Kuvempu


Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was an Indian novelist, poet, playwright, and critic. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. He was the first Kannada writer to be by decorated with the Jnanpith Award.
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 in 1964 and Karnataka Ratna 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.

Biography

Early life and education

Kuvempu was born in Kuppalli, a village in Shivamogga district of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore into to a Kannada-speaking Vokkaliga family. His mother Seethamma hailed from Koppa,Chikkmangaluru, while his father Venkatappa Gowda was from Kuppali, a village in
Thirthahalli taluk, where he was raised. Early in his childhood, Kuvempu was home-schooled by an appointed teacher from South Canara. He joined the Anglo-Vernacular school in Thirthahalli to continue his middle school education. Kuvempu's father died when he was only twelve. He finished his lower and secondary education in Kannada and English languages in Thirthahalli and moved to Mysore for further education at the Wesleyan High School. Thereafter, he pursued college studies at the Maharaja College of Mysore and graduated in 1929, majoring in Kannada.

Family

Kuvempu married Hemavathi on 30 April 1937. He was forced into enter marital life on this faculty out of Ramakrishna Mission. Kuvempu has two sons, Poornachandra Tejaswi and Kokilodaya Chaitra, and two daughters, Indukala and Tharini. Tharini is married to K.Chidananda Gowda the former Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University. His home in Mysore is called Udayaravi. His son Poornachandra Tejaswi was a polymath, contributing significantly to Kannada literature, photography, calligraphy, digital imaging, social movements, and agriculture.

Career

Kuvempu began his academic career as a lecturer of Kannada language at the Maharaja's College in Mysore in 1929. He worked as an assistant professor in the Central college, Bangalore from 1936. He re-joined Maharaja's college in Mysore in 1946 as a professor. He went on to become the principal of the Maharaja's college in 1955. In 1956 he was selected as the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University where he served till retirement in 1960. He was the first graduate from Mysore University to rise to that position.

Works and message

Kuvempu started his literary work in English, with a collection of poetry called Beginner's Muse but later switched to his native Kannada. He spearheaded the movement to make Kannada the medium for education, emphasizing the theme "Education in the Mother tongue". To cater to the needs of Kannada research, he founded the Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe in the Mysore University, which has since been renamed after him as "Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies". As Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University, he pioneered the study of sciences and languages. He championed the publishing of Knowledge for the laymen with by G. Hanumanta Rao.
The speech he made during the convocation ceremony of Bangalore University was published in the book Vichaarakranthige Aahwaana. It calls for a re-assessment of developmental policies. Though it was delivered in 1974, the message is still considered relevant to modern society. In the year 1987, The Government of Karnataka started the Kuvempu University in the Shimoga district, Karnataka. This is located in the Jnana Sahyadri campus, 28 km from Shimoga city.

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Kavimane — Kuvempu Memorial

The childhood home of Kuvempu at Kuppali has been converted into a museum by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishtana. This trust has undertaken immense developmental works in Kuppali to showcase Kuvempu and his works to the external world. On 23 November 2015 night, many valuables including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards conferred on poet laureate Kuvempu were stolen from Kavimane.
The entire museum has been ransacked. The surveillance cameras there have also been damaged. The Jnanapith award kept there has remained intact..

Kavishaila

The gradually rising hill south of the house is named Kavishaila, Kuvempu's mortal remains were placed at Kavishaila.

Biographies on Kuvempu

The Kuvempu University in Shimoga, Karnataka was established in 1987. The Vishwamanava Express was named in honour of Kuvempu's idea of "Vishwa Manava".
India Post honoured Kuvempu by releasing a postage stamp in 1997 and 2017.