T. S. Venkannayya

Taľaku Subbanna Venkannayya (1 October 1885 – 14 September 1939) was University of Mysore's first Kannada Professor. He was also a popular Kannada writer, translator, editor and teacher who nurtured many later Kannada littérateurs like Kuvempu, D. L. Narasimhachar, T. N. Srikantaiah, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, M. V. Seetharamaiah, C. K. Venkataramaiah, K. Venkataramappa, G. Venkatasubbiah and S. V. Parameshwara Bhatta. In fact, Kuvempu begins his book Sri Ramayana Darshanam with a two-page dedication to his teacher T. S. Venkannayya. T. S. Venkannayya translated the biography of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa from Bengali into Kannada for the first time in 1919. T. S. Venkannayya along with D. V. Gundappa, V. Seetharamaiah, B. M. Srikantaiah and T. N. Srikantaiah were at the forefront of the Kannada Movement from 1920s onwards and were instrumental in the founding of Kannada Sahitya Parishat (Bangalore) and Kannada Sangha (Kannada Literary Association) at Central College, Bangalore and Maharaja College, Mysore. T. S. Venkannayya was responsible for the organising of the 1931 Kannada Sahitya Sammelan (literary summit) at Mysore. His parents were Taľaku Subbanna and Lakshmidevamma. Venkannayya's ancestors belonged to the Mulukanadu sect of Telugu speaking Brahmins. At a young age he was introduced to theological texts and epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita. In his eighteenth year, he was sent to Mysore for further studies. His first year F. A. course was completed at Maharaja College, Mysore. For his second year F. A., he got himself transferred to Wardlaw college at Bellary and passed the same in 1904. Venkannayya passed his B. A. (Kannada) exam in 1908 from Maharaja College, Mysore. His attempts at completing a Law degree in Bombay were unsuccessful. He completed his M. A. in 1914 with a first class from Madras. His leadership at Prabhuddha Karnataka led to many early writers like V. Seetharamaiah, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, G. P. Rajarathnam and P. T. Narasimhachar come to light. Similarly, he was involved in the activities of Central College - Kannada Sangha where he organised many a Kannada and Sanskrit play to be enacted on stage. Venkannayya supervised the publication of Muddanna's works and the celebration of his birth anniversary. Venkannayya impressed upon his good friend A. R. Krishnashastry to adopt D. V. Gundappa's poem Vanasuma as the anthem for the Kannada Sangha at Central College, Bangalore. He was also involved in the orchestration of Kumaravyasa Jayanthi. While at Maharaja College, Mysore T. S. Venkannayya was instrumental in starting student journals Kiriya Kanike and Taliru. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsara Leelaprasanga Prachina Sahitya (1948) Shakuntala, Miranda and Desdemona

Editorial Work

Harischandrakavya Sangraha (with A. R. Krishnasastry) (1931) Karnataka Kadambari Sangraha (1933) Basavaraja Devara Ragale (1930) Pampabharata Kumaravyasa Bharata Bishmaparva Sangraha (with D. L. Narasimhachar, T. N. Srikantaiah) (1930) Rāghavāṅka Kaviya Siddharāma Cāritra (with D. L. Narasimhachar) (1941) Mahāśvēte (1959)

Articles

Kannada Sahityada Charitre Hathaneya Shatamanada Karnataka Sahitya Charitre Hanneradu Hadimuru, Hadinalkane Shatamanagala Kannada Sahitya Charitre Kavirajamarga granthada karthru yaaru? Bijjalanu Jainane? Pampa Bharata Contributions to ‘Prabhuddha Karnataka Contributions to ‘Kannada Sahitya Parishat Patrike Kannada Kaipidi – Vol. IV (with B. M. Srikantaiah) Kannadadalli Boudha Sahitya Vithe? Nizam Karnatakada Surupuru Lakshmeeshana Oore? Shivathatvasara Contributions to Sadbohachandrike

Legacy T. S. Venkannayya died on 14 February 1939 at Mysore. Three Felicitation Volumes were brought forth in his honour in 1970, 1986 and 2011. A library was constructed with state aid in his native village of Taľaku and dedicated to his memory. It serves as a repository of over 50,000 rare books and manuscripts. While his literary output was less, the number of future poet laureates and Kannada littérateurs (like Kuvempu, D. L. Narasimhachar, T. N. Srikantaiah, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, M. V. Seetharamaiah, C. K. Venkataramaiah, K. Venkataramappa, G. Venkatasubbiah S. Naganath, Bhagirath (2021). Memorable Mysoreans - A Collection of Biographical Sketches. ; Publisher:Notion Press.pp. 64 Das, Sisir Kumar (2005). A History of Indian Literature. Published by Sahitya Akademi. pp. 624. Karanth, Shivaram (2021). ಶಿವರಾಮ ಕಾರಂತರ ಲೇಖನಗಳು ಸಂಪುಟ - ೧. Published by B Malini Mallya. pp. 18. Schouten, Jan Peter (1995). Revolution of the Mystics - On the Social Aspects of Vīraśaivism. Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 298. Gururajachar, S. (1974). Some Aspects of Economic and Social Life in Karṇāṭaka, A.D. 1000-1300. Published by Prasārānga, University of Mysore. pp. 13, 14, 258. Chidananda Murthy, M. (1972). Basavanna. Published by National Book Trust, India. pp. 109. Krishnamoorthy, K. (1976). A. R. Krishna Shastri. Published by Institute of Kannada Studies, University of Mysore. pp. 15. Amur, G. S. (2001). Essays on Modern Kannada Literature. Published by Karnataka Sahitya Academy. pp. 48,64,94. Ramanatha, N.; Bangalore K. Venkataraman (1997). Essays on Tāla and Laya''. Published by Percussive Arts Centre. pp. 15