Mangalore : The  Konkani Samskrutika Sangha (KSS), in association GSB Mahila Vrinda, Mangalore, Daivajna Brahmana Samaj, Young Chitrapur Saraswath, Vyshyavani Samaj and Chaptekar Saraswath Samaj, organised a Konkani convention at TV Raman Pai Hall, Kodialbail  on May 26, Sunday. Basti Vaman Shenoy, President of World Konkani Centre, inaugurated the convention.

In his address, he urged people of the community to develop a love towards the language. It is this love that can  develop the language, he said.

Venkatesh Baliga, President of the Sangha, presided over the function.

President Daivajna Brahmana Samaj, Rajendra Kumar Shet, Meenakshi Pai of GSB Mahila Vrinda, Manoj S Nayak of Vyshyavani Samaj, Brahmanand Kandlur of Young Chitrapur Saraswath and S Srinivasa Nayak of Chaptekar Saraswath Samaj were the chief guests.

The two sessions held as part of the convention were presided over by  Dr B Devadas Pai, Registrar of Konkani Sahitya Academy  and noted poet Kochi Ananth Bhat.

A variety of programmes were presented as part of the day’s programmes.Kasargod Chinna, president, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy was the chief guest at the valedictory function. Malayalam cine actor Samskruthy Shenoy was honoured with ‘Konkani Samskruthika Rayabhari’ Award. Outstanding Konkani personalities  M Madhav Pai (Konkani Bhasha Sampanna Puraskar), Vasanthi R Nayak (Konkani Sangeeta Sampanna Puraskar) Pangal Vilas Nayak (Konkani Samaj Udyama Sampanna Puraskar), V Krishnamurthy, weightlifter (Konkany Samaj Kreeda Sampanna Puraskar), and Vishwa Konkani Students Scholarship Fund (Konkani Samaj Shikshana Seva Puraskar) were also honoured.