Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa (born 20 June 1931) is an Indian novelist, philosopher and screenwriter who writes in

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

. His work is popular in the state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

and he is widely regarded as one of modern India's popular novelists. His novels are unique in terms of theme, structure, and characterization. He has been among the top-selling authors in the Kannada language and his books have been translated into

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

and

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

which have also been sellers. Bhyrappa's works do not fit into any specific

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

of contemporary

Kannada literature Kannada literature is the Text corpus, corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian language, Dravidian Language family, family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script. A ...

such as Navodaya, Navya, Bandaya, or Dalita, partly because of the range of topics he writes about. His major works have been at the center of several heated public debates and controversies. He was awarded the 20th

Saraswati Samman The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. The Saras ...

in 2010. In March 2015, Bhyrappa was awarded the

Sahitya Akademi Fellowship The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India bestowed by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.Quote: "In his acceptance speech when India's National Academy of Letters (Sahitya Akademi) in 1997 conferred its h ...

. The Government of India awarded him with the civilian honour of the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

in 2016.

Biography

Early life

S L Bhyrappa was born at Santeshivara, a village in the

Channarayapatna Channarayapatna is a town and Taluk headquarters in Hassan district of Karnataka, India. It lies on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 75 in Karnataka, India.It has number of temples like Channakeshava temple, Anjaneya temple, Tejigereyam ...

taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

Hassan district Hassan is one of the districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan, Karnataka, Hassan. It was carved out from Mysore district in the year 1866, during the Commissioner's Rule of Mysore (1831-81). ...

, about from

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

. He came from a traditional

Hoysala Karnataka Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins are a community of Smarta Brahmins originating in the Hoysala Empire. The empire ruled most of what is now Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of I ...

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

family. He lost his mother and brothers to

Bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

in his early childhood and took on odd jobs to pay for his education. During his childhood, he was influenced by the writings of

Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar (1904–1991), popularly known as Goruru, was an Indian writer who wrote in Kannada. He was well known for his humour and satire. Early life Goruru Ramaswami Iyengar was born at "Goruru" in Hassan district of Karnataka ...

. His date of birth as per school records is 20 August 1931 and he has declared in his autobiography ''Bhitti'' that his actual date of birth is different. (Bhitti page no.50 First edition) Bhyrappa completed his primary education in Channarayapatna taluk before moving to

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

where he completed the rest of his education. In his autobiography, ''

Bhitti ''Bhitti'' is the autobiography of kannada novelist S.L. Bhyrappa. First published in 1996, the book had 11 reprints as of May, 2018 and has been translated to Hindi, Marathi and English language English is a West Germanic language of ...

'' (Wall) he wrote that he took a break during his high school education. Bhyrappa impulsively quit school, following his cousin's advice and wandered for a year with him. His sojourn led him to

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, where he worked as a

railway porter A porter is a railway employee. The role of a porter is to assist passengers at railway stations, and to handle the loading, unloading, and distribution of luggage and parcels. In the United States the term was formerly used for employees who atte ...

. In Mumbai he met a group of

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. Th ...

s and joined them to seek spiritual solace. He wandered with them for a few months before returning to Mysore to resume his education .

Education

Bhyrappa attended Navodaya High School,

, Sharada Vilas High School,

. He earned a B.A (Hons) – Philosophy (Major), at

Mysore University The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...

and earned an M.A in Philosophy as well as being awarded the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

by Mysore University. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy – ''Satya mattu Soundarya'' (Truth and Beauty) written in English, at

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after the independence of ...

Career

S L Bhyrappa was a Lecturer of Logic and Psychology at Sri Kadasiddheshwar College,

Hubli Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad distr ...

;

Sardar Patel University Sardar Patel University (SPU) is a public state university in Vallabh Vidyanagar, a town Gujarat, India. It is named after the iron man of India Vallabhbhai Patel, and was founded in October 1955 by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of the then ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

;

NCERT The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Registration Act. Its head ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

; and the Regional College of Education,

from which he retired in 1991. Bhyrappa has two sons and lives with his wife in Mysore. Bhyrappa' works are published in English, Kannada, and Sanskrit, and taught in Indian Studies and Western Philosophy courses.

Works

Starting with ''Bheemakaya'', first published in 1958, Bhyrappa has authored twenty four novels in a career spanning more than five decades. ''Vamshavruksha'', ''Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane'', ''Matadana'' and ''Nayi Neralu'' were made into films that received critical acclaim. ''Vamshavruksha'' has received the Kannada Sahitya Academy Award in 1966 and ''Daatu'' (Crossing Over) received both the

and the Kendra Sahitya Academy awards in 1975. ''Parva'', the most critically acclaimed of all his novels narrates the social structure, values and mortality in the epic of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

very effectively. Bhyrappa reconstructs the Mahabharatha from sociological and anthropological angle, through metaphors in this novel. Tantu, a Kannada novel was published in 1993. Tantu ( meaning 'cord' or 'links') explored relations or links between human emotions. It was translated into English in the year 2010 by Niyogi Books. Tantu was followed by Saartha which was published in 1998.

Popularity

Many of Bhyrappa's novels have been translated into other Indian languages and English. Bhyrappa has been one of the best-selling authors in Kannada for the past twenty-five years, and translations of his books have been best sellers for the past eight years in

and in the past five years in

. Most of his novels have been reprinted several times. His recently printed novel '' Aavarana'', was sold out even before its release. The novel went on to create a record in Indian literary circles with ten reprints within five months of its publication. His novel '' Yaana'' (Journey), was released in August 2014. In 2017 his latest novel '' Uttara Kaanda'' based on the hindu epic Ramayana was published. Bhyrappa announced that this novel will be his last novel and due to adavnced age he cannot undertake any new ventures. After a long gap of 62 years his second novel '' Belaku Mooditu'' was published in 2021. All of his novels are published by Sahitya Bhandara in

Bengaluru Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, Karnataka.

Controversies

Bhyrappa was the center of several controversies because of his themes and positions on sensitive issues. Some of his prominent novels (such as ''Vamshavruksha, Tabbaliyu Neenaade Magane, Parva,'' and ''Saartha'') have strong roots in ancient Indian philosophical tradition, thus inviting severe criticism from Navya writers and from others. Bhyrappa supported N. R. Narayana Murthy when he was criticized by the media and the public regarding the controversy over playing an instrumental version of the national anthem at an important occasion. He also backed N. R. Narayana Murthy regarding the Kaveri issue saying riots and protests are not going to solve the problem. Bhyrappa had a debate with

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...

in the publication ''

Vijaya Karnataka ''Vijaya Karnataka'' is a Kannada newspaper published from a number of cities in Karnataka. The newspaper is published from Bengaluru, Hubballi, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, Gangavathi, Belagavi, Davanagere, Hassan, Chitradurga. It wa ...

'' regarding the religious tolerance of 18th century Mysore ruler

Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...

. In Bhyrappa's novel '' Aavarana'', he accuses Tippu Sultan of being a religious fanatic who could not stand Hindus in his court. Bhyrappa had substantiated the argument based on several historic sources written in India during Tippu Sultan's rule. One of the issues Bhyrappa raised was the usage of the Persian word ''bin'' (which is used to refer to a person as a "son of") in the Government of Karnataka records even during modern times. This practice started during Tippu Sultan's rule, which according to Bhyrappa was one of the several methods used to enforce Islamic rule on Hindus. The book discusses other methods used by Tippu Sultan to convert Hindus to Islam. Bhyrappa backs his claims with historical references. This was criticized by Girish Karnad, who portrays Tippu Sultan as a secular ruler in his plays. Bhyrappa accused Karnad of giving an inaccurate account of Tippu Sultan in his plays.

U.R. Ananthamurthy Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy (21 December 1932 – 22 August 2014) was an Indian contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language. He was born in Thirtahalli Taluk and is considered one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. In 199 ...

was a prominent critic of Bhyrappa's novels. Bhyrappa has documented his debate with Ananthamurthy in ''

'', as well as in a few essays in his book ''Naaneke Bareyuttene''. Bhyrappa's more recent novel ''Aavarana'' brings out historical information about what Islamic rule did to ancient Indian social and cultural life. This has stirred a major controversy. There have been accusations leveled at Bhyrappa of being a Hindu fundamentalist who wants to divide society on the basis of history, an allegation which Bhyrappa anticipated and tried to refute by referring to notable sources. Ananthamurthy criticized Bhyrappa and his works, calling ''Aavarana'' "dangerous". Ananthamurthy accused Bhyrappa of being more of a debater than a storyteller. "He doesn't know what Hindu religion stands for" and "does not know how to write novels". However Bhyrappa claims that the novel was result of his search for truth and there was no ulterior motive behind the novel. He urged critics to study the reference books mentioned in the novel before arriving at any conclusion about it.

Accolades

National awards

* Bendre National award *

Padma Shri award Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred ...

(Government of India, 2016) *

(Government of India, 2015) * National Research Professor, (Government of India, 2014) *

for his novel

Mandra Mandra ( el, Μάνδρα), is a town and former municipality in West Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Mandra-Eidyllia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an a ...

(Birla Foundation, 2011). *

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

(Government of India, 1975)

State awards

* Honorary Doctorate from Central University of Karnataka (2020) *

Nrupatunga Award The Nrupatunga Award is an award for excellence in Kannada literature in the Indian state of Karnataka. The award was instituted by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and is sponsored by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation Bengalu ...

(2017, Kannada Sahitya Parishath and BMTC Bengaluru) * Sri Krishnadevaraya Award (Telugu Vignana Samithi, 2017) * Honorary Doctorate from Mysore University (2015). * Betageri Krishna Sharma Award (2014) * Vagvilasini Puraskar (Deenanath Memorial Foundation, Pune, 2012) * Nadoja Award (2011) * NTR National Literary Award (2007) * Honorary Doctorate from Gulbarga University (2007). *

Pampa Award The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...

(2005). * President,

Kannada Sahitya Sammelana The Kannada Sahitya Sammelana () is the premier gathering of writers, poets and Kannadigas. It is held with the aim of preserving and developing the Kannada language, its literature, art, culture and music. It was started in 1915 by H. V. Nanju ...

Kanakapura Kanakapura is a town in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka on the banks of the Arkavathi river and the administrative center of the taluk of the same name. Previously belonged to Bangalore Rural District. It was formerly the largest constit ...

(1999) * Kannada Sahitya Academy award (Government of Karnataka, 1966)

Bibliography

Novels

*
Gatha Janma Matteradu Kathegalu
' (1955) * '' Bheemakaaya'' (1958) * ''Belaku Mooditu'' (1959) * '' Dharmashree'' (1961) * '' Doora saridaru'' (1962) * ''

Matadana ''Matadana'' ''(meaning: voting)'' is a 1965 novel written by the famous Kannada writer, philosopher, thinker S L Bhyrappa. An award winning Kannada movie ''Mathadana'' based on this novel, which was directed by T N Seetharam secured ' Best R ...

'' (1965) * ''Vamshavriksha'' (1965) * ''Jalapaata'' (1967) * '' Naayi Neralu'' (1968) * '' Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane'' (1968) * '' Gruhabhanga'' (1970) * '' Nirakarana'' (1971) * ''

Grahana Grahana () refers to the Sanskrit term for an eclipse. Eclipses are regarded to be noteworthy phenomena in Hinduism, and legends involving their origin and purpose are featured in Hindu mythology. Literature An eclipse is classified as either a ...

'' (1972) * ''

Daatu ''Daatu'' (''meaning: cross'') is a novel by Kannada writer S L Bhyrappa for which he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 1975. The Book has story which goes through the complex caste system that is deep rooted into Indian socie ...

'' (1973) * ''

Anveshana ''Anveshana'' () is a 1985 Indian Telugu-language mystery thriller film written and directed by Vamsy. It stars Karthik, Bhanupriya, Kaikala Satyanarayana and Sarath Babu with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The story revolves around an or ...

'' (1976) * ''

Parva Parva may refer to: * PARVA, a gene * The 18 parvas, books or chapters of the ''Mahabharata'' * Parva (band), name of English band Kaiser Chiefs from 2000 to 2003 * ''Parva'' (2002 film), a Kannada language film by Sunil Kumar Desai * ''Parva'' ...

''1979) * '' Nele'' (1983) * '' Sakshi''(1986) * '' Anchu'' (1990) * '' Tantu'' (1993) * '' Saartha'' (1998) * ''

'' (2001) * '' Aavarana'' (2007) * '' Kavalu'' (2010) * '' Yaana'' (2014) * '' Uttarakaanda'' (2017)

Autobiography

* ''

'' (1996)

Criticism

*
Satya mattu Soundarya
' (1966) (Doctoral thesis) *
Saahitya mattu Prateeka
' (1967) *
Kathe mattu Kathavastu
' (1969) *
Naaneke Bareyuttene?
' (1980) *
Sandarbha : Samvada
' (2011) * Saakshi Parva (2019)

Short stories

His short story "Avva" was published in the '' Kasturi'' magazine and it's considered as his maiden short story.

Translations

* ''Dharmashree'' :

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

* ''Vamshavruksha'' :

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

, Marathi,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

* ''Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane'' : Hindi * ''Gruhabhanga'' : All 14 scheduled languages of India, English * ''Nirakarana'' : Hindi * ''Daatu'' : All 14 scheduled languages of India, English * ''Anveshana'' : Marathi, Hindi * ''Parva'' : Telugu, Marathi, Hindi,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

, English * ''Nele'' : Hindi * ''Sakshi'' : Hindi, English * ''Anchu'' : Marathi, Hindi * ''Tantu'' : Marathi, Hindi * ''Sartha'' : Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, English * ''Aavarana'' : Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, English * ''Naneke Bareyuttene'' : Marathi, English * ''Satya mattu Soundarya'' : English * ''

'' : Marathi, Hindi, English * ''Mandra'' : Marathi, Hindi, English

Visual Media

Films

* ''

Vamshavruksha Vamsha Vriksha (The genealogy tree), is a 1971 Indian Kannada-language film directed by B. V. Karanth and Girish Karnad, based on S. L. Bhyrappa's novel of the same name. The film won the National Film Award for Best Direction.Shampa Banerjee ...

'' (1972) * '' Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane'' (1977) * ''

'' (2001) * '' Nayi-Neralu'' (2006)

Television series

* ''Gruhabhanga'' * ''Daatu'' (Hindi)

Footnotes

References

* ''

'' (Canvas) by S.L. Bhyrappa, an autobiography * ''Naaneke Bareyuttene'' by S.L. Bhyrappa, a collection of essays about writing * ''S. L. Bhyrappa Badaku-Baraha'' by Nagaraj Neeragunda on S.L. Bhyrappa's life and works

External Links and Further Reading

Interview with S L Bhyrappa
–

Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhyrappa, S. L. 1931 births Living people 20th-century Indian male writers 20th-century Indian novelists 20th-century Indian philosophers Indian male novelists Indian male screenwriters Kannada screenwriters Kannada-language writers Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda alumni Novelists from Karnataka People from Hassan district Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Kannada Screenwriters from Karnataka Writers from Mysore Indian Hindus