita M. Shetty, a writer, poet, critic, scholar and
educationist of repute is a Tulu writer from Mum-bai, has
been awarded the prestigious Jayadevi Tayi Ligade award
for an eminent woman achiever from Maharashtra, for the
year 2012, instituted by the Vidyadhara Kannada Pratishtana.
She has been conferred with the Ajantha National Award by
Ajantha Pratishtana Bangalore.
KAYYARA KINHANNA RAI
When it comes to Late Kayyara
kinhanna Rai, greatness is difficult
to quantify. Late Kayyara kinhanna
Rai is a poet, author, Indian
independence activist and
former journalist passed away
last year.
He was honored with Nadoja award
in 2006. Rai had started his career
as a secondary school teacher
and later forayed into journalism
and contributed his writings to
various newspapers. Some of his
fa-mous poems are Aikyagana,
Shreemukha, Chethana, Punarnava,
and Koraga. His other important
J.SHETTY KADANDALE works are Sahithya Drushti and
Malayala Sahitya Charithre (History
Writers make a distinctive
of Malayalam literature) which is a
impression on hearts of the
translation of an original work by P.
readers because they make you
K. Parameshwaran Nair.
rethink the world, not reflect
current reality. With such a skill, He was conferred with Nadoja
J.Shetty Kadandale is one of the award in 2006. Though he is
great writers. Along with being not alive, but being an artist his
a distinguished writer, he was also contribution in the society will
a social activist. always be around us for ages to
come.
32
 The glory of Bunts is renowned
worldwide. May the community thrive,
prosper and bring more pride to
Indians. May their contribution towards
the betterment of the society bear
best results. The book only chronicles
few people from the community but
there are many around the globe who
may not be as popular but are equally
recognised. Since centuries we have
taken pride in serving people and we
continue to do so till date. No matter

CONCLUSION
what corner of the world we are in, our
enterprising streak has only benefited
people around us.

The books will embark on a journey

to promote and popularize the Bunts
community; throw light on the history,
culture, lineage and stewardship which
has flown through the centuries in
the form of artists, educationists,
entrepreneurs and social workers. The
community has come of age and is now
laying path for the next generation who
are assertively flourishing. More power
to them and to the community.

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 • Bunt (Community) –
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Bunt_(community)

• Bunts mathr sangha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_Bunts

• Some notable personalities

of the bunt community https://
vanihegde.wordpress.com/.../
some-notable-personalities-
among-bunts-community

• Bunts sangha UK
buntssanghauk.org/web/

• Bunts history – Delhi Bunts

Cultural Association delhi-
bunts.com/about-bunts-
history.asp?links=ab1

BIBLOGRAPHY • Tracing the origin of Bunts of

west coast – South Kannada–
The Hindu www.thehindu.
com/todays-paper/p-features/...
origin-of-bunts.../article6596350.ece

• http://www.narayanahealth.org/

• http://www.manjunathbhandary.in/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_
Monappa_Hegde

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