Devanur Mahadeva

Devanuru Mahadeva (b. 1948), is a well known Kannada writer. Devanuru Mahadeva was born in 1948 in Devanuru village in Mysore district of Karnataka state, India. He is credited to be of the best of the Dalit writers in Kannada. He worked as a teacher at Mysore. The Government of India conferred upon him the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award.^[1] Known among literary circles to be a rebel, Mahadeva rejected the Nrupatunga Award (carrying a purse of Rs 5,01,000) in 2010.^[2] Devanur's rejection of the award is based on his dissatisfaction that despite being the official language of the state, Kannada is yet to be made the primary language of instruction in schools and colleges. He wants Kannada to be made the medium of learning at least till the college level. Mahadeva is a Central Sahitya Academy awardee for his play Kusuma Bale. In the 1990s he rejected the government's offer to nominate him to the Upper House of the Indian Parliament under the litterateur's quota.^[3]

Literary contributions

• Dyavanuru Hagu Odalaala
• Odalaala
• Kusuma Bale
• Edege Bidda Akshara
• Devanura Mahadeva Avara Krithigalu

Awards and recognitions

Devanur's many awards and recognitions include:

• Karnataka Sahithya Academy Award.
• Kendra Sahithya Academy Award in 1990.
• Padma Shri in 2011

Notes