TaRaSu
Encyclopedia
T. R. Subba Rao (Taluku Ramaswami Subba Rao , popularly known as TaRaSu) was a novelist and a scholar in Kannada language. He is considered as a harbinger of the Navya movement of Kannada literature
. He is well known for some of his novels like Durgashtamana, which won him the Sahitya Akademi
award posthumously in 1985.
in the Karnataka
state of India
. His father Ramaswamaiah was a lawyer in the town of Harihar
and his mother was Seethamma. His ancestors were from the village of Taluku in the Chitradurga district
of Karnataka. He wrote his first story called Puttana Chendu (Putta's ball) to win a bet against his uncle T. S. Venkannaiah. (T.S. Venkannaiah was an extraordinary personality who made self-less contribution to Kannada language through upliftment of many prominent authors). When he was 17 years old, he joined the Indian freedom movement and went around the villages in the Chitradurga
district, singing patriotic songs and giving speeches for independence. He was arrested and jailed when he was giving one of the speeches in Bagur village.
Fearing that his son would lose out on education by joining the freedom movement, Ramaswamaiah admitted his son to the National School in Bangalore
. After completing his secondary education, TaRaSu joined a college in Shimoga. After completing his junior intermediate education, he joined a college in Tumkur
to complete senior intermediate education. However, the students started boycotting the classes due to the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi
and others during the Quit India movement. He and his friends started making plans to join the movement. This came to the notice of the police, who arrested TaRaSu and jailed him. He was released in the month of December 1942. He decided that he was not going to study further unless India attains independence. He was an atheist in early life but converted into a believer in the later stages.
writings of the Kannada scholar A. N. Krishna Rao
. Hence, his initial writings belong to the pragatisheela style and contain novels like Purushavatara and Munjavininda Munjavu. These writings mainly deal with the issues faced by the downtrodden and the lower caste society. Occasionally, he also came up with novels that were not of this genre, like Chandavalliya Thota which was based on a Gandhian
theme of rural life in India. Some of his most celebrated novels include Masanada Hoovu, which talks about the plight of prostitutes and Hamsa Geethe, which talks about the life of a musician in the context of Chitradurga being passed from the hands of the Palaiyakkarar
s to Hyder Ali
. Both of these novels have been made into films in Kannada. Hamsageethe was chosen as a text book for graduation classes and a Hindi
film, Basant Bahar
, was based on it.
TaRaSu has also written many historical novels, the most famous being Durgaastamana
(fall of the Durga fort), which won him the Sahitya Akademi
award in 1985. This was the last novel that he wrote and it talks of the fall of Chitradurga Palaiyakkarars under the hands of Hyder Ali. His another historical novel based on Chitradurga's history is Kambaniya Kuyilu and its sequels Tirugubana and Raktaratri. He also wrote a novel called Shilpashree which is based on Chavundaraya
, the person who commissioned the statue of Bahubali
at Shravanabelagola
. TaRaSu experimented with various narrative styles and was the first author to introduce the stream-of-consciousness literary technique in Kannada. He also used the Indian independence movement
as a background in his novels, like Rakta Tarpana. When the Navya (modernist) movement of Kannada literature was in its infancy, TaRaSu contributed to its growth by coming up with various books belonging to this genre, like his collection of short stories, Girimalligeya Nandanadalli which shows the confusion during the shift from progressive to modernist form of literature.
Kannada literature
Kannada literature is the corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script....
. He is well known for some of his novels like Durgashtamana, which won him the Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
award posthumously in 1985.
Early life
TaRaSu was born on 21 April 1920 in a town called MalebennurMalebennur
Malebennur is a town in the Davanagere district of the state of Karnataka, India....
in the 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...
state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His father Ramaswamaiah was a lawyer in the town of Harihar
Harihar
Harihar is a city located in Davanagere District in the Indian state of Karnataka. Harihar also spelled Hari-hara, in Hinduism, a syncretic deity, combining the two major gods, Vishnu and Siva...
and his mother was Seethamma. His ancestors were from the village of Taluku in the Chitradurga district
Chitradurga district
Chitradurga district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in southern India. The city of Chitradurga is the district headquarters. Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found there. Tradition dates Chitradurga District to the period of the...
of Karnataka. He wrote his first story called Puttana Chendu (Putta's ball) to win a bet against his uncle T. S. Venkannaiah. (T.S. Venkannaiah was an extraordinary personality who made self-less contribution to Kannada language through upliftment of many prominent authors). When he was 17 years old, he joined the Indian freedom movement and went around the villages in the Chitradurga
Chitradurga
Chitradurga is a town in the southern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of Chitradurga district. Chitradurga was also known by the names Chitradurg, Chitrakaladurga, Chittaldurg. Chittaldrug was the name officially used by the British Govt.-Geography:Chitradurga is...
district, singing patriotic songs and giving speeches for independence. He was arrested and jailed when he was giving one of the speeches in Bagur village.
Fearing that his son would lose out on education by joining the freedom movement, Ramaswamaiah admitted his son to the National School in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. After completing his secondary education, TaRaSu joined a college in Shimoga. After completing his junior intermediate education, he joined a college in Tumkur
Tumkur
Tumkur is one of the busiest industrial towns located in the state of Karnataka. Since 28 August 2010, Tumkur has been accorded the status of a Corporation city. It is situated at a distance of 70 kilometers north west of the city of Bangalore along National Highway 4...
to complete senior intermediate education. However, the students started boycotting the classes due to the arrest 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...
and others during the Quit India movement. He and his friends started making plans to join the movement. This came to the notice of the police, who arrested TaRaSu and jailed him. He was released in the month of December 1942. He decided that he was not going to study further unless India attains independence. He was an atheist in early life but converted into a believer in the later stages.
As a journalist
In 1942, TaRaSu came to Bangalore and joined as a sub-editor for the Kannada newspaper, VishwaKarnataka, earning a paltry sum of Rs. 25 as salary per month. During this period, he married Ambuja. He later worked for the Prajamatha, Vahini and Navodaya newspapers. His career in journalism also included a stint with Prajavani, Mysuru, Kaladoota and Vicharavani newspapers.As a writer
TaRaSu was initially influenced by the PragatisheelaPragatisheela
Pragatishila It is one of the five forms of modern Kannada literature. Other four being, Navodaya, Navya, Dalita and Bandaya.Pragatishila which literally means Progressive, is a simplistic form of fiction literature meant for the common man...
writings of the Kannada scholar A. N. Krishna Rao
A. N. Krishna Rao
Dr. A. N. Krishna Rao , is one of the well-known writers in Kannada language. He was popularly known as Kadambari Sarvabhouma . He is known as the person who started the Pragatishila movement in Kannada literature...
. Hence, his initial writings belong to the pragatisheela style and contain novels like Purushavatara and Munjavininda Munjavu. These writings mainly deal with the issues faced by the downtrodden and the lower caste society. Occasionally, he also came up with novels that were not of this genre, like Chandavalliya Thota which was based on a Gandhian
Gandhism
Gandhism is the collection of inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement....
theme of rural life in India. Some of his most celebrated novels include Masanada Hoovu, which talks about the plight of prostitutes and Hamsa Geethe, which talks about the life of a musician in the context of Chitradurga being passed from the hands of the Palaiyakkarar
Palaiyakkarar
Palaiyakkarar, Poligar, Polygar or Palegar or Polegar was the feudal title for a class of territorial administrative and military chiefs appointed by the Naicker rulers of South India during 16th - 18th centuries...
s to Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
. Both of these novels have been made into films in Kannada. Hamsageethe was chosen as a text book for graduation classes and a Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film, Basant Bahar
Basant Bahar (film)
Basant Bahar is an Indian romantic and melodramatic film from 1956. The songs lyrics were written by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri.-Plot:...
, was based on it.
TaRaSu has also written many historical novels, the most famous being Durgaastamana
Durgaastamana
Durgaastamana is a 1982 historical novel by well known Kannada novelist and scholar T. R. Subba Rao, or TaRaSu. As the name indicates, the book charts the downfall of the Nayakas of Chitradurga, a dynasty that ruled there for two centuries...
(fall of the Durga fort), which won him the Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
award in 1985. This was the last novel that he wrote and it talks of the fall of Chitradurga Palaiyakkarars under the hands of Hyder Ali. His another historical novel based on Chitradurga's history is Kambaniya Kuyilu and its sequels Tirugubana and Raktaratri. He also wrote a novel called Shilpashree which is based on Chavundaraya
Chavundaraya
Chavundraya was a military commander, poet and a minister in the court of the Western Ganga Dynasty of Talakad . A person of many talents, in 982 he commissioned the Gomateshwara, a monolithic sculpture in Shravanabelagola, an important place of pilgrimage for Jains...
, the person who commissioned the statue of Bahubali
Bahubali
According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the hundred sons of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha, and king of Podanpur. The Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the...
at Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola
Shravana Belgola is a city located in the Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is 158 km from Bangalore. The statue of Gommateshvara Bahubali at Śravaṇa Beḷgoḷa is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Jainism, one that reached a peak in architectural and sculptural...
. TaRaSu experimented with various narrative styles and was the first author to introduce the stream-of-consciousness literary technique in Kannada. He also used the 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...
as a background in his novels, like Rakta Tarpana. When the Navya (modernist) movement of Kannada literature was in its infancy, TaRaSu contributed to its growth by coming up with various books belonging to this genre, like his collection of short stories, Girimalligeya Nandanadalli which shows the confusion during the shift from progressive to modernist form of literature.