thumb|Sahitya Parishat Building

thumb|250px|right|The members of the conference held in Bangalore in 1915 which led to the creation of Kannada Saahithya Parishath

Kannada Saahithya Parishat (; ) is an Indian non-profit organisation that promotes the Kannada language and its literature. Its headquarters are in the city of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka, India. It strives to promote Kannada language through publishing books, organising literary seminars and promoting research projects. It also organises an annual conference on Kannada literature called Kannada Sahithya Sammelana (Kannada Literary Meet). The current president of the parishat is K. A. Dayananda.

Origin

thumb|250px|left| Kannada Sahitya Parishat's building (with a modernized library) at Pampa Mahakavi Road, [[Chamrajpet, Bengaluru.]]During the British rule of India, Kannada speakers were spread across different provinces. Coming under the influence of different languages in those provinces, the pronunciation and grammar of Kannada language started to differ across provinces. This led to a gap in communication across the people in these provinces though they spoke the same language of Kannada. Mokshagundam Vishweshwaraiah, who was the Diwan of the Mysore Kingdom felt the need to conserve and promote the Kannada language and literature. In this direction, he started the Mysore Economic Conference and created a study circle under H. V. Nanjundaiah under the aegis of Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. thumb|alt=Krishna Raja wodeyar bust at Kannada saahitya parishath premises|Krishna Raja wodeyar bust at Kannada saahitya parishath premises

A sub-committee formed under the study circle came up with five different topics on which suggestions were invited: During its existence, the Parishat has contributed to the growth of Kannada language by organising conferences and debates, publication and release of books, organising talks by eminent writers and also by holding the annual Kannada Sahitya Sammelana.

[[File:Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar c1903.jpg|thumb|right|300px|

Maharaja Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, royal patron of the Parishat.]]

List of Presidents of the Sahitya Parishat

Source:

From 1915 to 1940, the presidents of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) were chosen by unanimous consensus. Subsequently, an electoral system was implemented.

  • Sri H. V. Nanjundaiah – 1915–1920
  • Sir M. Kantaraj Urs – 1920–1923
  • Sri Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar Bahadur – 1924–1940
  • Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur – 1940–1940
  • Sri Basavaprabhu Raja Lakhamagouda Sirdesai Bahadur – 1941–1946
  • Sri Lokur Narayanrao Swamirao – 08-06-1947 to 29-12-1947
  • Sri Tirumale Tatacharya Sharma – 29-12-1947 to 06-03-1949
  • Sri Reverend Uttangi Chennappa – 06-03-1949 to 17-12-1950
  • Sri M. R. Srinivasamurthy – 17-12-1950 to 16-09-1953
  • Dr. Masti Venkatesha Iyengar – 30-09-1953 to 09-05-1954
  • Prof. A. N. Moorthy Rao – 09-05-1954 to 17-05-1956
  • Sri B. Shivamurthy Shastry – 17-05-1956 to 25-10-1964
  • Prof. G. Venkatasubbaiah – 25-10-1964 to 11-06-1969
  • Sri G. Narayana – 11-06-1969 to 23-07-1978
  • Dr. Hampa Nagarajaiah – 23-07-1978 to 19-02-1986
  • H. B. Jwalanaiah – 19-02-1986 to 01-11-1988
  • Prof. G. S. Siddalingaiah – 22-02-1989 to 14-05-1992
  • Sri Go. Ru. Channabasappa – 14-05-1992 to 22-06-1995
  • Dr. Sa. Shi. Marulayya – 22-06-1995 to 10-07-1998
  • Sri N. Basavaradhya – 10-07-1998 to 11-07-2001
  • Sri Harikrishna Punarooru – 11-07-2001 to 02-11-2004
  • Prof. Chandrashekhara Patila (Champa) – 02-11-2004 to 30-04-2008
  • Dr. Nallur Prasad R. K. – 27-08-2008 to 27-02-2012
  • Pundalika Halambi – 03-05-2012 to 2015
  • Dr. Manu Baligar – 03-03-2016 to 2021
  • Dr. Mahesh Joshi – 22-11-2021 to 21-11-2025
  • Sri K. A. Dayananda, IAS – 22-11-2025 onwards

List of Vice Presidents of the Sahitya Parishat

Source: There were also reports of irregularities conducted within the Parishat in 1987, which prompted the Karnataka Government to nominate an Administrator to the Parishat. The office of the Administrator was removed in 1989.