Mangaluru to Host Seminar and Documentary on Kittel’s Connection with Tulu Heritage

Mangaluru: Mangaluru will host a special programme this Saturday that explores the historical and cultural ties between Rev. Ferdinand Kittel and Tulu Nadu, focusing particularly on his engagement with the Tulu language. The event, titled “Kittelar Tulu Odanata”, will be held on November 22 from 10:00 a.m. at Tulu Bhavana in Urwa Stores.

Rev. Ferdinand Kittel, a 19th-century German missionary-scholar, is widely remembered for compiling the landmark Kannada dictionary after decades of study, fieldwork and observation in Karnataka. Organisers say that while his contribution to Kannada is recognized across academic circles, his interactions with Tulu people and literary interest in Tulu culture remain less discussed. The programme intends to bring these lesser-explored aspects to public attention.

The event’s main address will be delivered by documentary filmmaker Prashanth Pandit, director of Arivu Mattu Guruvu, a film based on Kittel’s intellectual journey and personal associations with Karnataka’s linguistic and cultural environment. Pandit will discuss new findings and interpretations emerging from historical research, film documentation and archival references.

Scholar Bennett Amanna, known for his work in Tulu research and cultural studies, will participate as respondent to the main talk, offering his assessment and comments. Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy President Taranath Gatti Kapikad will preside over the programme.

After the seminar session, Arivu Mattu Guruvu will be screened for the audience, followed by an interaction with the filmmaker. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss Kittel’s legacy, his documentation practices, and his role in shaping understanding of the region’s languages.

Organisers said the programme aims to deepen public appreciation of the historical bonds linking foreign scholars and Tulu Nadu’s literary development, while encouraging more research into the evolution of language and identity in the coastal region.