K Shivarama Karanth

This book portrays the multifaceted genius of Dr. Karanth, who enriched modern Kannada literature with his travelogues, plays, autobiographies, encyclopedia, dictionaries and critical works. Kota Shivarama Karanth (1902-97) was born in a small village called Kota in Kundapur Taluk of coastal Karnataka. Karanth’s literary output spanning over eight decades is truly prodigious and multifaceted: both in Kannada and English, he has written, in all 417 works in different genres. As a novelist, Karanth’s genius lay in his sensitive understanding and successful portrayal of the vast changes that swept through the Indian society due to colonial experience. Also, Karanth enriched modern Kannada literature with his travelogues, plays, autobiographies, encyclopedia, dictionaries and critical works. He also focused on Karnataka culture by writing five books in English on folk-art, paintings, visual art and coastal Karnataka. Dr. Karanth, a recipient of many Awards and Honors, received the Jnanpith Award in 1978, for his novel Mookajjiya Kanasugalu. Both Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi conferred ‘Fellowship’ on him in 1985 and 1973 respectively. The Government of India honored him with Padma Bhushan, which he returned in 1975 in protest against the imposition of emergency in the country by the then Prime Minister of India.