K. Shivaram Karanth – Kannada Writer
Kota Shivaram Karanth was a Kannada writer of great repute and a social activist, environmentalist, film maker and thinker. He was the third person among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada the highest literary honour conferred by the Govt. of India. Shivaram Karanth was born on 10 October in Kota near Udupi in the Udupi district of Karnataka in a Kannada family. Being the fifth child of his parents Shesha Karantha and Lakshmamma, he completed his primary education in Kundapura and Mangalore. His older brother was K. R. Karanth, who served as minister in the Madras Presidency in the 1940s. Shivaram Karanth was influenced by Gandhi’s principles and took part in Indian Independence movement while he was in college. He did not complete his education and went to participate in the Non-co-operation movement and canvassed for khadi and swadeshi for five years up to 1927.By that time Karanth had already started writing fiction-detective novels, to begin with – as well as plays.
Karanth was an intellectual and environmentalist who tremendously contributed to art and culture of Karnataka.He is considered one of the greatest novelist in Kannada. He wrote 45 novels and was said to have tried to write at least one novel per year.Yakshagana and Yakshagana are two of his books on Yakshagana.He also made experiments in printing during the 1930s and 1940s and printed his own novels, but ended up incuring serious financial losses. He was also a painter and an environmentalist, known for his stand against nuclear energy.
National honours :
Jnanpith Award : 1978
Padma Bhushan : He returned his Padma Bhushan honour in protest against the Emergency, imposed by Indira Gandhi.
Literary awards :
- SahityaAcademy award : 1958
- Pampa Award
- SwedishAcademy award
- Tulsi Samman
Film awards :
- National Film Award – (Posthumously)
- National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention Writer – Bettada Jeeva – K. Shivaram Karanth – 2011
Books written :
- Mookajjiya Kanasugalu : Jnanpith award winning novel
- Marali Mannige : “Back to the Soil”
- Chomana Dudi : “Drum of Choma”
- Apoorva Paschima : “Incomparable West”
- Abuvinda Baramakke : A Travelogue
- Arasikaralla : A Travelogue
- Mai Managala Suliyalli : “In the Whirlpool of Body and Soul”
- Bettada Jeeva : “Life on the Hills”
- Sarasammana Samadhi : “Grave of Sarasamma”
- Dharmayana Samsara : “Family of Dharmayana”
- Alida Mele : “After Death”
- Kudiyara Kusu : “Infant of Kudiya”
- Jnana : “Knowledge”
- Mailikallinodane matukate : “Talks with the Milestone”
- Adbhuta jagattu : “Wonderful World”
- Vijnana prapancha : “The World of Science”
- Kaladarshana
- Yaksagana, English translation, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts 1997
- Yakshagana Bayalata
- Bharatheya chitrakale
- Hucchu Manasina Hatthu Mukhagalu, autobiography, English translation: “Ten Faces of a Crazy Mind”, by H Y Sharada Prasad), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan 1993.
- Chiguridha Kanasu”
- Mugida Yudda” “Completed War”
- Moojanma
- Dharmarayana samsara
- Kevala Manushyaru
- Illeyamba
- Iddaru chinthe
- Navu kattida swarga
- Nashta diggajagalu
- Kanniddu kurudaru
- Gedda doddasthike
- Kannadiyalli kandatha
- Antida aparanji
- Halliya hattu samastharu
- Sameekshe
- Moga Padeda Mana
- Shaneeshwarana Neralinalli
- Nambidavara Naka Naraka
- Oudaryada Urulalli
Kannada Transliteration