Karnataka High School, Dharwad

DESCRIPTION :

Under British imperial rule, Indians were forced to lead desperate lives. Realising the significance of education in generating awareness against a life of servitude, Lokamanya Balagangadhar Tilak founded the �Ferguson�, National School in Pune. The School aimed at preparing the youth of the day to fight the imperialists. On the same lines, sharing the same objective, here in the Ben eras of Hindustani music, Citadel of learning and education, Dharwad, a Nationalist School was founded in the year 1919. Karnataka High School is situated in the fort area of Dharwad. It is the same Historic Nationalist School where even today Birth anniversary and Death anniversary of Lokamanya Tilak are celebrated every year. The school was founded realising that it was only through the spread of education among the youth in this part of the country that nationalist fervor and an urge to serve fellow Indians could be motivated. Diwan Bahadur Rodda Shrinivasrao a visionary and a great educationalist founded the school. He was made the Chairman with Mr. Narayanrao Shirahatti as the secretary. The first premises of the school was a building belonging to Shri Tenginakai in the fort area of Dharwad. The school had both Kannada and Marathi as mediums of instruction. Late. Shri Kavyananda Punekar was the first Principal of the School. Late Shri. K. V. Kulkarni and Late Shri. Shirasangi were among the first of Teachers. It was a daunting task founding and running a private School under the oppressive British regime, and the early life of Karnataka High School was made all the more difficult by the fact that it was a Nationalist School. The School had to withstand hardships administratively and otherwise. The fact that the school got recognition only on ad-hoc basis meant that the teachers had to be appointed on ad-hoc basis only. Most heartening of features of the early days was the commitment of both the teachers and the students to the National mission of the day. They were in the forefront of the freedom struggle related activities.