Personalities - Kuvempu

Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa (ಕುಪ್ಪಳ್ಳಿ ವೆಂಕಟಪ್ಪಗೌಡ ಪುಟ್ಟಪ್ಪ)

Popularly know as KUVEMPU (ಕುವೆಂಪು)

Brief Information:

Born : 29 December, 1904
Place : Hirekodige, Koppa Taluk, Chikmagalur District, Karnataka

Father's Name : Venkatappa Gowda

Mother's Name : 

Wife Name : Hemavathi
Marriage Date : 30 April, 1937

Children : K. Poornachandra Tejaswi, Kokilodaya Chaitra, Indukala and Tharini

Died : 11 November, 1994
Age when died : 89 Years
Place : Mysore, Karnataka

Education

• Brought up in a place in the lush Malenadu region of Tirthahalli, called Kuppali, of Shivamogga district
• Education began at home by an appointed teacher from Dakshina Kannada
• Joined Anglo Vernacular school in Tirthahalli to continue middle school education
• Finished lower and secondary education in Kannada and English in Theerthahalli
• Moved to Mysore for further education and completed high school from the Wesleyan high school
• Pursued college studies in from Maharaja College of Mysore
• Graduated in 1929 majoring in Kannada

Career

• Began academic career as a lecturer of Kannada language at Maharaja College of Mysore in 1929
• Served as an assistant professor in central college of Bangalore from 1936
• Rejoined Maharaja college of Mysore in 1946 as a professor
• Went on to become a principal of Maharaja college in 1955
• Was elected as the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University in 1956 where he served till retirement in 1960
• Was the first graduate from Mysore University to rise to the Vice-Chancellor position

Works

• Started literary work in English first, with a collection of poetry called Beginner's Muse, and later switched to Kannada
• To cater to the needs of Kannada research, he founded the Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe (The Institute of Kannada Studies) in Mysore University, which has since been renamed after him as Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies
• As Vice-Chancellorof Mysore University, he pioneered the study of Basic Sciences and Languages
• Championed the Publishing of knowledge for laymen, started by G. Hanumanta Rao

Awards

• Jnanpith Award - 1967
• Padma Bhushan - 1958
• Sahitya Akademi Award - 1955
• National Poet - 1964
• Pampa Award - 1987
• Padma Vibhushan- 1988
• Karnataka Ratna - 1992

Novels

• Kaanuru Heggadati - 1936 
• Malegalalli madumagalu - 1967)

Modern epic (Mahakavya)

• Sri Ramayana Darshanam, Volume-1 (1949), 
• Sri Ramayana Darshanam, Volume-2 (1957)

Collection of Poems

• Kolalu (1930)
• Panchajanya (1936) 
• Navilu (1937) 
• Kindarijogi Mattu Itara Kavanagalu (1938)
• Kogile Mattu Soviet Russia (1944) 
• Shoodra Tapaswi (1946) 
• Kavya Vihara (1946) 
• Kinkini (1946) 
• Agnihamsa (1946)
• Prema Kashmira (1946) 
• Chandramanchake Baa Chakori (1954) 
• Ikshugangotri (1957) 
• Kabbigana kaibutti 
• Pakshikaashi 
• Jenaaguvaa 
• Kutichaka
• Kadiradake 
• Kathana Kavanagalu 

Plays

• Birugaali (1930) 
• Maharatri (1931)
• SmashaaNa kurukshetram (1931)
• Jalagaara (1931)
• Raktaakshi(1932)
• Shoodra tapaswi (1944)
• Beralge koral (1947)
• Yamana solu
• Chandrahaasa
• Balidaana 

Autobiography

• Nenapina Doniyali (1980) 

Collection of stories

•  Malenadina Chitragalu (1933) 
•  Sanyaasi Mattu Itare KategaLu (1937) 
•  Nanna Devaru Mattu Itara Kategalu (1940) 

Literary criticism

• Atmashreegagi Nirankushamatigalagi (1944)
• Kavyavihara (1946)
• Taponandana (1951)
• Vibhuthi Pooje (1953)
• Draupadiya Shrimudi (1960)
• Vicharakrantige Ahvana (1976)
• Sahityaprachara 

 Biography

• Swami Vivekananda(1926)
• Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa(1934)
• Guruvinodane Devaredege 

Stories for children

•  Bommanahalliya kindarijogi(1936) 
•  Mari vijnani(1947) 
•  Meghapura(1947) 
•  Nanna mane(1947) 
•  Nanna gopaala 
•  Amalana kathe

Photos

Rare Photos

Click here for more pics

Thanks to http://www.kuvempu.com for uploading very rare pics of 

Rasarushi Rashtrakavi Kuvempu

Source:  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuvempu

http://www.kuvempu.com