At any time of the day, on the premises of Sri Veereshwar Punyashrama Music School in Gadag, you will see scores of young children learning vocal or instrumental music from their seniors and teachers in small groups. Students from all castes and communities, including many Dalits and Muslims, study here.
The Punyashrama is one of few charitable institutions of northern Karnataka that provide residential education in instrumental and vocal classical music to physically-challenged students at highly subsidised fees. The institution, informally started in 1915, admits 600-800 students per year, several of them disabled. It acquired a more formal structure in 1944 under the guidance of Sri Panchakshari Gawai.
