Karnataka > Cultural Developments
The High Renaissance of the 20th century saw many great developments in the field of music, drama, painting and literature. The Mysore court patronized great artistes like Veene Sheshanna, Lakshminarayanappa, Bakshi Subbanna, Vasudevacharya, Mutthayya Bhagavatar and Bidaram Krishnappa. The younger generation also had its great masters like T. Chowdaiah, who evolved the seven stringed violin, and B. Devendrappa. There were great classical dancers like Jatti Thayamma and Muguru Subbanna in princely Mysore. In the field of drama, Mysore saw great artistes like Varadacharya, Gubbi Veeranna, Subbayya Naidu, and Smt. Malavalli Sundaramma. There were equally great artistes from North Karnataka area like Shirahatti Venkoba Rao, Garuda Sadashiv Rao and Vamanarao Master. Kailasam and Bellary Raghava were great amateur artiste. Kannada films, too, appeared. The North Karnataka area had great Hindusthani vocalists like Savay Gandharva (Rambhau Kundgolkar), Panchakshari Gavayi, Puttaraja Gavayi and Mallikarjuna Mansur. Painting also received patronage at the hands of the Mysore prince. The Prince even sent K. Venkatappa to Shantiniketana for training and this painter won world renown. He was also a sculptor. Another noted sculptor from Mysore was Siddalingaswamy. The Chamarajendra Technological Institute (Mysore) was founded to train artists and Jaganmohan Palace was converted into an art gallery. The traditional Gudigars of the Malenadu (Sagar-Sirsi area), imbibing modern techniques and ideas, started producing fine figures in wood and ivory, which secured a world market. Their handiwork can be seen in the decoration of Mysore palace and Vidhana Soudha.
The Renaissance had its impact on literature too. Prose writing became popular and journalism also grew. Several forms of literature like the short story, the essay, the novel, drama and lyrical poetry, developed in Kannada. Masti Venkatesha lyengar, Panje Mangesha Rao, M.N. Kamath and Kerur Vasudevacharya were some of the early short story writers followed by 'Ananda* 'Anandakanda', A.R. Krishna Sastry, K. Gopalakrishna Rao, Krishnakumar Kallur, 'Anakru' (A.N. Krishna Rao). 'Bharatipriya' (Venkata Rao), Gorur Ramaswamy lyengar, Dr. R.S. Mugali, Gauramma and 'Raghava' (M.V. Seetharamaiah). Shivaram Karanth and 'Anakru' {A.N. Krishna Rao) are the two celebrated novelists. English Geethegalu (1921) by B.M. Srikanthaiah is the first collection of modern lyrics in Kannada. He was followed by Govinda Pai, Dr. D.V. Gundappa, Dr. Bendre, P.T. Narasimhachar, G.P. Rajarathnam, Panje Mangesha Rao, Kadengodlu Shankara Bhatta, Dr. V. Sitharamaiah, Dr. V.K. Gokak and Dr. K.V. Puttappa (Kuvempu). Govinda Pai was the pioneer in discarding the rhyme (1911,) Modern Kannada play had its pioneers like B.M. Srikanthaiah, Samsa, Kailasam, Sreeranga and Shivaram Karanth. Publication of Epigraphia Carnatica volumes covering epigraphs from all districts by Rice and R. Narasimchar is a pioneering and unparallelled achievement of the erstwhile Mysore State. Dr. R. Shama Shastry (who discovered Kautilya's Arthashasthra), and Prof. M. Hiriyanna by their Indological studies, brought world fame to Mysore and Karnataka.
Printing became wide spread. Newspapers played an important role, helping literary growth, spreading modern and scientific ideas, propagating patriotism and progressive social views and trying to encourage everything that is good in arts. In Mysore, M. Venkatakrishnaiah was running 'Vritthantha Chinthamani' (1885). The 'Mysore Standard", the 'Mysore Star' etc, were some other newspapers from Mysore State. Coastal Karnataka had the 'Suvasini' (1900), The Krishnasukti (1905) and the 'Swadeshabhimani' (1907). The Karnataka Vrittha' (1890), (edited by Mudavidu Krishna Rao), the 'Kannada Kesari (Hubli 1902) the 'Rajahamsa' (Dharwad, 1891) and Karnataka Vaibhava (Bijapur 1897) were the periodicals from North Karnataka. The freedom movement stimulated the publication of many new newspapers.
|
