For over half a century (54 years to be accurate), the incessant toil and hard work of a group of Kannada grammarians and linguists saw the publication of what is probably the most comprehensive Kannada dictionary till date — a tome which runs to about 9,000 pages. The man who led this herculean effort was a Kannada linguist, grammarian, teacher, writer and lexicographer all rolled into one. He is today 107 years of age and has lived through two World Wars and two Pandemics and is without doubt the Guardian Angel of Kannada language — the very 'Jiva' of Kannada — Ganjam Venkatasubbiah (G. Venkatasubbiah, fondly called GV). —Ed
By Dr. S.N. Bhagirath
