Ganapathi Sevaka

Born in 1923, A.N. Gangadhara Shastry was the only son of Sri Muttur Ashwathnarayana Rao and Smt. Mahalakshmamma. After losing his father in childhood itself, he studied under the guidance of his grandfather, Sri Motaganahalli Ramashesha Shastry.

He came out of the college to participate in the famous Quit India Movement in 1942 and worked under Sri R. Gopalaswamy Iyer, who is said to have spent his whole life serving the downtrodden.

He also became deeply interested in social service and literary activities as a result of his acquaintance with some of the stalwarts of his times namely, D.V. Gundappa, Bellave Venkatanaranappa, T.T. Sharma, Kailasam, A.Na.Kru and Sri Veerakesari and others.

For some time, he also tried to improve the living conditions of the village in which he lived. Gangadhara Shastri had a keen interest in carnatic classical music from the childhood. He took to Gamaka (an art in which epics are recited with ragas of classical music and the meaning of the verses are explained) with the encouragement of his grandfather and Sri Motaganahalli Subramanya Shastri.

After seeing the exceptional talent he had in explaining the well-known "Potana Bhagavatha", Sri D.V. Gundappa invited and asked him to recite Valmiki Ramayana, Kumaravyasa Bharata, Kannada Bhagavata and Harishchandra Kavya etc. around 1964. Sri Gangadhara Shastri, thus encouraged by the scholars and the general public used to conduct Gamaka Vachanas till almost 1990.

He started Sri Mahalakshmi Sharada Vidya Pratishthana in 1982 to propagate Sanskrit language, and to provide shelter for the blind students by donating a portion of his land and in 1992 built a temple with Lord Ganesha as the deity.

As part of the social service, he has built a Vanaprasthashrama (an Old age Home) at a distance of 30 kms from Bangalore. It has all the modern transportation and communication facilities. Essential facilities like simple food are available. An Adhyatma Mandiram is proposed for those interested in Yoga, Meditation and so on.

He also simultaneously started publishing ancient books in Kannada under the banner "Sri Vidyaganapathi Prakashana" with Sri Bhagavatha Mahapurana, Lalithopakhyana, Vishnu Sahasranama, Lalithasahasranama, Aaranyaka, Brahmana representing some of the popular books published by him.