Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar Kannada:ಗೊರೂರು ರಾಮಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಐಯ್ಯಂಗಾರ (1904–1991), popularly known as Goruru, was a Kannada writer; well known for his humour and satire.

Early life

Goruru Ramaswami Iyengar was born at "Goruru" in Hassan district

Hassan district

Hassan is a district in Karnataka state, India. The district headquarters are Hassan.Hassan district was the seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE...

 of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 in 1904.

Career

Goruru Ramaswami Iyengar was influenced by Indian Independence Movement

Indian independence movement

The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...

 and became a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

. He was jailed by the British administration in 1942 for his participation in the Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...

 and in 1947. His son Ramachandra became a martyr for the same cause in 1947.

After Independence in (1947), Goruru worked in the Khadi Board Industries. He began writing early in life with the celebrated books HALLIYA CHITRAGALU (1930) NAMMA OORINA RASIKARU (1932). His "Amerikadalli Goruru" 1979, is a satirical travalogue of a true Indian in United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It fetched him the Sahitya Akademi Award

Sahitya Akademi Award

Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...

 in 1981. His short story Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu

Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu

Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu is a 1974 Kannada film, which is deemed to be a landmark in Kannada cinema. The movie gave a boost to the staggering career of Vishnuvardhan, who went on to become one of the most popular actors in the Kannada...

 was made into a Kannada movie of the same name by noted director Siddhalingaiah in 1975.Novels HEMAVATI and URVASHI were also made into movies. His travelogue was made into a television series. His other works include Rasaphala, Namma Oorina Rasikaru, Putta mallige, Hemavathi and Garudagambada Dasayya, MERAVANIGE.He was nominated to Karnataka Legistive council in 1952 in recognition of his literary contributions. In 1971 he was a recipient of Honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore.
More information is available in a web site www.raju-gorur.com

Death

Goruru died in 1991 at the age of 87. His birth centenary was celebrated in 2005. His memoirs of his childhood days, Goruru Avara Balyada Atma Kathe was published posthumously.