Neelamma Koti with her book ‘Punyada Phala’
Veteran folklore singer Gururaj Hosakote said many talented rural women hesitate to showcase their abilities due to a lack of confidence.
Speaking to TOI, Koti said she comes from a middle-class family and had long aspired to publish a book but could never afford it. Bilagi MLA JT Patil said the initiative demonstrated another meaningful use of the Gruhalakshmi scheme. Anaveerayya Pyatimath, president of the Bilagi Taluk Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee, said the achievement reflected the empowerment potential of welfare programmes.
Her father, Basavaraj Bandi, nurtured her interest in reading from childhood. After marriage, she regularly attended spiritual discourses at Neelakantheshwar Math, where she began writing stories in her own style and received encouragement. Writer Neelakanth Jambagi later inspired her to compile and publish her work. He praised Koti for transforming her experiences into stories and bringing them to readers.