Summer School 2012: Language and Culture of Karnataka (South India) The Summer School Language and Culture of Karnataka (South India) will take place at the University of Würzburg from September 17th to 28th 2012. Kannada – the Dravidian Language of the South Indian state of Karnataka – is a classical Indian language spoken by more than 60 million people today and distinguished by a rich literary history. The course will provide an introduction into the Kannada Language through an extensive program combining spoken Kannada with reading, writing and grammar skills. The students will gain insights into contemporary Kannada. They will acquire practical language skills and will learn to apply these in realistic everyday situations. Subject to personal effort, students should be able to speak basic conversational Kannada and read and write the Kannada script after their successful participation in the course. The course also offers an introduction to the history and culture of the Kannada-speaking areas of the Indian subcontinent. In the modern state of Karnataka, ancient living cultural and religious traditions, significant historical sites and modernity exist side by side. The state´s capital, Bangalore, a globalized IT-Boomtown is also called the “Silicon Valley of India”, whereas the Unesco World Heritage site Hampi gives a great impression of the capital of the late medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara (“City of Victory”), whose kings ruled over vast parts of South India for around 300 years. Cultural and religious traditions include the Islamic culture of North Karnataka, Jainism and Hinduism. Among the many religious fairs and festivals throughout the year, the Mysore Dasara festivities are famous across borders. The course is taught by experts in Kannada language and culture: Prof. Dr. Viveka Rai B. A. Viveka Rai is retired Professor of Kannada Literature and Folklore at the University of Mangalore. Currently, he is Guest Professor at the Chair of Indology, University of Würzburg, teaching Kannada as well as courses on the culture of Karnataka. Dr. Katrin Binder Katrin Binder is an Indologist and professional performer of Yakshagana (a traditional theatre of Karnataka). She is currently teaching Kannada, Urdu and courses on Indian theatre and dance at the Chair of Indology, University of Würzburg. The Summer School is free of cost, but students need to pay for the teaching materials. Accomodation: Can be arranged upon request. Please register until 30.06.2012. Contact: Benjamin Hahn, M.A. Lehrstuhl für Indologie, Universität Würzburg Tel.: (0931) 31-83269 email: [email protected] .