# Kannada Sahitya Sammelana

The Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (lit. 'Kannada Literature Conference') is the premier gathering of writers, poets and Kannadigas. It is held with the aim of preserving and developing the Kannada language, its literature, art, culture and music. It was started in 1915 by H. V. Nanjundaiah and held at Bangalore. It used to be inaugurated by prominent writers and poets from 1915 to 1948. Since then it has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat is responsible for holding the gathering.

## Recently held

The 87th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Mandya in December 2024 was the recent event. After 30 years of gap, Mandya got the opportunity for the third time with Go. Ru. Channabasappa presiding the chair.

## List of conferences

| No. | Date | Place | President |
| 1st | 3–6 May 1915 | Bangalore | H. V. Nanjundaiah |
| 2nd | 6–8 May 1916 | Bangalore | H. V. Nanjundaiah |
| 3rd | 8–10 June 1917 | Mysore | H. V. Nanjundaiah |
| 4th | 11–13 May 1918 | Dharwad | R. Narasimhachar |
| 5th | 6–8 May 1919 | Hassan | Karpura Srinivasa Rao |
| 6th | 20–21 June 1920 | Hospet | Rodda Srinivasa Rao |
| 7th | 19–21 May 1921 | Chikmagalur | K. P. Puttanna Chetty |
| 8th | 12–13 May 1922 | Davanagere | M. Venkatakrishnaiah |
| 9th | 21–23 May 1923 | Bijapur | Siddhanti Shivashankara Shastry |
| 10th | 16–18 May 1924 | Kolar | H. Krishna Sastri |
| 11th | 9–11 May 1925 | Belgaum | Benegal Rama Rau |
| 12th | 22–24 May 1926 | Ballari | Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti |
| 13th | 19–21 May 1927 | Mangalore | R. Thathacharya |
| 14th | 1–3 June 1928 | Kalaburagi | B. M. Srikantaiah |
| 15th | 12–14 May 1929 | Belgaum | Masti Venkatesha Iyengar |
| 16th | 5–7 October 1930 | Mysore | Aluru Venkata Rao |
| 17th | 28–30 December 1931 | Karwar | Muliya Timmappaiah |
| 18th | 28–30 December 1932 | Madikeri | D. V. Gundappa |
| 19th | 29–31 December 1933 | Hubli | Y. Nagesha Shashtry |
| 20th | 28–30 December 1934 | Raichur | Panje Mangesh Rao |
| 21st | 26–28 December 1935 | Mumbai | N. S. Subbarao |
| 22nd | 29–31 December 1937 | Jamkhandi | Bellave Venkatanaranappa |
| 23rd | 29–31 December 1938 | Bellary | R. R. Diwakar |
| 24th | 25–28 December 1939 | Belgaum | Mudaveedu Krishnarao |
| 25th | 27–29 December 1940 | Dharwad | Y. Chandrashekhara Shastry |
| 26th | 27–29 December 1941 | Hyderabad | A. R. Krishnashastry |
| 27th | 26–28 January 1943 | Shimoga | D. R. Bendre |
| 28th | 28–30 December 1944 | Rabakavi | S. S. Basavanala |
| 29th | 26–28 December 1945 | Madras | T. P. Kailasam |
| 30th | 7–9 May 1947 | Harapanahalli | C. K. Venkataramaiah |
| 31st | 29–31 December 1948 | Kasaragod | T. T. Sharma |
| 32nd | 5–7 March 1949 | Kalaburagi | Channappa Uttangi |
| 33rd | 24–26 May 1950 | Sollapur | M. R. Srinivasamurthy |
| 34th | 26–28 December 1951 | Mumbai | M. Govinda Pai |
| 35th | 16–18 May 1952 | Belur | S. C. Nandimata |
| 36th | 26–28 December 1954 | Kumta | V. Seetharamaiah |
| 37th | 10–12 June 1955 | Mysore | K. Shivaram Karanth |
| 38th | 25–27 December 1956 | Raichur | Sriranga |
| 39th | 7–9 May 1957 | Dharwad | Kuvempu |
| 40th | 18–20 January 1958 | Ballari | V. K. Gokak |
| 41st | 11–13 February 1960 | Bidar | D. L. Narasimhachar |
| 42nd | 27–29 December 1960 | Manipal | A. N. Krishna Rao |
| 43rd | 27–29 December 1961 | Gadag | K. G. Kundanagara |
| 44th | 28–30 December 1963 | Siddaganga | R. S. Mugali |
| 45th | 10–12 May 1965 | Karwar | Kadengodlu Shankara Bhat |
| 46th | 26–28 May 1967 | Shravanabelagola | A. N. Upadhye |
| 47th | 27–29 December 1970 | Bangalore | Javare Gowda |
| 48th | 31 May–2 June 1971 | Mandya | Jayadevi Taayi Ligade |
| 49th | 11–13 December 1976 | Shimoga | S. V. Ranganna |
| 50th | 23–25 April 1978 | Delhi | G. P. Rajarathnam |
| 51st | 9–11 March 1979 | Dharmasthala | Gopalakrishna Adiga |
| 52nd | 7–10 February 1980 | Belgaum | Basavaraj Kattimani |
| 53rd | 13–15 March 1981 | Chikmagalur | P. T. Narasimhachar |
| 54th | 27–30 November 1981 | Madikeri | Shankara Bala Dixit Joshi |
| 55th | 23–26 December 1982 | Sirsi | Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar |
| 56th | 23–25 March 1984 | Kaivara | A. N. Murthy Rao |
| 57th | 3–6 April 1985 | Bidar | H. M. Nayak |
| 58th | 29 October–1 November 1987 | Kalaburagi | Siddaiah Puranik |
| 59th | 16–18 February 1990 | Hubli | R. C. Hiremath |
| 60th | 28–30 November 1990 | Mysore | K. S. Narasimhaswamy |
| 61st | 9–12 January 1992 | Davanagere | G. S. Shivarudrappa |
| 62nd | 5–7 February 1993 | Koppala | Simpi Linganna |
| 63rd | 11–13 February 1994 | Mandya | Chaduranga |
| 64th | 3–5 June 1995 | Mudhol | H. L. Nagegowda |
| 65th | 21–24 December 1996 | Hassan | Chennaveera Kanavi |
| 66th | 11–14 December 1997 | Mangalore | Kayyar Kinhanna Rai |
| 67th | 11–14 February 1999 | Kanakapura | S. L. Bhyrappa |
| 68th | 24–26 June 2000 | Bagalkote | Shantadevi Malavada |
| 69th | 15–17 February 2002 | Tumkur | U. R. Ananthamurthy |
| 70th | 7–9 March 2003 | Belgaum | Patil Puttappa |
| 71st | 18–21 December 2003 | Moodabidri | Kamala Hampana |
| 72nd | 27–29 January 2006 | Bidar | Shantharasa |
| 73rd | 20–23 December 2007 | Shimoga | K. S. Nissar Ahmed |
| 74th | 12–15 December 2008 | Udupi | L. S. Sheshagiri Rao |
| 75th | 4–6 February 2009 | Chitradurga | L. Basavaraju |
| 76th | 19–21 February 2010 | Gadaga | Geetha Nagabhushan |
| 77th | 4–6 February 2011 | Bangalore | G. Venkatasubbaiah |
| 78th | 9–11 December 2011 | Gangavati | C. P. Krishnakumar |
| 79th | 9–11 February 2013 | Bijapur | Ko Channabasappa |
| 80th | 7–9 January 2014 | Kodagu | Na D'Souza |
| 81st | 31 January–3 February 2015 | Shravanabelagola | Siddalingaiah |
| 82nd | 2–4 December 2016 | Raichur | Baraguru Ramachandrappa |
| 83rd | 24–26 November 2017 | Mysore | Chandrashekhar Patil |
| 84th | 4–6 January 2019 | Dharwad | Chandrashekhara Kambara |
| 85th | 5–7 February 2020 | Kalaburagi | H. S. Venkateshamurthy |
| 86th | 23–25 January 2023 | Haveri | Doddarangegowda |
| 87th | 20–22 December 2024 | Mandya | Go. Ru. Channabasappa |