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Kota Shivaram Karanth (10 October 1902 – 9 December 1997), also abbreviated as K. Shivaram Karanth, was an Indian
polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
, who was a novelist in
Kannada language 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 ...
,
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and an ecological conservationist.
Ramachandra Guha Ramachandra "Ram" Guha (born 29 April 1958) is an Indian historian, environmentalist, writer and public intellectual whose research interests include social history, social, political history, political, contemporary history, contemporary, Envir ...
called him the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India, who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence". He was the third writer to be decorated with the
Jnanpith Award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
for
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 ...
, the highest literary honor conferred in India. His son Ullas is an ecological conservationist.


Early life

Shivaram Karanth was born on 10 October 1902, in Kota near
Kundapur Kundapur, also called Kundapura, is a coastal town situated in the Udupi district of the state of Karnataka, India. This town was known as Coondapoor while it was part of the erstwhile South Canara district (1862–1947) of the Madras Pr ...
a in the
Udupi district Udupi district (also Udipi or Odipu in Tulu language) is an administrative subdivision in the Karnataka state of India, with the district headquarters in the city of Udupi. It is situated in the Canara coastal region, there are seven talu ...
of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
to a
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 ...
-speaking family. The fifth child of his parents Shesha Karantha and Lakshmamma, he completed his primary education in
Kundapura Kundapur, also called Kundapura, is a coastal town situated in the Udupi district of the state of Karnataka, India. This town was known as Coondapoor while it was part of the erstwhile South Canara district (1862–1947) of the Madras Pres ...
and
Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka– ...
. Shivaram Karanth was influenced by Gandhi's principles and took part in
Indian Independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal ...
when he was in college. His participation in the
Non-cooperation movement The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance.khadi Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
and
swadeshi The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism. Before the BML Government's decision for the partition of Bengal was made public in ...
in Karnataka led by
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
leader
Karnad Sadashiva Rao Karnad Sadashiva Rao was an Indian freedom fighter from what is now Karnataka, India. Rao was born to a wealthy south Indian family in 1881. He studied at Presidency College in Madras and also studied law in Mumbai. Rao became involved in t ...
, for five years till 1927. By that time, Karanth had already started writing fiction novels and plays.


Career

Karanth began writing in 1924 and soon published his first book, ''Rashtrageetha Sudhakara'', a collection of poems. His first novel was ''Vichitrakoota''. Subsequent works like ''Nirbhagya Janma'' ("Unfortunate Birth") and ''Sooleya Samsara'' ("Family of a Prostitute") mirrored the pathetic conditions of the poor. His magnum opus ''Devaddhootaru'', a satire on contemporary India, was published in 1928. Karanth was an intellectual and environmentalist who made notable contribution to the art and culture of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
. He is considered one of the most influential novelists in the Kannada language. His novels ''Marali Mannige'', ''Bettada Jeeva'', ''Alida Mele'', ''Mookajjiya Kanasugalu'', ''Mai Managala Suliyalli'', ''Ade OOru Ade Mara'', ''Shaneeshwarana Neralinalli'', ''Kudiyara Koosu'', ''Svapnada Hole'', ''Sarsammana Samadhi'', and ''Chomana Dudi'' are widely read and have received critical acclaim. He wrote two books on Karnataka's ancient stage dance-drama ''
Yakshagana Yakshagaana is a traditional theatre, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala that combines dance, music, dialogue, ...
'' (1957 and 1975). He was involved in experiments in the technique of printing for some years in the 1930s and 1940s and printed his own novels, but incurred financial losses. He was also a painter and was deeply concerned with the issue of nuclear energy and its impact on the environment.A walk through the life of Karanth – KARNATAKA
The Hindu (26 February 2013). Retrieved on 2018-11-15.
At the age of 90, he wrote a book on birds (published during 2002 by Manohara Grantha Mala, Dharwad). He wrote, apart from his forty-seven novels, thirty-one plays, four short story collections, six books of essays and sketches, thirteen books on art, two volumes of poems, nine encyclopedias, and over one hundred articles on various issues. His ''Mookajjiya Kanasugalu'' novel won Jnanpith award.


Personal life

Karanth married Leela Alva, a student in the school that Karanth taught dance and directed plays in. Leela belonged to the Bunt community and was the daughter of a businessman, K. D. Alva. They married on 6 May 1936. The couple subsequently attracted ridicule from people in the region over their inter-caste marriage; Karanth belonged to an orthodox
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 ( ...
community. Leela, who had her early education in
Marathi language Marathi (; ''Marāṭhī'', ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by Marathi people in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the official language of Maharashtra, and additional official language in the state o ...
, re-learnt Kannada after marriage and translated the Marathi novel ''
Pan Lakshat Kon Gheto ''Pan Lakshat Kon Gheto'' ( mr, पण लक्षात कोण घेतो?, English: ''But Who Cares...'') is an 1890 Marathi-language novel by Hari Narayan Apte. Written in autobiographical style, the novel tells the story of Yamuna, a y ...
'' into Kannada. As a dancer, she participated in Karanth's operas. The Karanths had four children together: sons, Harsha and Ullas, a conservationist; and daughters, Malavika and Kshama. His mother's influence on Karanth was described by Ullas as: "It was our mother who shaped Karanth's life... She was the backbone of all his endeavours. She was also quite well-read, and she dedicated all of her talents to her husband. She took care of all household responsibilities." The family lived in the Puttur town of
Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is a district of Karnataka state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east ...
, a district in the South Karnataka region, before moving to Saligrama, a town from Karanth's birthplace Kota, in 1974. A few years prior to this, their eldest son Harsha died leaving Leela suffer from "depression and hallucinations". Leela died in September 1986. It was also the year that Karanth's final novel was published. Karanth was admitted to
Kasturba Medical College Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, together known as KMC, are two private medical colleges in coastal Karnataka, India, established in 1953.Manipal Manipal is a suburb and university town within Udupi, in coastal Karnataka, India. Manipal is located five kilometres away from the centre of Udupi City, in Udupi District, Karnataka (state) in south western India. It is administered by the Udup ...
on 2 December 1997 to be treated for viral fever. He suffered from a cardiac
respiratory arrest Respiratory arrest is a sickness caused by apnea (cessation of breathing) or respiratory dysfunction severe enough it will not sustain the body (such as agonal breathing). Prolonged apnea refers to a patient who has stopped breathing for a long pe ...
two days later and slipped into a coma. On 8 December, his kidneys began to failand subsequently developed severe
acidosis Acidosis is a process causing increased acidity in the blood and other body tissues (i.e., an increase in hydrogen ion concentration). If not further qualified, it usually refers to acidity of the blood plasma. The term ''acidemia'' describe ...
and
sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
, following which he was put on dialysis. Efforts to revive him failed and he died at 11:35 a.m. (
IST Ist or IST may refer to: Information Science and Technology * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Science and Technology * Graduate School / Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Japan * Graduate School ...
) the following day, aged 95. The
government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appoint ...
declared a two-day
mourning Mourning is the expression of an experience that is the consequence of an event in life involving loss, causing grief, occurring as a result of someone's death, specifically someone who was loved although loss from death is not exclusively ...
in the State as a mark of respect.


Popularity

Many of Karanth's novels have been translated into other Indian languages. Marali Mannige got translated to English by Padma Ramachandra Sharma, has been conferred the State Sahitya Akademi award.


Memorial


Shivarama Karantha Balavana

Shivarama Karantha Balavana The Shivarama Karantha Balavana is notable for its fame under the name of Jnanapeeta awardee Kota Shivarama Karanthar, who lived in Puttur. His home now houses a museum, a park, and a recreation center. This a multi-purpose tourist attraction ...
is notable for its fame under the name of the Jnanapeeta awardee Dr. K. Shivarama Karantha, who lived in Puttur. In his memory his home now houses a museum, a park, and a recreation center.


Literary and national honors

*
Jnanapith Award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
– 1978 *
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 ...
(1985) *
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also known as Akademi Ratna Sadasyata, is an Indian honour for the performing arts presented by Sangeet Natak Academy. It is "the most prestigious and rare honour" conferred by the Academy and is "restricte ...
(1973) *
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
(He returned his
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
honour in protest against the
Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
imposed in India) *
Sahitya Academy 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 ...
– 1959 * Karnataka state Sahitya Akademi Award *
Rajyotsava Prashasti The Rajyotsava Prashasti or Rajyotsava Awards, the second highest civilian honor of the Karnataka state of India are conferred annually by the Karnataka Government on the occasion of the establishment of the state on 1 November celebrated as ...
– 1986 * Sangeet Natak Award * Pampa Award *
Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is bes ...
award *
Tulsi Samman The Tulsi Samman is an arts award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh state in India. The award is named after Tulsi Das, an Indian saint, poet and philosopher, best known as the author of '' Ramacharitamanas'', an epic devoted ...
(1990) * Dadabhai Nauroji Award (1990) * Honorary Doctorate from Mysore University, Meerut University, Karnatak University and others.


Film awards

*
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
– (Posthumously) * National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention Writer –
Bettada Jeeva ''Bettada Jeeva'' is a National Award-winning (2011) Kannada film directed by P. Sheshadri starring H. G. Dattatreya, Suchendra Prasad, Rameshwari Varma and others. The story is based on Jnanpith awardee K. Shivaram Karanth's novel. It depicts th ...
– K. Shivaram Karanth – 2011


Writings

Novels * '' Mookajjiya Kanasugalu'' ("Dreams of Mookajji Granny") (
Jnanpith award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
winning novel) * '' Marali Mannige'' ("Back to the Soil") * ''
Chomana Dudi Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a feature film in the Kannada language. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Shivaram Karanth. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal' ...
'' ("Drum of Choma") * ''
Mai Managala Suliyalli Mai, or MAI, may refer to: Names * Mai (Chinese surname) * Mai (Vietnamese surname) * Mai (name) * Mai (singer), J-Pop singer * Iris Mai (born 1962), German chess master Places * Chiang Mai, largest city in northern Thailand * Ma-i, a pre-His ...
'' ("In the Whirlpool of Body and Soul") * ''
Bettada Jeeva ''Bettada Jeeva'' is a National Award-winning (2011) Kannada film directed by P. Sheshadri starring H. G. Dattatreya, Suchendra Prasad, Rameshwari Varma and others. The story is based on Jnanpith awardee K. Shivaram Karanth's novel. It depicts th ...
'' ("Life in the Hills") * ''
Sarasammana Samadhi ''Sarasammana Samadhi'' ( kn, ಸರಸಮ್ಮನ ಸಮಾಧಿ) is a Kannada novel written by K. Shivaram Karanth. Through this novel Karanth gave a narrative of the Sati system and the social laws surrounding the marriage. For this novel K ...
'' ("Grave of Sarasamma") * '' Dharmarayana Samsara'' ("Family of Dharmaraya") * ''
Alida Mele Alida is a feminine given name, a common Dutch version of Adelaide until about 1960.Alida
at the
'' ("After Death") * '' Kudiyara Kusu'' ("Infant of Kudiya") * '' Mailikallinodane Matukate'' ("Conversation with the Milestone") * '' Chiguridha Kanasu'' * '' Mugida Yudda'' ("Completed War") * ''Moojanma'' * ''Dharmarayana Samsara'' * ''Kevala Manushyaru'' * ''Illeyamba'' * ''Iddaru Chinthe'' * ''Navu Kattida Swarga'' * ''Nashta Diggajagalu'' * ''Kanniddu Kanaru'' * ''Gedda Doddasthike'' * ''Kannadiyalli Kandatha'' * ''Antida Aparanji'' * ''Halliya Hattu Samastharu'' * ''Sameekshe'' * ''Moga Padeda Mana'' * ''Shaneeshwarana Neralinalli'' * ''Nambidavara Naka Naraka'' * ''Oudaryada Urulalli'' * ''Onti Dani'' * ''Odahuttidavaru'' * ''Swapnada Hole'' * ''Jaruva Dariyalli'' * ''Ukkida Nore'' * ''Balveye Belaku'' * ''Ala Nirala'' * ''Gondaranya'' * ''Ade Uru Ade Mara'' * ''Innonde Dari'' * ''Jagadoddara Na'' * ''Bathada Thore'' Science Books * ''Nature, Science and Environment'' * ''Vijnana prapancha'' ("The World of Science") * ''Adbhuta jagattu'' ("Wonderful World") * ''Prani Prapancha'' * ''Prani Prapanchada Vismayagalu'' * ''Pakshigala Adbhuta Loka'' Plays * ''Yaksagana'' – English translation, Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (1997) * ''Yakshagana Bayalata'' Children's books * ''Dum Dum Dolu'' * ''Oduva Ata'' * ''Vishala Sagaragalu'' * ''Balaprapancha – Makkalavishwakosha'' – Vol 1,2,3 * ''Mailikallinodane Matukathegalu'' * ''Mariyappana Sahasagalu'' * ''Nachiketa – Ack'' * ''Ibbara Gaja Panditaru'' * ''Oduva Ata – Sirigannada Pathamale'' * ''Mathina Sethuve'' * ''Jatayu Hanumanta'' * ''Huliraya'' Autobiography * ''Hucchu Manasina Hatthu Mukhagalu'' (English translation: "Ten Faces of a Crazy Mind", by H Y Sharada Prasad) * ''Smriti Pataladinda'' (Vol 1–3) Travelogue * ''Abuvinda Baramakke'' * ''Arasikaralla'' * ''Apoorva Paschima'' ("Incomparable West") * ''Paataalakke Payana'' ("Travel to the nether world") Biography * ''Panje Mangesharayaru : Kannada Nadu Mattu Kannadigara Parampare'' * ''Sri Ramakrishnara Jeevana Charithre'' Art, Architecture and Other * ''Kaladarshana'' * ''Bharatheya Chitrakale'' * ''Jnana'' ("Knowledge") * ''Sirigannada Artha Kosha'' * ''Kala Prapancha'' * ''Yaksharangakkagi Pravasa'' * ''Arivina Ananda'' * ''Life The Only Light – A Guide To Saner Living'' * ''Chalukya Shilpakale''


Kannada and Cinema

* ''
Chomana Dudi Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a feature film in the Kannada language. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Shivaram Karanth. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal' ...
'' * ''
Chigurida Kanasu ''Chigurida Kanasu'' () is a 2003 Indian Kannada-language film directed by T. S. Nagabharana and starring Shiva Rajkumar, Anant Nag, Vidhya Venkatesh, Rekha Unnikrishnan and Avinash. It is based on the 1951 novel of the same name by legendary K ...
'' * ''Maleya Makkalu'' (from Kudiyara Koosu Novel) * ''
Bettada Jeeva ''Bettada Jeeva'' is a National Award-winning (2011) Kannada film directed by P. Sheshadri starring H. G. Dattatreya, Suchendra Prasad, Rameshwari Varma and others. The story is based on Jnanpith awardee K. Shivaram Karanth's novel. It depicts th ...
'' * '' 8 September (Tulu)'' * ''
Mookajjiya Kanasugalu (Kannada) Mookajjiya Kanasugalu may refer to: * ''Mookajjiya Kanasugalu'' (novel), a 1968 Kannada novel by K. Shivaram Karanth * ''Mookajjiya Kanasugalu'' (film), a Kannada film based on the novel {{disambiguation ...
''


See also

*
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 ...
*
Kannada literature Kannada literature is the corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script. Attestations in literature span one and a half ...
*
Yakshagana Yakshagaana is a traditional theatre, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala that combines dance, music, dialogue, ...
.


References


Further reading

* Malini Mallya, ''Hattiradinda Kanda Hattu Mukhagalu'' * Malini Mallya, ''Naanu Kanda Karantaru'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Karanth, Shivaram 1902 births 1997 deaths 20th-century Indian poets Indian atheists Indian environmentalists Indian male dramatists and playwrights Indian male novelists Kannada poets Kannada-language writers People from Udupi district Recipients of the Jnanpith Award Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Kannada Novelists from Karnataka 20th-century Indian novelists Poets from Karnataka Dramatists and playwrights from Karnataka 20th-century Indian male writers Special Mention (feature film) National Film Award winners Best Story National Film Award winners Magic realism writers Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship