https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Doddanna_SettyDoddanna Setty - Revision history2026-10-21T07:58:27ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doddanna_Setty&diff=497496&oldid=prevGiispune: Starting some post and citations2026-04-04T20:28:57Z<p>Starting some post and citations</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian merchant and philanthropist}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| honorific_prefix = Janopakari<br />
| name = Doddanna Setty<br />
| image = Janopakari Doddanna Setty.jpg<br />
| caption = Setty’s Portrait<br />
| image_size = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1840|2|3}}<br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]] (now in [[Karnataka]]), British India<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1921|8|05|1840|2|3}}<br />
| death_place = [[Bangalore]], British India<br />
| profession = <br />
| native_name = <br />
| known_for = • Doddanna Hall <br/>• SLN Dharmapatashale <br/>• Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple renovation<br />
| occupation = [[Philanthropist]], merchant<br />
| spouse = <br />
| children = 2<br />
}}<br />
<br />
Janopakari '''Doddanna Setty''' (also spelt as '''Doddanna Shetty'''), (1840–1921), was an [[Indian people|Indian]] merchant and [[philanthropist]] from [[Bangalore]], [[Mysore State]], British India (now [[Karnataka]], India). He is known for starting the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Institution (SLN Institution) for free education to help poor students in 1906, and he also built a public function hall, popularly called "Doddanna Hall", which used to host cultural and public activities in 1905, and later converted into Paramount Talkies.<ref name="thehindu_01">{{Cite news |date=1 October 2020 |title=The Big Brother of Bangalore |work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/the-big-brother-of-bangalore/article32747516.ece |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="thehindu_02">{{Cite news |date=18 December 2020 |title=Doddanna Hall to Paramount theatre |work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/doddanna-hall-to-paramount-theatre/article33365944.ece |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="indiatimes_01">{{Cite news |date=10 January 2016|title=Resident Rendezvoyeur: Giving One's All |work=bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/others/resident-rendezvoyeur-giving-ones-all/articleshow/50522816.cms |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><br />
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Doddanna Setty was given the title "Janopakari" (Generous) by the [[Maharaja of Mysore]] [[Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV]], for his social services.<ref name="gazetteer_01">{{Cite news |date=1 January 1930|title=Mysore Gazetteer Chapter 15|work=gazetteer.karnataka.gov.in|url=https://gazetteer.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/Chapter%2015.pdf |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><br />
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==Early years==<br />
Doddanna Setty was born on February 3, 1840, to parents named Nanjundappa and Siddamma in [[Bangalore]]. They belonged to the [[Ganiga]] community and traded in [[vegetable oil]]. During the 1830s, they lived near the [[Bangalore Cantonment|Cantonment area]] at the [[Commercial Street, Bangalore|Commercial Street]]. His father was popularly known as ''Yajaman (Master)''. Doddanna received the necessary education for the family business and after his father's death, he took over the position as ''Yajaman'' and continued the family business.<ref name="thehindu_01"/><br />
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Doddanna lost three wives one after another. Although the fourth wife gave birth to two children, she also died prematurely. There was a severe [[History of Bangalore#Plague-Crisis of 1898|plague attack in Bangalore In 1898]] and the first son, Lakshminarayan, succumbed to the [[epidemic]]. A few years later, his second son Lakshminarasimha also died.<ref name="thehindu_01"/><br />
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==Social work==<br />
After losing every family member in his life, Doddanna Setty decided to use his wealth to help people and provide free food, shelter and education for poor children.<br />
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===SLN Dharmapatashale===<br />
[[File:SLN institute.jpg|right|thumb|SLN Institution entrance, Bangalore]]<br />
Doddanna Setty decided to establish ''Sri Lakshmi Narasimha [[Dharamshala (type of building)|Dharmapathashale]]'' (later SLN Charities) to educate children from all backgrounds. The Dharmapatasale enclosure wall was built on a 5.5 acres (2.2 Hectares) of land donated by Maharaja [[Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV]] of [[Mysore]] and on March 11, 1906, [[Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV]] inaugurated it. In 1909, the [[Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike|city municipality]] demolished the wall by mistake and so the [[Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV|Maharaja]] gave the land behind the Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple. Uneven terrain was leveled with greater difficulty and mounting costs. In 1915, Lower [[Primary School]] was established here.<ref name="slncollege_01">{{Cite news |title=History of the SLN Institution |work=SLN College, Bangalore|url=https://slncollege.com/history.html |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref> In 1917, it was taken over by the [[Theosophical Society]] and under the guidance of [[Annie Besant]] it was developed into the SLN National High School. Later it shifted to [[Chamarajpet]] and then to [[Basavanagudi]] where it is called as present [[National High School, Basavanagudi|National High School]]. Doddanna Setty took over the SLN Dharmapathshala in 1918. His aim was children should study diligently and those who excelled should get admitted to the [[missionary school]]s in Bangalore. Night classes were organized for students from rural background. The SLN Charity continued its service and in 1966, started ''SLN College of Arts and Commerce'' at the SLN Dharmapatashale premises, which functions at present as well.<ref name="indiatimes_01"/><ref name="thehindu_01"/><ref name="KRW_01">{{Cite news |date=1 January 1921|title=Speeches by His Highness Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysore 1902-1920|work=Government Press, Bangalore|url=https://archive.org/details/SpeechesByKrishnarajaWadiyar/page/n53/mode/2up |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><br />
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===Doddanna Hall===<br />
[[File:Doddanna hall 1905.jpg|right|thumb|Doddanna hall in early 1900s, Bangalore]]<br />
Doddanna Setty wanted a structure large enough to serve the purpose of a choultry, school, theater and assembly hall. He built a function hall building in 1905, at [[Kalasipalyam]], [[KR Market]], this building was recognised as a landmark in the city as "Doddanna Hall". The Doddanna hall functioned as a school during the day, a public function hall in the evening and a movie theater at night. Until Sir [[K. P. Puttanna Chetty]] built the [[Bangalore Town Hall|Town Hall]] in 1935, it was the city's only large indoor venue for holding public events.<br />
This Hall was hosted [[Music]], [[Drama]], [[Dance]], [[Concerts]] and [[Yakshagana]] performances.<ref name="gazetteer_02">{{Cite news |date=1 January 1930|title=Mysore Gazetteer, vol.5|work=Mysore Gazetteer|author=C. Hayavadana Rao|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.94439/page/n185/mode/2up |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref><br />
[[File:Doddanna Hall.jpg|right|thumb|Doddanna hall upgraded to Paramount Theatre, Bangalore]]<br />
When silent movie era started, Doddanna Hall was upgraded to be a [[film theatre]]. In 1913, India's first silent film, ''[[Raja Harishchandra]]'' was screened in the hall. With growing popularity and diversity in films screened, the management changed the name of Doddanna Hall to Paramount Theatre. The first talkie [[Kannada cinema|film]] in [[Kannada]] language, ''[[Sati Sulochana]]'' (1934), was screened here. It was the first to be screened in the [[Mysore State]]. After playing several roles, the [[Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California)|Paramount Theater]] (Doddanna Hall) was demolished in 1974 and Pradeep and Parimala twin Theaters were built in the same place in 1976.<ref name="thehindu_02"/><br />
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=== Devotional Services ===<br />
[[File:Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple Bangalore.jpg|right|thumb|Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore]]<br />
In 1910, Doddanna Setty completely renovated the 19th-century Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple (located next to Jumma Masjid on OPH Road) into a full-fledged temple. In his last days, he took [[Sannyasa]] and started ''Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Aashrama''.<ref name="indiatimes_01"/><br />
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==Death==<br />
Janopakari Doddanna Setty died on August 5, 1921, at the age of 81. A memorial was built in his honour at the SLN Institute premises.<ref name="indiatimes_01"/><br />
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==Honours==<br />
* On 18 October 1907, Doddanna Setty was given the title "Janopakari" by the Maharaja of Mysore [[Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV]]<ref name="gazetteer_01"/><br />
* A landmark near KR Market, Bangalore is named after him as "Janopakari Doddanna Setty circle".<ref name="thehindu_02"/><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Sajjan Rao]]<br />
* [[K. P. Puttanna Chetty]]<br />
* [[Gubbi Thotadappa]]<br />
* [[Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar]]<br />
* [[Yele Mallappa Shetty]]<br />
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==External links==<br />
*{{Commons category-inline}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Doddanna Setty, Janopakari}}<br />
[[Category:1840 births]]<br />
[[Category:1921 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:People from the Kingdom of Mysore]]<br />
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian businesspeople]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian philanthropists]]</div>Giispune