Abhinava Gavisiddheshwar Swami of Koppal Gavisiddheshwar Math inaugurated the 78th birthday celebrations of KLE society chairman Prabhakar Kore in his native village of Ankali in Belagavi district on Friday.He recalled some of the contributions of Mr. Kore towards education and healthcare and said that the society had made great strides under his leadership.“We should all accept what God has given and give our best to the society. People like Mr. Kore have tried their best to give back to the society in several ways. This is how we make our lives meaningful and ensure that people remember us even after we move on,” the seer said.He spoke against addiction to social media and gaming on gadgets.Mr. Kore described himself as an ordinary man who got the opportunity to serve the society only because of his association with KLE society. He said that he was the first person in his family to learn Kannada. My father had started a Marathi school in Ankali village. “I failed in lower grades, but I continued to study and completed my graduation. I won an election to head the KLE society. The field was new, but I took it as a challenge. I started a multi-speciality hospital after my brother died of an ailment. Now, the society runs a charity hospital of 1200 beds in Yallur in Belagavi. We are building another hospital in Hubballi. I organised Vishwa Kannada Sammelana in Belagavi, but I do not hate any language,” he said. He thanked his wife Asha Kore for her support.Swastishri Lakshmisena Bhattarak Swami of Kolhapur Jain Math spoke about the various social activities taken up by the society. “In the last 41 years that Mr. Kore has been the head of the society, it has set up over 310 institutions. Several of its alumni have gone on to achieve great things in life. Mr. Kore’s contribution to the education and health sectors is immense,” he said.Prakash Hukkeri, MLC, Said the society had served the people through art, education, health, medicine and research. He recalled his childhood days when he and Mr. Kore studied together in school.MP Jagadish Shettar, said northern Karnataka had fewer government education institutions compared to south Karnataka, but KLE society had tried to fill the gap. Over 8,800 persons were screened in a mega health camp organised on the occasion. As many as 320 persons donated blood. As many as 78 wrestlers competed in a championship.Mahantesh Kavatagimath, former MLC, Preeti Kore Dodwad, hospital director Colonel M. Dayanand, and others were present.Published - August 01, 2025 07:30 pm IST