K. Shivaram Karanth - Career

Career

Karanth was an intellectual and environmentalist who tremendously contributed to art and culture of Karnataka. He is considered one of the greatest novelist in Kannada. Some of his novels — including Marali Mannige, Bettada Jeeva, Alida Mele, Mookajjiya Kanasugalu, Mai Managala Suliyalli, Ade OOru Ade Mara, Shaneeshwarana Neralinalli, Kudiyara Koosu, Svapnada Hole, Sarsammana Samadhi, and Chomana Dudi — are widely read and continue to be discussed even today. He wrote 47 novels and is said to have tried to write at least one novel per year. Yakshagana (1957) and Yakshagana (1975) are two of his books on Yakshagana. He is the first person to do some serious research in Yakshagana, collecting old Prasangas, searching the roots of yakshagana, its musical heritage etc. He tried to revive this medieval semi-folk art and made some experiments in Yakshagana using Ballet and other modern form of dances. He took Yakshagana troops to European countries, a unique effort in those days. He also made experiments in printing during 1930 - 40s and printed his own novels, but incurred serious financial losses. Interestingly, his earlier novels have cover pages of art work made by himself and this fact, that the novelist drawing the cover page of his own books may be a unique record in modern literature! At the age of 95, he wrote a book on birds (published during 2002 by Manohara Grantha Mala, Dharwad)

Apart from his 47 novels, he also wrote 31 plays, four short stories, six books of essays and sketches, thirteen books on art, including a history of world art in Kannada and a work on Chalukyan sculpture and architecture, a standard treatise on the Yakshagana (with which dramatic form, his name is identified), a three volume book of knowledge for children, a four volume encyclopedia on science for grown ups, 240 children's books, six books on travel, two books on birds, three Travelogues, an autobiography. The list is incomplete. Dr. Karanth has 417 books to his credit.