AWARD WINNING KANNADA AUTHORS:
Jnanpith (The seat of knowledge) is the highest literary award in India. And Kannada has won eight Jnanpith Awards so far, the recent one (2010) being conferred to Sri Chandrasekhar Kambara for his contributions to Kannada literature.
Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa, (1904-1994) the versatile and prolific writer; was born at Hirekodige of Chikkamagaluru district; wrote all of his literary works using the pen name Kuvempu; he is considered and widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. His first literary work was in English -The beginner’s muse; later on he turned to Kannada. The first Jnanpith came to Kannada through him in the year 1967, for his literary work of rewriting the great ancient epic of Ramayana in modern Kannada-“Sri Ramayana Darshanam”.
He is the second Kannada poet to have been revered as “Rastrakavi” (the national poet), the first being M. Govinda Pai. He has penned the state anthem of Karnataka-“Jaya Bharatha jananiya tanujathe, jaya he Karnataka maathe”, meaning Victory to our mother Karnataka - mother India’s own daughter. His popular works beside a number of Collections of poems include the two novels, Kaanuru Subbamma Heggadathi (1936) and Malegalalli madumagalu (1967). Kuvempu is immortalized by his literary work and more particularly for his propagation of Universal Humanism, in his own words “O nanna chetana, aagu nee aniketana”-meaning Oh my soul, never limit yourself to one house, cross all the barriers and let you grow beyond all the limits of caste and religion, faith and nations. Apart from Jnanpith (1967), Kuvempu has been conferred with Kendra Sahithya Akademi Award (1955), Padma Bhushan (1958), Pampa Prashashthi (1987), Padma Vibhushan (1988) and Karnataka Ratna (1992).
Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre (1896-1986), was born at Dharwad; a creative genius has produced some of the most memorable works including 30 collections of poems, plays, short stories, critiques and translations in Kannada literature. He is known by his pen name-Ambikatanaya Datta and popularly as Da.Raa.Bendre. He also wrote in Marathi. The Jnanpith award was conferred to Bendre in 1974 for his anthology of poems in Kannada; “Naku tanthi”-meaning, the four strings. Bendre has been bestowed with Kendra Sahithya Akademi award (1969).
Shivarama Karanth (1902-1997), was born at Kota in coastal Dakshina Kannada district. Karanth’s writings are full of life, creativity at its best. His works include novels, short stories, travelogues, essays, biographies, critiques, plays, art; philosophy…the list just doesn’t seem to end. Nothing could escape his probing mind; he was aptly called as “Mobile Encyclopedia” and “Kadala tadiya Bhargava”-the great man of the coastal area. He also made considerable experiments in the dance forms of ‘Yakshagaana’. He was conferred the Jnanpith award in 1974 for his work Mookajjiya Kanasugalu and his astounding contributions to the Kannada literature.
Masthi Venkatesha Iyengar (1891-1986), born at Masthi in Kolar district; popularly known as Masthi, is referred to as “Kannadada Asthi”-meaning the invaluable property of Kannada. A distinguished civil service gave him ample inspirations for his literary works. He was conferred the Jnanpith award in 1983 for his historical work of “Chikkaveera Rajendra”.
Vinayaka Krishna Gokak (1909-1992), was heavily influenced by Masthi. Embarked upon a unique literary career, he produced a literature that was very much a reflection of his life. He was conferred Kendra Sahithya Akademi award (1961); Jnanpith (1990) for his Bharatha sindhu Rashmi and in recognition of his notable contributions to the Kannada literature.
U.R.Anathamurthy was born in Melige in Shimoga district in 1932, educated in Sanskrit in his early days but did his doctorate in English and contemporary literature at Birmingham and served as an English scholar by profession; his literature is vivid and has a social orientation. “Bharathipura” “Samskara” are his major Kannada work.He has been the Chairman of National Book Trust and also served as the President of Kendra Sahithya Akademi, New Delhi. Jnanpith was conferred to him in 1994. He is actively involved in some social forums and of
Girish Karnad, born in 1938 in Maharastra, is a versatile play writer, critique, cultural administrator, actor and a multifaceted personality. His play ‘Hayavadana’ won him the prestigious Kendra Sangeeth Natak Akademi award and Kamaladevi Chattopadyaya award in 1978. His popular plays Yayathi, Tughlaq, Hittina hunja, Tippuvina kanasugalu and Nagamandala have won him national and international acclaim. He has worked as the director of Film Institute of India, Pune and also the chairman of Kendra Sangeeth Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Performing Arts. He is associated with cinema as well; he has directed and acted in Kannada and Hindi films as well. In recognition of his illustrated career as playwright he was awarded the Jnanpith in 1998.
The newest addition to the list of Jnanpith awardees in Kannada is playwright and folklorist Chandrasekhar Kambara, born in 1937 in a remote village of Belgaum district: has been conferred the award (2010); for his notable contribution to Kannada literature. He is the founder vice-chancellor of Hampi University. He has also been conferred the Kabir Samman, Kalidas Samman, the Nadoja award from the Kannada University of Hampi, Kamaladevi Chattopadyaya award, Kendra Sangeeth Natak academy, Kendra Sahithya Akademy award, Padma shree and Tagore Literature award.
S.L.Bhyrappa has been one of the popular and best selling novelists in Kannada for over 25 years now. His work ‘Mandra’ has earned him the prestigious Saraswati Samman award this year.
Janaki Srinivasa Murthy (Vaidehi), born in 1945 in Udupi district; is one of the noted contemporary women writers of Kannada literature. She has won the coveted Kendra Sahithya Akademi award (2009) for her collection of short stories-Krauncha Pakshigalu.
Na.D’Souza; one of the contemporary writers and social activists; has been conferred with the ‘Bala Sahithya Puraskar’ (2011) award for children’s writing.
Ha.Ma.Nayak (1931-2000), born at Harogadde in Shimoga district was a renowned writer and literary administrator; has been conferred the Kendra Sahithya Akademi award for his work- Samprathi (1989).
Source: ActuaFreeArticles.com - Free articles and fresh content for your web sites opt-in newsletters and e-zines
|
Current Comments
0 comments (post your own)