News: Sandhya Chidanand
Illinois (USA), May 23: The All America Tulu Association (AATA) hosted a vibrant celebration of Bisu Parba recently, bringing together Tuluvas from across the globe in a joyful display of culture, tradition, and unity. The event showcased the rich heritage of the Tulu community and was marked by enthusiastic participation and cultural pride. The program began with a welcome speech by Prasanna Lakshmana, followed by a devotional prayer led by \ Akshaj Chidananda.
Among the distinguished guests were guests of honor Tharanath Gatti Kapikad, president of the Tulu Sahitya Academy, along with Samuel Dragomire, Sudarshana Shetty, and Dr Ratnakara Sherigar. Guests were introduced by Sandhya Chidananda and Jagadish Hegde.
In his keynote address, Tharanath Gatti emphasized the cultural and historical significance of Bisu Parba, and praised AATA’s efforts in promoting Tulu culture worldwide. He encouraged everyone to speak Tulu at home and in daily life to help preserve the language.
A highlight of the event was the launch of a new transliterator tool by Gatti, developed by Samuel Dragomire, which converts Kannada to English script, English to Kanara script, Kannada to Tulu script and Latin scripts into Tulu script. He also released the book ‘AATA Tulu Lipi Egge 2’, a collection of articles written by students of the 2025 Tulu lipi class. Dragomire also shared that he is currently working on a Tulu dictionary.
Sudarshan Shetty, AATA vice president from Toronto, spoke about the social benefits of speaking Tulu, noting how it helps connect people. Dr Ratnakara Sherigar, AATA director from Virginia, recited a Tulu poem highlighting the beauty of the language and proposed a global celebration of ‘Tuluvare Dina’ to honor Tulu heritage. AATA president Shreevalli Rai Martel delivered the presidential address, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to preserving Tulu culture for future generations. She announced the upcoming Tulu Siri Parba 2025, the first-ever Tulu conference organized by AATA, scheduled for July 5 and 6 in North Carolina. She also introduced the Tulu Siri Mudi Award, which will honor individuals who author two books in Tulu literature and script.
Martel also announced the launch of Siri Nudi, a new magazine featuring articles about Tulunadu. She invited community members to contribute content in Tulu and encouraged youth to submit English articles related to Tulunadu as part of a special competition. The event featured a cultural skit titled ‘Kalvere University’, written and directed by AATA founder president Bhaskar Sherigar and performed by the New England Tulu Koota, Boston. The skit was widely appreciated for its humor and creativity.
Roshan Puttur, AATA ambassador from Illinois, served as the moderator, while Sapna Ullal was the master of ceremonies. The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Dr Mohan Chandra, who thanked guests, participants, volunteers, AATA members, AATA advisors, directors, executive committee members and ambassadors. He also extended thanks to the news media for their support. Technical support was provided by Bhaskar Sherigar.
This year’s Bisu Parba celebration stood as a powerful symbol of Tulu unity and cultural pride, reinforcing AATA’s mission to preserve and promote the Tulu language and heritage worldwide.