Eminent Kannada novelist S L Bhyrappa dies in Bengaluru

Eminent Kannada novelist and philosopher S.L. Bhyrappa died on Wednesday in Bengaluru after suffering a cardiac arrest at 2.38 pm, hospital officials said. He was 94 and had been admitted to the Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital and Research Centre, which issued a statement reporting the time of death and offering a traditional tribute.

Bhyrappa was one of the most prominent figures in modern Kannada literature, the author of more than two dozen novels that combined philosophical inquiry with close research and storytelling. He published his first novel, Bheemakaya, in 1958 and produced major works including Vamshavriksha, Daatu, Parva, Mandara and Mandra. His last novel, Uttarakanda, appeared in 2017 and retold parts of the Ramayana from the perspectives of women. Many of his books were translated into English and other languages and several were adapted for film and television, including Naayi Neralu, Matadana, Vamshavriksha and Tabbaliyu Neenaade Magane, with Gruhabhanga and Daatu adapted as TV series.

Bhyrappa received numerous national honours over his long career, among them the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, the Saraswati Samman and recognitions from the Sahitya...