Kuvempu: The Rashtrakavi Who Taught at Bengaluru's Central College

“Be a universal human.”

• The idea at the heart of Kuvempu's Vishwa Manava philosophy

Kuvempu, born Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa in 1904, is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century, and he was the first Kannada writer to receive the Jnanpith Award. Most of his working life belongs to Mysuru, where he studied, taught and served as vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore from 1956 to 1960.

But I keep running into people in Bengaluru who do not know that Kuvempu worked here. From 1936 he was an assistant professor at Central College, Bengaluru, before returning to Maharaja's College, Mysuru in 1946. This profile covers the well-documented record, including that Bengaluru decade.

Who Was Kuvempu?

Kuvempu was a Kannada poet, novelist, playwright and critic, and the pen name is formed from the initials of his full name. He is often called Rashtrakavi, the national poet, and his writing shaped modern Kannada literature more than almost anyone's.

What Did Kuvempu Do in Bengaluru?

He taught. Kuvempu worked as an assistant professor at Central College, Bengaluru from 1936, and rejoined Maharaja's College in Mysuru as a professor in 1946. Central College was one of the city's main centres of learning, and Kannada studies there had a poet of his standing on the staff for about a decade.

Why Is Kuvempu Important to Kannada Education?

Because he pushed for teaching in Kannada. As an academic and later as vice-chancellor at Mysuru, he initiated education in Kannada as the medium of instruction, an idea that still sits at the centre of Karnataka's language debates.

What Should You Read First?

Start with the works most readers begin with.

• Sri Ramayana Darshanam His epic retelling of the Ramayana, which won the Jnanpith.
• Malegalalli Madumagalu A long novel set in the Malnad, later staged as a nine-hour play.
• Kanuru Heggaditi His other major novel of Malnad life.

Who Were Kuvempu's Family?

Kuvempu married Hemavathi in 1937, and they had two sons and two daughters. His son Poornachandra Tejaswi became a celebrated writer, photographer and naturalist in his own right.

Why Does Kuvempu Belong in People of Bangalore?

Same city, new stories, always.

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