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Anupama Niranjana

Anupama Niranjana(Kannada:) (19341991)[1]was a doctor inIndiaandwriter of modernKannadafiction and non-fiction.

She advocated the woman's point of view and was one among such writers in Kannada, whichincludes others likeTriveniandM. K. Indira. Her novel Runamuktalu has been made into a

successful film byPuttanna Kanagal.[2]

Born Venkatalakshmi, Anupama practiced as a physician, spending her spent her career in

DharwadandBangalore. Anupama took to writing early in life and wrote several novels andstories dealing with social issues, particularly women's issue.

[3]She was married to the Kannada

writer Niranjana, a leading novelist of the Progressive school of modernKannada literature.Their daughters Tejaswini and Seemanthini are well known academicians. Anupama died of

cancer. An award has been instituted in her name for women writing in Kannada.[4]

Major works

Anant Geeth Shwetambari Sneh Pallavi Runamuktalu Seve Pushpak

Kanmani Odalu Nenapu: Sihi-Kahi Kallol Aala Moolamukh

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Akka Mahadevi

Akka Mahadevi was a prominent figure of theVeerashaivaBhaktimovement of the 12th

centuryKarnataka.[1]

HerVachanasinKannada, a form of didactic poetry, are considered her

most notable contribution toKannadaBhaktiliterature.[2]

In all she wrote about 430 Vachanaswhich is relatively fewer than that compared to some other saints of her time. Yet the term 'Akka'

(elder Sister), which is an honorific given to her by great Veerashaiva saints likeBasavanna,Chenna Basavanna, Kinnari Bommayya, Siddharama, Allamaprabhu and Dasimayya, speaksvolumes of her contribution to the movement that was underway. She is in hindsight seen as a

great and inspirational woman forKannada literatureand the history of Karnataka. She is said to

have accepted the godShiva('Chenna Mallikarjuna') as her husband, traditionally understood as

the 'madhura bhava' or 'madhurya' form of devotion (similar to how 8th centuryAndaldeclaredherself marriable only to lordVishnuor as centuries laterMeera, a 16th-century saint, considered

herself married toKrishna).

Born inUdutadi(or Udugani) near the ancient city ofBanavasi(in Shikaripura talukShimoga

district).[3]

She was born in 1130CE and lived until 1160. She worked for the welfare of women.

She is a prominent figure in the field of female emancipation and a person of mystical vision. A

household name in Karnataka, she had said that she was a woman only in name and that her

mind, body and soul belonged toLord Shiva. During a time of strife and political uncertainty inthe 12th. century, she launched a movement that made her an inspiration for woman

empowerment and enlightenment. It is commonly known that she took part in many gatherings

of learned at the Anubhavamantapa in Kudala sangama to debate about philosophy andattainment of enlightenment (or Moksha, termed by her as "arivu"). In search for her eternal soul

mate, she made the animals, flowers and birds her friends and companions, rejecting family life

and worldly attachment. The time was marked as height of foolishness of varnashrama dharma

which only supported the three upper castes of Hindu society in India and suppressed the shudras

and women.

Akka was a revelation here in that she not only rose for emancipation but also has sung vachanaswhich are so simple but of highest order.

It is said that Mahadevi was married by arrangement to Kausika but later did not as the kingdisrespected some conditions set by her. There were immediate tensions, however, as Kausika

was a Jain, a group that tended to be wealthy and was, as a result, much resented by the rest of

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the population. Akka's poetry explores the themes of rejecting mortal love in favor of the

everlasting love of God. Her vachanas also talk about the methods that the path of enlightenment

demand of the seeker, such as killing the 'I', conquering desires and the senses and so on.

She rejected her life of luxury to live as a wandering poet-saint, traveling throughout the region

and singing praises to her Lord Shiva.

She went in search of fellow seekers or sharanas because the company of the saintly or sajjana

sanga is believed to hasten learning. She found the company of such sharanas inBasavakalyana,Bidar district. Akka utters many vachanas in praise of them. Her non-conformist ways caused a

lot of consternation in a conservative society and even her eventual guru Allama Prabhu had to

initially face difficulties in enlisting her in the gatherings at Anubhavamantapa. A true ascetic,Mahadevi is said to have refused to wear any clothinga common practice among male ascetics,

but shocking for a woman. Legend has it that due to her true love and devotion with God her

whole body was protected by hair.

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