Udupi: Senior Kannada thinker and writer Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa has been selected for the prestigious Dr Karanth Award, instituted by the Dr Shivarama Karanth Trust in memory of renowned coastal Karnataka writer Dr K Shivarama Karanth.

The award will be presented on October 24 at Dr B B Hegde First Grade College in Kundapur as part of a programme marking the birth anniversary of the legendary writer. The event will bring together writers, academics, cultural thinkers, theatre practitioners and social workers to celebrate Karanth’s literary and cultural legacy.

Alongside the main award, the trust will confer the Karanth Special Award on five personalities in recognition of their contributions to psychiatry, literature, social work, journalism and theatre.

Six personalities to receive awards

Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa will receive the Dr Karanth Award, while the Karanth Special Awards will be presented to psychiatrist, writer and social activist Dr P V Bhandari; social worker Ganesh Koraga Kumbhashi; retired professor and writer U Maheshwari Kasaragod; journalist John D’Souza of Kundapur; and theatre expert Dr Sripada Bhat.

The awards recognise individuals associated with different fields of public and cultural life, reflecting the broad range of interests represented in Karanth’s own literary and intellectual legacy.

Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a citation and a memento.

The award presentation ceremony will begin at 4 pm on October 24. MP Kota Srinivas Poojary will inaugurate the programme, while MLA A Kiran Kumar Kodgi will preside over the function. Dr K M Vasundhara, director of the Kannada and Culture Department, will present the awards.

Former minister K Jayaprakash Hegde will release the trust’s quarterly bulletin. Former MLA B M Sukumar Shetty, Kundapur Urban Development Authority chairman Vinod Crasto, taluk president of the Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee H Hariprasad Shetty, and Karavali Rangayana, Karkala, director Dr B R Venkataramana Aithal will attend as chief guests.

‘Karantha Kathana’ to be staged

The programme will also feature a theatrical presentation of Karantha Kathana, directed by Dr B R Venkataramana Aithal and staged by the repertory team of Karavali Rangayana, Karkala.

The performance is scheduled for 3 pm, ahead of the award ceremony.

Theatre has been an important part of the cultural engagement surrounding Karanth’s work, and the play will form a key component of the commemorative programme.

Prizes will also be distributed to winners of the state-level essay competition organised as part of the event.

Trust member secretary Poornima announced the programme details, including the award presentation, theatrical performance and literary activities.

National seminar to revisit Karanth’s narratives

A national seminar titled Present-day Re-reading of Karanth’s Narratives will be held at Dr B B Hegde First Grade College from 10 am to 3 pm on October 24.

The seminar will examine the continuing relevance of Karanth’s narratives and encourage fresh perspectives on his literary contributions.

Cultural thinker and senior advocate A S N Hebbar will inaugurate the seminar. Kundapur Education Society president B M Sukumar Shetty will preside over the programme.

Udupi district Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Neelavara Surendra Adiga will participate, while Dr Dhananjaya Kumble, president of the SVP Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe at Mangalore University, will deliver the keynote address.

The seminar will feature resource persons from universities and academic institutions, including Prof Chetana Mundaje, assistant professor at the Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod; Dr Rekha Bannadi, retired Kannada professor and writer; and Dr Mallappa S Bandi, assistant professor at the Kannada Adhyayana Peetha, Karnatak University, Dharwad.

Academics and cultural figures to share insights

Several other scholars and cultural personalities will contribute to the seminar sessions. They include Dr Yashu D, lecturer at the SVP Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe, Mangalore University; Dr Sudhakar Devadiga, Kannada lecturer at Government PU College, Koteshwara; and Dr Parvathi G Aithal, retired English professor and writer.

Dr Nikethana, principal and thinker; Dr Sripada Bhat, theatre expert; and Dr Prasad Rao, professor and member of the Dr Shivarama Karanth Trust, will also share their perspectives.

The participation of scholars from different disciplines is expected to bring literary criticism, theatre, language studies and contemporary cultural perspectives into the discussion of Karanth’s work.

Celebrating Karanth’s literary legacy

The awards, seminar, play and essay competition together form a broad programme commemorating Dr K Shivarama Karanth and his influence on Kannada literature and cultural thought.

By recognising achievements across literature, social service, journalism, psychiatry and theatre, the Dr Shivarama Karanth Trust continues to connect the writer’s legacy with contemporary intellectual and cultural life.

The October 24 programme in Kundapur will provide a platform for honouring distinguished personalities while encouraging renewed engagement with Karanth’s narratives and their relevance to present-day society.