Naavu Sariilla

Kannada Premi

About kannada saahithya   The Kannada language belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and is the second oldest language currently spoken in India . Kannada literature is also the third oldest literary tradition in India, next to those of Sanskrit literature (and its various dialects such as Prakrit) and Tamil literature.   Early writing The first example of Kannada writing can be found in the Halmidi inscription, dated c. 450 CE. The famous Badami inscriptions from the 7th century provide more examples of early Kannada writing. However, the first available book in Kannada is the Kavirajamarga, written in the 9th century by Amoghavarsha Nrpatunga. The book is a treatise of sorts on Kannada poetry, Kannada language and Kannada speaking people in general. Based on the references that the book makes to earlier Kannada works, historians estimate that literature in Kannada must have begun a couple of centuries before, in the 6th-7th centuries CE. However, none of these earlier works have been found. The history of Kannada literature is usually studied under three phases 1) Hale Kannada (Old Kannada) 2) Nadu Kannada (Middle Kannada) 3) Adhunika Kannada (Modern Kannada)   Old Kannada (haLegannaDa) The Old Kannada phase marks the period from the 10th century to approximately the 12th century. This period consists mainly of Jain religious literature. The most famous poet from this period is Pampa (902-975 CE), one of the most famous writers in the Kannada language. His Vikramarjuna Vijaya (also called pampa bharatha)is hailed as a classic even to this day. With this and his other important work Adipurana he set a trend of poetic excellence for the Kannada poets of the future. The former work is an adaptation of the celebrated Mahabharata, and is the first such adaptation in Kannada. Noted for the strong human bent and the dignified style in his writing, Pampa has been one of the most influential writers in Kannada. He is identified as the adi kavi. (First poet)   Middle Kannada(naDugannaDa) The Middle Kannada period gave birth to several genres in Kannada literature, with new forms of composition coming into use, including Ragale (a form of blank verse) and meters like Sangatya and Desi. The works of this period are based on Jain, Hindu and secular principles.   Vachanas Kannada had poetry similar to haiku in the 12th century! This form of poetry, called vachanas, were three liners which were pithy comments on that period's social, religious and economic conditions. More importantly, they hold a mirror to the seed of a social revolution, which caused a radical re-examination of the ideas of caste, creed and religion. One of the important ideas coming out of this revolution was the view that Work is worship and a path to spirituality. Some of the important writers of Vachana literature include Basaveshvara (1131-1167 CE), Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi, the first woman-writer in Kannada.   Kumara Vyasa Arguably, Kumara Vyasa has been the most famous and most influential Kannada writer of all time. His lifetime work, the Karnata Bharata KathaManjari, is a sublime adaptation of the first ten Parvas (chapters) of the Mahabharata. A devotee of Krishna, Kumara Vyasa ends his epic with the passing of Krishna in the tenth chapter of the Mahabharata. The work is easily the most celebrated in Kannada literature. Its fame arises out of the fact that it has appealed to people of all strata of education and intellect right up to the present day. The work is entirely composed in the Bhamini Shatpadi meter, a form of six lined stanza. The range of human emotions that Kumara Vyasa explores and the versatility of his vocabulary are extensive. The work is particularly known for its use of sophisticated metaphors, earning Kumara Vyasa the title Rupaka Samrajya Chakravarti (Emperor of the Land of Metaphors).   Bhakti Bhakti literature is the literature composed by the Dasas or saints, around 15th century, singing the glory of God through poems. These poems called Padas were usually of 10 to 20 lines. They expressed the desire of the Bhakta or devotee to be one with God. This form of poetry was highly amenable to musical composition and exposition. This music evolved into the highly sophisticated and codified Carnatic music. The Haridasas spread the message of peace, love and bhakti in their Dasa Sahitya, which are also popularly known as Devaranamas. Important writers of the Bhakti genre are Purandara Dasa (1494-1564) and Kanaka Dasa.   Modern Kannada(hosagannaDa)   Navodaya Navodaya literally means a new birth. This indeed was the reincarnation of Kannada literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, after a period of dormancy in the face of British occupation of India. This period saw greats like Srikanthaiah, Kuvempu, Bendre, Shivaram Karanth, Betgeri Krishnasharma. This genre was highly influenced by Romantic English Poetry and Greek theater. It was Srikanthaiah who started this movement of sorts with his translation of a few critically acclaimed English poems of the Romantic period. Many educated Kannadigas, especially those who were in the teaching profession, realised that they needed to express themselves in their mother tongue and started writing in Kannada. Kuvempu is a case in point who was convinced by his professor (of British origin) that he should write in his mother tongue. Kuvempu went on to become a Rashtrakavi (national poet). His love of nature, realisation of the greatness of man's spirit and the vision to see the blend of nature and God made him more than Kannada's Wordsworth. His most famous work is the Sri Ramayana Darshanam, based on the Hindu epic Ramayana.   To be Proud: The fact that holds testament to the greatness of Kannada literature is that it has won seven Jnanapith awards, the highest for any Indian language. As of August 2004, a total of 46 Kannada writers have received the Indian Sahitya Akademi award. For more info. please visit http;//www.kamat.com   About Bangalore   Bangalore is believed to have been founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda (1510 - 1570). During the time of the Puranas, this region was known as "Kalyanapuri" or "Kalyananagara", the "City Auspicious". The Mauryan Emperor, Chandragupta Maurya, renounced his throne to become a Jain Monk at Shravanabelagola, a Jain piligrimage center, southwest of Bangalore.   Bengaluru was first mentioned in records from the Ganga era as a small hamlet, the location of which coincides with modern Halebengaluru near Kodigehalli (not far from Hebbal). It is said that when Kempe Gowda built his new capital town in about 1537, he called it Bengaluru as his mother and wife belonged to the hamlet of Halé Bengaluru (Old Bangalore) .   Another version suggests that the name Bangalore derives from Benda kalu, which means Boiled beans. It is said that a humble old lady served a 10th century ruler, King Veeraballa of Vijayanagara who lost his way in the forest. He liked the food so much he named the place Benda Kaluru, meaning "the city of boiled beans", to commemorate his experience. After the arrival of the British, the city was given the anglicized name of "Bangalore".   Some of the commonly used phrases Hello - > Namaskaara How much? -> Eshtu English -> Aangla Good-bye -> Vandanegalu Please -> Dayavittu Where are you going -> Yelli ge hogtha idderaa How are you -> Hege idderaa I am fine -> Nannu channage iddenee Thank you -> Dhanyavaada Sorry -> Kshamisi That one -> Adu Yes -> Houdu No -> Illa I don't understand -> Nanage Arthavaagalilla Where's the bathroom? -> Shoucha Gruha ellide ? OR Bacchalu mane ellide ? Do you speak English? -> Tamage Aangla Bhaashe Tilidideyo ? Welcome to Karnataka! -> Karnatakakke suswaagatha!