Legendary Kannada novelist S.L. Bhyrappa passes away at 94

Bengaluru mourns the loss of acclaimed Kannada novelist and philosopher S.L. Bhyrappa, who passed away due to cardiac arrest at a private hospital on Wednesday. He was 94 and is survived by his wife and two sons.

Rashtrotthana Hospital confirmed the news, stating, “The legendary Indian novelist, philosopher, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Saraswati Samman awardee Shri S.L. Bhyrappa suffered a cardiac arrest today at 2:38 pm. Om Shanti!”

Bhyrappa’s mortal remains will be kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru for public homage on 25 September, with cremation scheduled on 26 September in Mysuru, where he lived for many years. The Karnataka government announced that his last rites would be performed with full state honours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss, calling Bhyrappa a “towering stalwart who stirred our conscience and delved deep into the soul of India,” praising his fearless thinking and profound contributions to Kannada literature.

Bhyrappa was India’s bestselling novelist for over 25 years, known for works such as Vamshavriksha, Daatu, Parva, and Mandara. He authored 25 novels, four volumes of literary criticism, and several books on aesthetics, social issues, and Indian culture. Many of his works, including Naayi-Neralu and Matadana, were adapted into films. His autobiography is titled Bhitti (Canvas).

Born on 20 August 1931, in Santeshivara, Hassan district, Bhyrappa held an MA in Philosophy and a PhD in Aesthetics and served as a Professor of Philosophy at NCERT for over three decades. He was often regarded as a “right-wing writer” with pro-Hindutva leanings, particularly for his novel Avarana.

Leaders across the political spectrum, including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda, Union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and former CMs B.S. Yediyurappa and D.K. Shivakumar, expressed grief. Writer Sudha Murty and Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy also paid their respects.

Sudha Murty said, “We have lost a literary stalwart. His contribution to Kannada literature is immense.”

With PTI inputs