S. L. Bhyrappa

S.L. Bhyrappa
Occupation	Writer, Novelist, Professor
Nationality	India
Genre	Fiction
Website
http://www.slbhyrappa.com/

Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa (Kannada: ಸಂತೇಶಿವರ ಲಿಂಗಣ್ಣಯ್ಯ ಭೈರಪ್ಪ) (born Aug 20, 1931), is a Kannada novelist, whose works are immensely popular both within and beyond Karnataka. Bhyrappa is widely regarded as one of India's foremost modern-day writers. His novels are unique in terms of theme, structure, and characterization. He has been among the top selling authors of Kannada, Hindi and Marathi for the past several years. Most of his works reveal the theme of Advaita vedanta and search of truth. Although S. L. Bhyrappa participated in the freedom struggle of Indian Independence at an early age, he believes that Indian Independence was just a political freedom from British rule, and the real Independence is the intellectual freedom which is nurtured by the strong foundations laid in the teachings of rich Indian culture and values.

Bhyrappa's works do not fit into any specific genre of contemporary Kannada literature such as Navodaya, Navya, Bandaya, or Dalita partly because of the range of topics they deal with. His major works have been the centre of several heated public debates and controversies.

Biography

Early life

Bhyrappa was born in a Hoysala Karnataka Brahmin family at Santeshivara, a remote village in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district, about 200 km from Bangalore. He lost his mother to Bubonic plague early in childhood and took on odd jobs to pay for his education. His childhood influences include the Kannada literature Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar; Bhyrappa briefly participated in the Indian freedom struggle when he was aged 13.

Bhyrappa completed his primary education in Channarayapatna taluk before moving to Mysore where he completed the rest of his education. His autobiography, Bhitti (Wall) records a break in his high school education. Bhyrappa impulsively quit school, following his cousin's advice and wandered for a year with him. His sojourn led him to Mumbai, where he worked as a railway porter. In Mumbai he met a group of sadhus and joined them to seek spiritual solace. He wandered with them for a few months before returning to Mysore to resume his education.

Education

• High School - Navodaya High School (now), Channaraya Pattana, Sharada Vilas High School, Mysore
• B.A (Hons) - Philosophy (Major), Mysore University
• M.A - Philosophy, awarded the gold medal by Mysore University
• Doctor of Philosophy - Satya mattu Soundarya (Truth and Beauty) written in English, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Career

S L Bhyrappa was a lecturer of Philosophy at Sri Kadasiddheshwar college, Hubli, Sardar Patel University of Gujarat, NCERT Delhi, and the Regional College of Education, Mysore from where he retired in 1991.

Bhyrappa has two sons, and lives with his wife in Mysore.

Works

Bhyrappa has produced several popular novels. Some of his early novels were also critically acclaimed. Starting with Dharmashree, first published in 1961, Bhyrappa has authored twenty novels in a career spanning four decades. His major novels have generated public discussions and debates.

Vamshavruksha, Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane, Matadana and Nayi Neralu have been made into films and have bagged major awards. Vamshavruksha has received Kannada Sahitya Academy Award in 1966 and Daatu (Crossing Over) has received both Kannada and Kendra Sahitya Academy awards in 1975. Parva has been the most discussed and applauded among all of his novels. It narrates the social structure, values and the mystery of mortality in the epoch of Mahabharata very effectively. Bhyrappa reconstructed Mahabharatha from sociological and anthropological angle, through metaphors in this novel.

In addition to novels, Bhyrappa has written tomes pertaining to literature and philosophy such as ' Satya mattu saundarya ' ( Truth and beauty ), Sahitya mattu prateeka, Kate mattu katavastu and Naneke bareyuttene?.

Popularity

Bhyrappa's novels have been translated into most Indian languages and English. Bhyrappa has been the top selling author in Kannada for past 25 years and past 8 years in Marathi. He has also been among the top five best selling authors in Hindi.

Most of his novels have been reprinted several times. His latest novel Aavarana was sold out even before its release in February 2007. The novel went on to create a record in Indian literary world by witnessing 10 reprints within five months of its release.

All his novels are published by Saahitya Bhandaara located in koppikar Road "HUBLI".

Controversies

Bhyrappa was the center of controversies in certain quarters because of his selection of themes and also because of his stands. Most of Bhyrappa's prominent novels (Vamshavruksha, Tabbaliyu Neenaade Magane, Parva, and Saartha) have strong roots in ancient Indian philosophical tradition, a fact which invited severe criticism initially from the Navya writers and from others later.

Bhyrappa supported N. R. Narayana Murthy when the latter was criticized by media and public regarding the controversy concerning playing instrumental version of national anthem. He also backed N. R. Narayana Murthy regarding Kaveri issue saying riots and protests are not going to solve the issue.

Bhyrappa had a debate with Girish Karnad in Vijaya Karnataka regarding religious tolerance of Tippu Sultan. In Bhryappa’s novel Aavarana, he had accused Tippu Sultan as a religious fanatic who wouldn't stand Hindus in his court. Bhryappa had substantiated the argument based on the facts pointing to several historic references written in India during Tippu’s rule. One of the references was the usage of Urdu word ‘bin’ which is used to refer a person as a ‘son of’ in Government of Karnataka office’s even today. The source of the word had originated during the Tippu Sultans rule, which was one of the several methods used to influence Islamic rules on Hindus. There are numerous instances in his book, which stated various methods used by Tippu Sultan to convert Hindus to Islam, each of these instances clearly given with a sound historic reference in the book. This was criticized by Girish Karnad, who had glorified Tippu in his plays. Bhyrappa accused Karnad of being untruthful in giving factual account of Tippu Sultan in his plays and suggested him to read the references of his book Aavarana and understand the history of fanatic Islamic rulers in India before glorifying anyone by falsifying the truth.

Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy was an early and prominent critic of Bhyrappa's novels. Bhyrappa has documented his debate with Ananthamurthy in Bhitti, as well as in a few essays in Naaneke Bareyuttene. Recently Bhyrappa's latest novel Avarana, which Bhyrappa claims as historical truths about what Islamic rule have done to Indian social/cultural life, has stirred a major controversy in Karnataka. There has been accusations that Bhyrappa is a Hindu fundamentalist who wants to divide society on the basis of history, an allegation which Bhyrappa himself anticipates and refutes in his novel 'Avarana'. Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy, another big name in Kannada literature has criticised Bhyrappa and his works, terming Aavarana as dangerous. He said that Bhyrappa was a debater who "doesn’t know what Hindu religion stands for" and "does not know how to write novels". However Bhyrappa claims that the novel was result of his search for truth and there was no ulterior motive behind the novel. He urges critics to study the reference books mentioned in the novel before arriving at any conclusion.

He has given his property to Ramakrishna mutt.

Awards

• Pampa Award in 2005.
• Sahitya Academy award in 1975.
• Kannada Sahitya Academy award in 1966.
• NTR National literary award in 2007.
• Honorary Doctorate from Gulbarga University in 2007.

Bhyrappa was elected as the president of Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Kanakapura in 1999.

Works

Novels

• Bheemakaaya (1957)
• Dharmashree (1961)
• Doora saridaru (1962)
• Matadaana (1965)
• Vamshavruksha (1965)
• Jalapaata (1967)
• Naayi Neralu (1968) -
• Tabbaliyu neenaade magane (1968)
• Gruhabhanga (1970)
• Nirakarana (1971)
• Grahana (1972)
• Dhaatu (1973)
• Anweshane (1976)
• Parva(1979)
• Nele (1983)
• Saakshi (1986)
• Anchu (1990)
• Tantu (1993)
• Saartha (1998)
• Mandra (2001)
• Aavarana (2007)
• Kavalu (2010)

Autobiography

• Bhitti

Philosophy

• Satya mattu Soundarya (1966) (Doctoral thesis)
• Saahitya mattu Prateeka (1967)
• Kathe mattu Kathavastu (1969)
• Naaneke Bareyuttene? (1980)

Bhyrappa's works translated to other languages

• Dharmashree  : Sanskrit, Marathi
• Vamshavruksha  : Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English
• Nayi-Neralu  : Gujarati, Hindi
• Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane : Hindi
• Gruhabhanga  : All 14 languages of India
• Nirakarana  : Hindi
• Daatu  : All 14 languages of India, English
• Anveshana  : Marathi, Hindi
• Parva  : Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, English
• Nele  : Hindi
• Sakshi  : Hindi, English
• Anchu  : Marathi, Hindi
• Tantu  : Marathi, Hindi
• Sartha  : Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, English
• Aavarana  : Sanskrit, Marathi
• Naneke Bareyuttene  : Marathi
• Satya mattu Soundarya  : English
• Bhitti  : Marathi, Hindi
• Mandra  : Marathi

Bhyrappa's novels on screen

Movies

• Vamshavruksha (1972)
• Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane (1977)
• Matadana (2001)
• Nayi-Neralu (2006)

Television series

• Gruhabhanga
• Daatu

See also

• Kannada
• Kannada literature

References

• Bhitti (Wall) by S.L. Bhyrappa, an autobiography
• Naaneke Bareyuttene by S.L. Bhyrappa, a collection of essays about writing
• S. L. Bhyrappa Badaku-Baraha by Nagaraj Neeragunda on S.L. Bhyrappa's life and works

External links and Further Reading

• Interview with Bhyrappa on Churumuri
• Pampa Award to Bhyrappa in 2001
• Belagere Krishnashastri, Mareyaladeete, for a warm hearted interpretation of the author's experiences with Bhyrappa.
• Bhyrappabhinandana, a feliciation book on S.L. Bhyrappa
• S.L. Bhyrappa Avara Krutigala Vimarshe a collection of literary criticism on S.L.Bhyrappa's works compiled by Sumateendra Nadig
• Mandra-Manthana, a collection of essays about S.L. Bhyrappa's novel, Mandra, by various literary critics