Mangaluru : A study chair after 16th Century Jain poet Ratnakaravarni will be inaugurated at Mangalore University next month, according to K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that the State government has released Rs. 1 crore to it. It would be opened in mid-July, he said.

The government in its 2013-14 Budget had announced the fund for the chair.

Its main objective is to study the contributions of the celebrated Kannada poet to literature and initiate research activities.

The university has appointed a teacher as the co-ordinator of the chair, Mr. Byrappa said.

It is said that the poet was born and brought up in Moodbidri. ‘Bharatesha Vaibhava,’ said to have been authored in 1567, is considered as the masterpiece of Ratnakaravarni. Bharatesha Vaibhava, published by Kannada Sahitya Parishat, says the poet could have been born in 1532 in Moodbidri, which has now only an area named after the poet as Ratnakaravarni Nagara. His other prominent works include ‘Ratnakarashataka’ (in 1577), ‘Aparajithashataka’ (1582) and ‘Adhyatmageetha’ (1587).