S.L.N high school

Through the earnest zeal and passion of the Donor, Yajman Janopakari Sri. Doddanna Setty, a merchant and a great philanthropist of the times, SLN Charities came into existence in the year 1906, deeply committed to the service of the humanity through education and employment through cottage industries. The Trust was established with the Will of the donor dedicated to the spirit of sacrifice and service to humanity as envisaged by Sri Doddanna Setty. Initially started as Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Dharma Patashale in 1905, the school was inaugurated on 10-3-1906 by the Maharaja of Mysore. Doddanna Setty's selfless service endeared him to the rich and the ordinary alike and he earned the title 'Janopakari' meaning: one who does favour for the people'. He was awarded the title 'Janopakari' by His Highness Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in Amba Vilas Palace on 18-10-1907 with the traditional Mysore Peta and the Dollar of Gandaberunda-the royal insignia of the dynasty.

Janopakari Sri Doddanna Setty inspired by the passion to render service to the community and the society in general had approached the Maharaja of Mysore Sri. Krishnaraja Wodeyar-IV with a request to allot a piece of land so that he can build an institution which will survive for posterity rendering public good through education and culture. The Maharaja offered about 05.5 acres of land to Sri Doddanna Setty right opposite to the Tippu Sultan Fort in Bangalore. Maharaja Sri Sir Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar- IV was the ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Mysore from 1894 until his death in 1940. He was a philosopher king and the Mahatma called him Rajarshi - 'the saintly king'. The donor built a hall which was famously called 'Doddanna Hall' which served as a seat of culture and public activities for the people of Bangalore besides housing a lot of students who required boarding and lodging to pursue their studies in Bangalore.

Janopakari Sri. Doddanna Setty gave a shape to his dream and passion by establishing SLN Charities, called Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Charities in the year 1906 and established SLN School in the year 1906. Started in a humble dwelling, the institution metamorphosed into a PU College and Degree College in the later years in a stately building, which is now distinguished as a heritage building by the Government of Karnataka. Speaking on the occasion of the inaugural of the school the Maharaja said: “I congratulate the founder of the school on the choice that he has made of object of his charity. I consider him fortunate in having provided for himself in his declining years such an unfailing source of interest and I trust that he spared for many years to watch over the fortunes of the school”. Though Sri Doddanna Setty handed over the responsibility of managing the school to Anne Besant through the Mythic Society on 23-04-1917, he took back the responsibility from her on 19-11-1918.

Bangaloreans owe their first film-viewing experience partly to Yajman Janopakari Doddanna Setty, a patron of arts for building a theatre which was later converted into Paramount Talkies in 1905. The first Kannada talkie, Sati Sulochana, was screened here in 1934.