Jnanapeetha Award

Winners from Karnataka

Compiled by:
Youth Members
Kasturi Kannada Sangha
Cleveland, Ohio

History of the Jnanapeetha

Award
Instituted in 1961, it is one of the 2 most
prestigious literary awards in India
Awarded by the Bharatiya Jnanapith, a trust of
Sahu Jain family (publishers of Times of India)
Until 1982: awarded for a single work by
author; since then, given for lifetime
contribution
8 awardees in Kannada so far
9 in Hindi; 5 in Bengali & Malayalam; 4 in Urdu; 3
in Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi; 2 in Assamese, Tamil,
Telugu

Jnanapeetha Awards in
Kannada

1967:
1973:
1977:
1983:
1990:
1994:
1998:
2010:

KuVemPu
Da Raa Bendre
K Shivarama Karanth
Masti Venkatesha Iyengar
V K Gokak
U R Ananthamurthy
Girish Karnad
Chandrashekhara Kambaara

KuVemPu
Full Name: Kuppali Venkatappagowda
Puttappa
Born: December 29, 1904 (Hirekodige,
Chikmagalur district, Karnataka)
Died: November 11, 1994 (Mysore,
Karnataka)
Education:
Homeschooled for elementary education
Anglo Vernacular school inTirthahallifor middle
school
Finished high school at Wesleyan High School,
Mysore

KuVemPu: Contributions
Occupations:
He was a writer, poet, musical composer
Taught Kannada at the Central College in Bangalore
Vice- Chancellor at Mysore University until he retired in
1960

Literary Contributions:
Novels: Kaanuru Subbamma Heggadati, Malegalalli
Madumagalu
Modern epic (Mahakavya): Shri Ramayana Darshanam
He also wrote many plays, stories for children, collections
of poems, biographies, literary criticisms.
Wrote Karnataka state anthem: Jai Bharatha Jananiya
Thanujate

KuVemPu: Awards
Jnanapeetha Award:
for Shri Ramayana
Darshanam (1967)
Padma Bhushan
Sahitya Academy Award
Rashtrakavi (national
poet)
Padma Vibhushan
Karnataka Ratna

Da Raa Bendre
Full Name: Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre
Wrote under the pen name Ambikatanayadatta

Born: January 31, 1896 (Dharwad, Karnataka)

Died: October 21, 1981 (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
Education:
Primary and secondary education in Dharwad
Bachelors degree from Ferguson College, Pune
(Poona)
Later obtained Master of Arts

Da Raa Bendre:
Contributions
Occupations:

Poet and writer: praised as Varakavi (gifted poet)

Briefly taught at Victoria High School, Dharwad
Advisor, All India Radio, Dharwad station

Literary Contributions:
Poetry collections: Uyyale, Nadaleele, Meghadoota,
Aralu Maralu, Mugilamallige, Naku Tanti, Mate
Shravana Bantu, Kuniyonu Baa
Plays-Tirukara Pidugu, Nageya Hoge, Hucchatagalu,
Ambikatanayadatta Nataka Samputa
Katha Sankalana (collection of stories):
Nirabharanasundari

Da Raa Bendre (awards)

Jnanapeetha
Award: for Naku Tanti
(1973)
Padma Shri
Sahitya Academy
Award
Kelkar prize

K. Shivarama Karanth
Born: October 10, 1902 (village of Kota, Udupi
district, Karnataka)
Died: December 9, 1997 (Kasturba Medical
College hospital, Manipal)
Education:
Finished his primary schooling in the town of
Kundapura
Completed college level education at Government
College, Mangalore
College education was interrupted by participation
in Indias independence movement (influenced by
Gandhis principles)

K. Shivaram Karanth (Contributions)

Occupations:
Kannada writer and intellectual
Social activist and environmentalist
Yakshagana researcher and artist, film maker

Literary Contributions:
He wrote a total of 417 books (47 novels, 31
plays, 13 books on art and history, and many
childrens books)
Considered one of the greatest Kannada novelists
Major works: Marali Mannige, Bettada Jeeva, Alida
Mele, Maimanagala Suliyalli, Mookajjiya
Kanasugalu, Chomana Dudi, Kudiyara Koosu

K. Shivarama Karanth
(awards)

Jnanapeetha award: for

Mookajjiya Kanasugalu
(1977)
Padma Bhushan
He returned this in protest
against imposition of
Emergency rule by Indira
Gandhi

Sahitya Academy award

Pampa award
Swedish academy award
Tulsi Samman

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

Born: June 8, 1891 (Hongenahalli , Kolar
district , Karnataka)
Died: June 7, 1986 (close to 95th birthday;
Bangalore)
Pen names:
Srinivasa, Masti

Education:
Began primary education in the village of
Hongenahalli
Continued studies in various places including
Yalandoor, Shivarapattana and Mysore.
Graduated from Madras University in 1914 (MA in

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

(Contributions)
Occupations:
Teacher, author
Member of the Mysore Civil Service (retired as
District Commissioner in 1943)

Literary Contributions:
Wrote over 120 books in Kannada and 17 books in
English over a span of 70 years
Epic: Shri Rama Pattabhisheka (coronation of Lord
Rama)
Novels: Chikaveera Ranjendra, Channabasava
Nayaka
Collection of stories: Kelavu Sanna Kathegalu
Plays: Kakanakote

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

Jnanapeetha Award:
(awards)
for Chikaveera
Rajendra (1983)
Hailed as the father
(Brahma) of Kannada
short stories
Masti Kannadada Asti
(Masti is Kannadas
treasure)
Rajkasevasakta by
the Maharaja of
Mysore, Krishnaraja
Wodeyar IV

V. K. Gokak
Full Name: Vinayaka Krishna Gokak
Born: August 9, 1909 (Savanur, Haveri
district, Karnataka)
Died: April 28, 1992 (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
Education:
Primary and high school education in Savanur,
Karnataka
He obtained his B.A. (1929) and M.A. (1931) at
Karnatak College, Dharwar (he later became
principal here)

V. K. Gokak (continued)
Occupations:
Professor of English at Oxford University
Was head of many elite colleges and
universities in India

Literary Contributions:
Heavily influenced by the work of Da Raa
Bendre.
Epic: Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi (possibly the
longest epic written in any language in the
20th century)
Novel: Samarasave Jeevana
Poetry collections: Urnanaabha, Abhyudaya,

V. K. Gokak (awards &

influences)
Jnanapeetha Award: for
Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi
(1990)
Padmashree Award (for
Dhyava Prithvi)
Gokak agitation: Report by
the Karnataka govt. committee
headed by VK Gokak led to a
successful agitation for
Kannada language rights in
schools and administration

U. R. Ananthamurthy
Full Name: Udupi Rajagopalacharya
Ananthamurthy
Born: December 21, 1932 (Melige,
Tirthahalli Taluk, Shimoga District,
Karnataka)
Education:
Began education in a traditional Sanskrit school
in Durvasapura, continued in Thirthahalli
Master of Arts, University of Mysore
Doctorate from University of Birmingham (1966)

U. R. Ananthamurthy (Contributions)
Occupations:
Started as Professor of English, Kottayam, Kerala
Widely traveled all over the world as visiting
professor
Kannada writer, critic and political activist

Literary Contributions:
Short stories: Ghata Shraddha, Endendhigu Mugiyada
Kathe
Novels: Samskaara, Bhava, Bharathi Pura, Avasthe,
Play (Avahane), poetry collections , literary criticisms
and essays in Kannada; several pieces on literature in
English

U.R.Ananthamurthy
(awards)
Jnanapeetha award:
for his contributions to
Kannada literature
(1994)
Rajyothsava Award
Padma Bhushan
The Hindu Literary
Prize
DSC Prize for South
Asian Literature

Girish Karnad
Born: May 19, 1938 (Matheran, Maharashtra)
Education:
Initial schooling was in Sirsi, Karnataka
BA (Math & Stats), Karnataka Arts College, Dharwad,
1958
MA (Philosophy, Politics & Economics), Oxford Univ,
1963

Occupations:
Oxford Univ Press (1963-70) & Univ of Chicago (198788)
Most famous as a Playwright
Movie actor and director

Girish Karnad
(Contributions)
Literary Contributions:
Plays: Yayati, Tughlaq, Hayavadana,
Nagamandala, Agni Mattu Male, Maa Nishaada,
Bali, Tippuvina Kanasugalu, Odakalu Bimba

Movie Director:
Vamsha Vriksha, Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane,
Ondanondu Kaladalli, Kaadu, Kanooru
Heggadithi

Movie Actor:
Samskaara, Vamsha Vriksha, Nishaant,
Manthan, Anveshane

Girish Karnad (awards)

Jnanapeetha Award: for
his contributions to Kannada
literature and theater (1998)
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award
Sahitya Academy Award
Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan
Kalidas Samman
Rajyotsava Award
9 National Film Awards
3 Filmfare Awards

Chandrashekhara Kambaara
Born:
January 2, 1937 (Ghodageri, Belagavi district, Karnataka)

Education:
Initial schooling in Gokak; then at Lingaraj College,
Belagavi
PhD at Karnatak University, Dharwad (folk theater of
North Karnataka)

Career:

Brief stint of teaching at University of Chicago

Taught at Bangalore University for over 2 decades
Founder Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi
Poet, playwright (uses North Karnataka dialect of
Kannada)

Chandrashekhara Kambaara
(Contributions)
Poetry compilations:
Takaraarinavaru, Saavirada Neralu, Chakori

Plays:
Rishyashringa, Jokumaraswamy, Sirisampige,
Kaadu Kudure, Chalesha, Jaisidanayaka,
Harakeya Kuri

Novels & stories:

Karimaayi, Singaarevva Matthu Aramane,
Shikhara Soorya

Chandrashekhara Kambaara
(awards)
Jnanapeetha Award: for
his contributions to
Kannada literature (2010)
Padma Shri
Sahitya Academy Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award
Tagore Literature Award
National Film Award (title
song of film Kaadu Kudure)
Kalidas Samman
Kabir Samman
Pampa Award

Youth Contributors
Contributors of articles:

Maanasa Humchadkatte
Prajwal Sharma
Amala Uli
Rohan Achar
Esha Vartak
Kshama Girish
Nayan Rao

Editors:
Nayan Rao
Amala Uli