H.D. Deve Gowda (third from the left among those sitting on the ground) participating at a training of taluk board members in 1961.
Plans are afoot to set up a museum depicting the life and work of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. The museum, being planned by a team of people who were associated with him, will come up near his native village Haradanahalli of Hassan district.
“The intention is to depict the life and contribution of Mr. Gowda, who hailing from a small village, went on to become the Prime Minister,” says H.N. Krishna, who is at the forefront of the team that is working on the concept.
Local people sum up Mr. Gowda’s political journey with the adage “Hale Kote (hobli centre for Haradanahalli) to Kempu Kote (Red Fort),” he points out.
The museum is still at the conceptual stage and its architecture is being worked out.
H.D. Deve Gowda being sworn in as Prime Minister by President Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996.
Pointing out that the 92-year-old leader’s political career spans beyond six-decades during which he held various positions like legislator, MP, Minister, Chief Minister, and Prime Minister, he said the idea was to showcase his contributions through this long journey.
To begin with, the team is collecting old and rare black-and-white photographs of Mr. Gowda dating before 1990, he said. There are plans to bring out a book comprising the old pictures and also exhibit them at the proposed museum.
H.D. Deve Gowda being sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka in 1994.
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THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Haradanahalli vicinity was chosen as the location for the museum as he was not only born here, but also had his primary education from 1940 to 1944, Dr. Krishna pointed out.
He continued his education at the middle school in the nearby Halekote hobli centre and at High school in Holenarasipura. Mr. Gowda did diploma in Civil Engineering from 1950 to 1952 in Hassan.
H.D. Deve Gowda participating at a training of taluk board members in 1961.
Mr. Gowda had got a job in Railways in Gujarat soon after he completed his diploma. But he gave up the job and became a civil contractor following resistance from his father who was reluctant to let his son go to a far away place. Before becoming contractor, Mr. Gowda also worked as a teacher in a primary school in Jodigubbi village of Holenarasipura taluk for four months.
Beginning of journey
Though Mr. Gowda was nominated to the Taluk Industrial Co-operative Society in 1954 and elected as president of the Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society in 1955, his public life got a wider canvas in 1960 when he won the Taluk Board elections and in 1962 when he won the Assembly elections for the first time from Holenarasipur as an Independent candidate.
Dr. Krishna has appealed to those who are have old pictures to mail them to dr.krishnahn@gmail.com. “They would be scanned and safely returned to them,” he said.
.Details in this regard may be had over Ph: 9844088832.
Published – March 30, 2026 11:10 pm IST
