Madhvaraj Umarji

On November 7, 1914, in Bilagi, Madhvaraj Umarji was born to Shree Govindacharya and Smt. Bheemabai. They had a natural right to worship and sing devotional songs since they were a traditional, God-fearing family. Since Madhvaraj was the youngest, he was very close to his mother and was always humming religious tunes that his mother had taught him. 

Tammanna Bhat, a teacher and the father of the renowned author Krishnmoorty Puranik, gave a shape to the devotional songs of Madhvaraj.

When he was in school, Madhvaraj became more interested in music and singing than completing exams. In Salotagi, the play "shamantakhopakyana," in which Madhvaraj played the lead role, was performed. Because of this mindset, he had a very tough time passing his SSLC in Bilagi in 1933. He maintained farming instead of becoming a teacher and associated with Radhabai and Mansur Mahalinamani, two other artists in Bilagi. He relocated to Hubballi and followed Shri Gundachar Mannur's instructions.

The director of the Indian Art Music School, Shree Mahaveer Kasturi, recognised Madhvaraj and extended an invitation to join his institution. On July 19, 1935, Madvaraj joined as well. Because of his focus, he was skilled in playing the flute, harmonium, tabala, jalataranga, and other instruments, in addition to singing. He had practice from 7 to 10 am and singing from 5 to 10 evening. The remaining time was spent by teaching students.

On December 27, 1935, a musical conference was planned for Mumbai's Sir Kasaji Jahangeer Hall, where he was employed as a secretary. His musical programme including the flute was expanded to include Pune, Sollapur, Vijayapura, Gadag, Bengaluru, Mysore, Chennai, etc. In 1936, he went back to Bilagi and joined Amirbai and Goharjan, two more enormous personalities.

He performed a hero role for the Bagyodaya Company in 1937, and the owner gave him the honour of becoming "Natasamrat." His proficiency earned him the title of "Shreshta Nata of Karnataka" when he joined the Dattatreya Sangeeta Naataka Mandali. "Jaya Karnataka Natya Sangha" is what he joined. In addition to this, he also performed in Kandagal Hanamatraya's "Chitrangada, Raktaratri, Akshayanjura, Kuarukshetra, etc." He has performed in the plays Basaveshwar and Kanakadas. He used to play the part and bring the character to life. He worked with the Udupi-based Shastra Drama Company and the Garuda Sadashivaraya Drama Company from Gadag. He appeared in the Kannada films Basaveshwar and Kanakadas, however the movies have not been released because of financial issues.

Madhvaraj was the First Kannadiga to perform/sang for Columbia Recording Company. They recorded six songs for his plays Renuka, Akkamahadevi, and Basaveshwar. He wanted to appear in English and Hindi movies. But he passed away at a young age on April 28, 1952, in Hanagal.

Diwakar Ranganath Ramchandra

Ranganath Ramchandra Diwakar was born on September 30, 1894, in Bilagi. He received his education at Belgaum and Hubli, graduated from Fergusson College in Poona in 1916, received his M.A. in 1918, and then accepted a position as a professor of English at Rajaram College in Kolhapur.

He graduated from law school in 1921, which gave him the confidence to start participating in public life by joining the Non-Cooperation Movement. 

In 1923, he founded the weekly publication "Karmaveera," rose to the position of editor of the Kannada monthly magazine "Kasturi," and served as editor of the English weekly "Nava Shakti." From 1926 to 1929, he served as the Karnataka Provincial Congress Committee's secretary before taking over as president until 1934.

In 1930, he took part in the movement for salt(Uppina Satyagraha). He assumed control of the daily news publication "Samyukta Karnataka" in 1935.

In 1942, his involvement in the "Quit India" campaign was particularly important. He joined the Congress Constitution Committee in 1945 and was appointed as secretary of the Karnataka Province Congress Parliamentary Board. In 1946, he was chosen to represent Bombay Province in the Constituent Assembly. 

And in the year 1948, he became one of the Indian Parlimentary observers to the 37^th session of the Inter Parliamentary Union Conference in Rome. He was the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Nehru cabinet from 1 April 1949 to 15 April 1952. Diwakar was elected as member of the Rajya Sabha from Bombay State on 3 April 1952 but resigned on 13 June 1952, within a few months when was appointed as the Governor of Bihar and served till 1957.

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962 and remained there till 1968.  After 1968, he distanced himself from politics and wrote several books in English, Kannada, Sanskrit and Hindi.  His books on the lives of Sri Aurobindo, Paramahamsa, Sri Ramakrishna and Bhagawan Buddha in this series have become extremely popular.  The first one was translated in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Bengali.

R. R. Diwakar was a nationalist, philosopher, and scholar, to put it briefly. His writings in Kannada and English are reflections of his understanding of yoga, culture, and philosophy. He served as s the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee  also. 

At his death on 15 January 1990, he was the last surviving member of the first Nehru cabinet. 

Basappa Bagali

Basappa Siddappa Bagali born on April 27, 1916 in Bilagi, Bagalkot district, completed his primary school in Bilagi and joined Govt. high school in Vijayapur.

He skipped the inter examination due to financial issues. Since he was not able to continue his studies, he got frustrated and left to Mumbai. He met Barrister Sawarkar there, listened to his counsel, and decided to join the British Indian Army rather than fight for independence. The harassment by British to Indian persons was intolerable. However  Basappa was detained and sent to Singapore Jail during the Second World War.

The negotiations between Subhash Chandra Bose and the Tojo-led Japanese government produced fruitful results, and all the detainees were freed. He entered the Indian National Academy established by Subhash Chandra Bose and joined the front line and officers' cadre after completing his training because the miseries he endured under the Britishers inspired him to serve his country.

British people were shaken by the patriotism, passion, and spirit of achieving freedom, but this did not last long due to the British people's superior military technology and physical prowess. Basappa was thus detained, imprisoned in several locations, and subjected to unrelenting torture. Ultimately, he spent more than five years being held in a small town in Bangladesh.

Due to his prolonged disappearance, he was deemed deceased i.e. he was declared as dead (missing for long time). His release came in 1946. One day after India gained its freedom in 1947, he visited his village and ran into his relatives. In Wadi near Solapur, Basappa began working for the railway department as a station master.

He initiated the provision of basic amenities including drinking water, street lighting, and a road at the settlement of independence warriors in Vijayapur. He lived at Vijayapur for the last two decades of his life. He was spiritual, lost everything but never lost hope to live. Before he passed away, Basappa instructed his grandson, "Give happiness to everyone, serve everyone, that should be your life's motto."

Kanthi Hanumantharaya

Kanthi Hanumantharaya was a writer, novlist, poet and drama artist. Kanthi  Basappa and Basalingamma gave birth to Hanumantharaya at Nagaral - Bilgi taluk on February 1st, 1929. 

He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Karnataka University. And B.Ed. from Mysore University, which was essential for teaching professiony. 

He taught at Koppal Gavisiddeshwar Middle School in 1952, Shree Siddeshwar High School in Biligi as an assistant teacher from 1953 to 1984, Gurudev Atmanand Girls High School in Ramadurg as headmaster from 1985 to 1990, Kanakadas Girls High School in Konnur as headmaster from 1993 to 1996, and Indo-Japan Friendship Academy Casmoniketan High School in Buranpur, Vijaypur district as headmaster from 1996 to present.(1996–1988); Neelambika High School, Bilagi, Headmaster (1999-2001).

 In addition to becoming a teacher, Hanumantaraya worked as a playwright, actor, and stagehand. In 1950, his two essays, Devata and Vidhava, were published in the Taranga monthly journal. Two further tales: Kusuma and Pramileya Swayamvara were published in the 1950 issue of Kalpana, a monthly publication. 

In addition to Lord Siddeshwar of Bilagi and Lord Maruteshwar of Kambagi, hymns and devotional melodies of Lord Digambereshwara of Nagaral were also issued on cassettes.

Five dramas have been published by him, namely, Mangalagouri, Sindhoor Lakshmana, Madayyana Magalu, Guru Shodhane and Basavanna Belagida Belaku. Kombu appeared as compilation of poems and Honyal Desgati as a novel. Sindhoor Lakshman, Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna and Veerapatni appeared in Aakashavaani and Television.

 

The following are notable articles regarding Rangabhoomi: 

1. How to continue in the profession of Rangabhoomi-published in Smarana Sanchike, Ranga Basinga
2.  Equality between professional Rangabhoomi and amateur Rangabhoomi - published in Smarana Sanchike, Kallusakkari.
3. Stage tradition of Bagalkot district- published in Chalukya Siri
4. Present problems of Rangabhoomi-published in Smarana Sanchike, Krishna Prabhe
5. Rangabhoomi and Bilagi Taluka- published in Samarasya
6. Evolution in drama theatre profession- An article presented in state level gathering of artists held in Ilkal.
7. About theatres- published in Vrittiranga Bhoomiya Vartamanada Savaalugalu
8. Bagalkot Jilla Darshan – Chief Editor of the book.

Hanumantaraya wrote the theatre scripts listed below: Bhagyamandira, Chinnada Sara, Bahaaddoor Ganda, Shobha Raani, Kadlimatti Kashibai, Ee Maneya Sose, Police Inspector, Factory Manager, Ninage Nannaani, Garud Rekhe, Goudru Bandru Goudru, Naanu Mukhandanaaguve, and Shala Shiksaka.

The screenplays for the monoplay dramas Sunkada Katte, Veera Viragini, and Namma Shaleya Samaramba were written by Hanumantaraya.

Hemaraddi Mallamma(Role of actress), Paaduka Pattabhisheka, Black Market, Maataanga Kanya, Deepadaana, Bhagya Mandira, Veera Abhimanyu(role of actress), Satya Sankalpa(role of actress), Badatanada Bhoota, Kunkuma, Kaanchana Mruga, and Bahaddoor Ganda were among the dramas in which Shree Hanamantaraya appeared in the acting capacity.

Role played in Monoacting: Motar Maarika, Howharida Harishchandra, and Nadumaneyalli. 

The following conferences are chaired by Shree Kanthi Hanamantaraya:

1. The Kalavida Sammelana, which took place at Naavalagi in August 2007.

2.  Third Kannada Sahitya Sammelan held in Badami during March 2011 

Awards:

1.  Vijayapur Jilla Kannada Rajyostava Prashasti in 1995.

2.  Kannada Rajyostava Rajya Prashasti in 2014

3.  Honorary Fellowship (from the Karnataka Academy during 2000)

4.  Naataka Ratna (2012)

5.  Devara Daseemayya & Rashtreeya Ratna in 2014

The world of Kannada literature lost his son on 09.06.2021

Krishnamoorthy Puranik

Krishnamoorthy Puranik (5 September 1911 – 12 November 1985) was an Indian writer and poet who wrote in Kannada. He was the principal of a government high school in Gokak and was awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for his work Mannina Magalu (Daughter of the Soil). 

On September 5, 1911, in Bilagi, Krishnamoorthy Puranik was born to Tammanna Shastree and Lakshmi Bai. This was a traditional poor Brahmin family interested in the traditional songs sung in the temples. 

Krishnamoorthy completed his primary education in Bilagi and then enrolled to high school in Bagalkot where he used to receive food from kind individuals who fed the underprivileged pupils. In Kannada they call them as Varada mani hudugaru. 

When he was 14 years old, he met an 18-year-old widow during his high school years who had lost her husband just a year before. She was so limited to staying exclusively in rooms with low lighting. She had never been in contact with anyone else and had never seen the sun. This caused him to reflect and reform society's social norms. Such circumstances eventually became a major theme in his book, poetry, etc.  

After graduating from Karnataka College, he met several people, including Bendre, Betageri, and Gokak. He joined Municipal High School as a Kannada teacher in the year 1935 and the same year he got married with Ganga. 

His approach to literature was quite methodical..  He published Ramoona Kathegalu in the year 1946, Baal Kanasu 1947. The first novel, Mugila Mallige published in the year 1948.

 

He wrote constantly. With his earnest and diligent efforts, he was able to produce 116 books totaling 19,879 pages. Of them, 80 were novels, 12 collections of short stories, 11 poetry plays, and 8 works of children's literature. Instead of using his imagination, he was getting close to the events, being involved, and using that to make things happen. He brought his sentiments into actuality and engaged the readers in the issue.

Some of his writings were made into successful Kannada and Tamil movies. Of the eleven, Anireekshitha(1970), Bhageerathi(1969), Halunda Thavaru(1994), Hoo Bisilu(1971), 

Karuneye Kutumbada Kannu(1962), Kulavadhu(1963), Mannina Magalu(1974), Pavana Ganga(1977),Sanaadi Appanna(1977), Suli(1978), etc. are the prominent cinemas. 

In 1959, he received his first Award for the book Mannina Magalu (Daughter of the Soil); At 1969, Taralabalu Jagadguru delivered the Kadambari Sree award; in Hubballi, all of his admirers gave him "Kadambari Darshan" when he turned 60. 

Krishnamoorthy Puranik passed away on November 12, 1985, at the age of 74, yet his commitment to our Kannada literature has made him immortal.