Kuvempu
Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa (29 December 1904 – 11 November 1994), popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu// ⓘ, was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. He was the first Kannada writer to receive the Jnanpith Award.
Kuvempu | |
|---|---|
Kuvempu in the 1940s | |
| Born | Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa 29 December 1904 Hirekodige, Koppa, Chikmagalur, Kingdom of Mysore (now in Karnataka) |
| Died | 11 November 1994 (aged 89) Mysore, Karnataka, India |
| Pen name | Kuvempu |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, playwright, academic |
| Language | Kannada |
| Genre | Fiction, drama |
| Literary movement | Navodaya |
| Notable awards | Karnataka Ratna (1992) Padma Vibhushan (1988) Jnanapith Award (1967) Padma Bhushan (1958) Sahitya Akademi Award (1955) |
| Spouse |
Hemavathi (m. 1937–1994) |
| Children | 4, including Poornachandra Tejaswi |
Kuvempu studied at Mysuru University in the 1920s, taught there for nearly three decades and served as its vice-chancellor from 1956 to 1960. He initiated education in Kannada as the language medium. For his contributions to Kannada Literature, the Government of Karnataka decorated him with the honorific Rashtrakavi ("National Poet") in 1964 and Karnataka Ratna ("The Gem of Karnataka") in 1992. He was conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 1988. He penned the Karnataka State Anthem Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate.