Our Heritage
Born to Serve
From a Commercial Street oil trader to 'Janopakari'
Early life
Doddanna Shetty was born on 3 February 1840 to Nanjundappa and Siddamma of the Ganiga community. The family traded vegetable oil from a small shop near Commercial Street in Bangalore.
Personal tragedy
He lost both his wives and both his sons — one of them to the devastating 1898 Bangalore plague. Rather than withdraw, he chose to turn his entire fortune toward the city's poor.
A life of giving
He funded schools, hostels, temples and feeding houses across Bangalore, insisting that food, shelter and education be offered free of cost to anyone in need, regardless of caste or creed.
The title 'Janopakari'
On 18 October 1907, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV conferred upon him the title 'Janopakari' — the Generous One. The landmark 'Janopakari Doddanna Shetty Circle' near KR Market still carries his name. He passed away on 5 August 1921.