H. V. Nanjundaiah

Who was H. V. Nanjundaiah?

Hebbalalu Velpanur Nanjundaiah was the acting Diwan of Mysore, founder and first Vice Chancellor of the Mysore University, senior judge of the Mysore State High Court and founding president of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. He presided over Kannada Sahitya Sammelana from 1915 to 1917 held in Bangalore and Mysore. He was one of the first documented ethnographers in the world, having authored a seminal book Mysore tribes and Castes in 1906, among other books on legal matters.

He earned an M.A. and a M.L. from the Madras University. He died in 1920 at Mysore while still in office as vice-chancellor. He was a senior judge in the then Mysore State High Court before being the principal administrator and then acting Diwan of Mysore. He was one of the first residents of Malleshwaram, a locality in Bangalore, and his mansion was donated to the government to set up a girls' high school that still stands on 13th Cross, 4th Main Malleshwaram, Bangalore. His family still lives near the same Mansion turned School

Due to his exemplary service to the state, 6th main road, Malleshwaram is named after him.

He was also involved in the Indian Science Congress Association and served as the Vice president for Ethnography in 1915.