Jnanpith Award Winners : Kannada
Technical Data
| Date of Issue | March 28, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Rs. 2 |
| Quantity | 400,000 |
| Perforation | comb 13 |
| Printer | Security Printing Press, Nashik |
| Printing Process | Photogravure |
| Watermark | No Watermark |
| Colors | Multicolor |
| Credit (Designed By) | Sh. V.S. Buranpur |
| Catalog Codes |
Michel IN 1547 Stamp Number IN 1609 Yvert et Tellier IN 1310 Stanley Gibbons IN 1711 |
| Themes | Famous people |
Introduction
The Jnanpith Award is one of the highest literary honours in India. It is awarded for outstanding creative writing by an Indian citizen in any of the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The award symbolizes the unity and richness of Indian literature.The Department of Posts issued a commemorative postage stamp to honour four distinguished Kannada writers who received the Jnanpith Award for their remarkable contribution to Indian literature.
Dr. K. V. Puttappa (1904–1994)
Award Year
1967 (Co-recipient)
Major Work
Sri Ramayana Darshanam
Contribution
Dr. K. V. Puttappa, popularly known as Kuvempu, created the first great epic in Kannada literature through Sri Ramayana Darshanam. Written with exceptional style and poetic grandeur, the work blends the earthly and the spiritual, the temporary and the eternal.
His writing reflects a vision where tradition meets modernity and where all beings contribute to the greater good.
Honours
- Sahitya Akademi Award (1958)
- Padma Bhushan (1958)
Shri D. R. Bendre (1896–1983)
Award Year
1973 (Co-recipient)
Major Work
Naku-Tanti
Contribution
D. R. Bendre was one of the most versatile poets of Kannada literature. His poetry beautifully expressed the joys and sorrows of life, the relationship between man and nature, and the spirit of Karnataka and India.
Through folk songs, lyrical poetry, and rich language, he touched both scholars and common readers alike.
Prof. V. K. Gokak (1909–1992)
Award Year
1990
Major Work
Bharata Sindhu Rashmi
Contribution
Prof. V. K. Gokak was a prolific writer who contributed to poetry, novels, plays, travel writing, aesthetics, and prose in both Kannada and English.
His masterpiece Bharata Sindhu Rashmi, an epic of over 35,000 lines, recreates Vedic culture and timeless values, earning a distinguished place in world epic literature.
Dr. Masti Venkatesh Iyengar (1891–1986)
Award Year
1983
Major Work
Chikkaveer Rajendra
Contribution
Known by the pen name Srinivas, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar is regarded as the Father of the Kannada short story. He was a master storyteller whose prose and poetry reflected faith in human dignity and moral values.
For over seventy years, he played a leading role in the Kannada literary renaissance.
Legacy of Kannada Literature
These four literary giants enriched Kannada literature and brought national recognition to the language through their creativity, scholarship, and humanistic vision.
Commemorative Stamp
The Department of Posts issued a commemorative postage stamp on the Jnanpith Award Winners – Kannada featuring:
- K. V. Puttappa (1967)
- D. R. Bendre (1973)
- Masti V. Iyengar (1983)
- V. K. Gokak (1990)
First Day Cover
