Basavaraj Naikar

Basavaraj Naikar (born August 1, 1949) is an author and academic of India (now living in Dharwad, Karnataka State, INDIA). A novelist, short story writer, playwright, critic, reviewer and educationist.

Early life and education

Basavaraj Naikar was born in Naragund (in the then Dharwad district of Karnataka, INDIA) on 1 August 1949. His father Sri Shivashankarappa served as a Sirastedar and for some time as Mamledar in different talukas of Dharwad district like Shiggaon, Hanagal, Navalagund and Naragund. His mother Shrimati Nilaganga hailed from Hunasikatti village of Naragund taluka. His great grandfather Sri Virabhadranayaka was an administrator (Dandanayaka) in the court of Bhaskararao Bhave of Peshwa dynasty in Naragund Samsthan. According to the researcher Sri B. Shivamurtishastri, Virabhadranayaka’s forefathers are said to have descended from the stock of Shivappanayaka of Keladi Kingdom. He has a younger brother namely Chandramowli, two elder stepbrothers, Somashekhar and Manohar and a step-sister, Girija.

Basavaraj Naikar spent the first four years of his primary education in Dharwad. He was brought up by his maternal grandmother Srimati Lingamma during that period (1956- 1960) and educated at the Practising School of Government Training College for Men, where the Karnatak University was housed for a few years. After completing his IVth standard, he returned to his native town, Naragund, where he was educated at the Municipal High School (1961 - 1966) and studied Arts for his S.S.L.C. Degree. During that period he was trained in classical Hindustani music by the famous maestro, Sri Dattubuwa Thakurdas. Then he moved back to Dharwad, where he was educated at Karnatak Arts College (1966-1970) for his B.A. and at Karnatak University (1970-1972) for his M.A, with English as his major subject and Sanskrit and Kannada as his minor subjects.

Academic and Literary Career 

Basavaraj Naikar was appointed as Research Assistant in English in 1972, and as Lecturer in English in 1976 at the Post-Graduate Centre of Karnatak University at Gulbarga, where he did post-graduate teaching and research on Shakespeare’s Last Plays under the able guidance of the Fulbright Scholar, Dr. T. R. Rajasekharaiah and earned his Ph.D. in 1986. He struggled hard to keep himself academically alive and active in the non-academic and highly politicized atmosphere of the backward area of Gulbarga. He was promoted as Reader in English at Gulbarga University, Gulbarga in 1987 and served there until he was reappointed as Reader in English at Karnatak University, Dharwad in 1992. In 1996 he was awarded the honorary D.Litt Degree from the International University of California at Los Altos for his overall contribution to Literature and Shakespeare Criticism in particular. He was promoted as Professor of English in the same University in 1997 and served as the Chairman of the English Department for three terms of two years each. He retired from service in 2009.He was a UGC Emeritus Fellow from 2011-2012.

He reviewed the Indian literary works regularly for World Literature Today, Oklahoma, USA for three decades. He taught Indian English, American, Commonwealth, British Literature and Indian Literature in English Translation for many years and guided many research students in Anglo-Indian Literature and Comparative Literature in addition to Indian English Literature.

Achievements and Awards

Basavaraj Naikar is one of the very few Indian scholars on Shakespeare.  His Ph.D. thesis entitled Shakespeare’s Last Plays: A Study in Epic Affirmation has earned him a good reputation as a Shakespeare scholar. It was highly appreciated and praised by Dr. J.P. Brockbank, the Director of Shakespeare Institute of Birmingham University, UK and other scholars like Dr. H.H. Anniah Gowda, Dr. C. D. Narasimhaiah and Dr. K. Venkatachari and so on. Deeply interested in music, especially Sitar and Santur, he has a special liking for drama in general and Kannada folk drama in particular. Likewise, he is interested in philosophy, mysticism, and religious literature, especially vacana literature of Karnataka. He started his creative writing during his post-graduate days at Dharwad and continued to practise it silently though he did not publish it until his 50^th year. Simultaneously he was translating the English, the French and the Gujarati works into his native Kannada and the Kannada works into English.

He was awarded the Gulbarga University Translation Prize for his Musings of Sarvajna in 1991, Gemini Academy Award from Panipat, Olive Reddick Senior Award from Hyderabad and Vasudeva Bhupalam Award from the Kannada Sahitya Parisat, Bengaluru.Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati Grantha Prasasti and Life-time Achievement Award.  His The Thief of Nagarahalli and Other Stories (Writers Workshop, Calcutta, 1999) was short-listed for the Commonwealth Fiction Prize for the Best First Book from Eurasia in 2000.

Bibliography:

Fiction:

1. The Sun Behind the Cloud (Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2001)
2. Light in the House (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2009)
3. The Queen of Kittur  (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2009)
4. Rayanna, the Patriot and Other Novellas (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2011)
5. Bird in the Sky, CVG Books, Bengaluru, 2015.
6. Intrigue at Ikkeri, Educreation, New Delhi,2019.
7. A Pontiff of Peacockshire, CVG Books, Bengaluru, 2019.
8. The Sun of Freedom, Vishwakarma Publications, Pune. 2020.
9. A Noble King of Bidanuru, Authors Press, New Delhi. 2022.
10. The Warrior Queen of Keladi,  Emerald Publishers, Chennai,2022.
11. A Democrat of Devotion. (In Press.)

Short Fiction:

1. The Thief of Nagarahalli and Other Stories (Writers Workshop, Calcutta, 1999; Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2008)
2. The Rebellious Rani of Belavadi and Other Stories (Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2001)

Drama:

1. A Dreamer of Freedom (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2009)
2. The Rani of Kittur (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2012)
3. The Pilgrim of Life, Guttenberg India, New Delhi, 2018.
4. The Sport of Allama, Guttenberg India, New Delhi, 2018.
5. A Golden Servant of Lord Hari, Guttenberg India, New Delhi, 2018.
6. Light of Humanity, Authors Press, New Delhi, 2022.
7. Victory of Christ, Authors Press, New Delhi, 2022.
8. Rayanna: The Tiger of Sangavalli, Authors Press, New Delhi, 2022.

English Translations:

1. Musings of Sarvajna, (Sivaranjani Publications, Dharwad, 1990)
2. Fall of Kalyana (Basava Samiti, Bengaluru, 2003; Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2009, CVG Books, Bengaluru 2016.)
3. Sangya Balya: A Tale of Love and Betrayal (Minerva Press, London, 2004; Macmillan & Co of India, Chennai, 2009. Prescribed as a text for M.A. English Course in Karnatak University, Dharwad and Mysore University, Mysuru.)
4. The Frolic Play of the Lord (Dravidian University, Kuppam, 2009).
5. The Holy Water  (Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2010)
6. The Vacanas of Sarvajna (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2010)
7. The Collected Short Stories of Kuvempu. Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati, bengaluru.   2018.
8. Sri Krisna Parijata, CVG Books, Bengaluru, 2016 & Karnataka Janapada Viswavidyalaya, Shiggavi, 2018.
9. The Holy Water and Other Plays,  Authors Press, New Delhi, 2022.
10. Paradise Lost & Regained, (A Modern English prose translation) In press.

Critical Works in English:

1. Sarvajna: The Omniscient Poet of Karnataka, (Sivaranjani Publication, Dharwad, 1984)
2. Critical Articles on Nirad C. Chaudhuri ,(Sivaranjani Publication, Dharwad 1985)
3. Shakespeare’s Last Plays: A Study in Epic Affirmation, (Creative Books, New Delhi, 1991; Macmillan Co of India, New Delhi, 2009)
4. The Folk Theatre of North Karnataka, (Karnatak University, Dharwad, 1996)
5. Kanakadasa: The Golden Servant of Lord Hari, (National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2001, 2003).
6. Critical Response to Indian English Literature, (Shanti Prakashan, Ahmedabad, 2004).
7. Perspectives on Commonwealth Literature, (Book Enclave, Jaipur, 2005)
8. Indian Literature in English Translation, (National Publishing House, New Delhi, 2005)
9. Glimpses of Indian Literature in English Translation, (Authors Press, New Delhi, 2008)
10. The Dramatic Imagination, (Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2009)
11. English Literature in India, Authors Press, New Delhi, 2013.
12. The Dramatic Vision, Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2013.
13. Representation of History in Indian Drama in English/Translation, Authors Press, New Delhi, 2013.
14. The Theatre and Philosophy of the Absurd, Author’s Press, new Delhi, 2018.
15. Nirad Chaudhuri: A Critic of Modern Culture, Atlantic Publishers, new Delhi, 2018.
16. Commonwealth Literature: A Kaleidoscopic Vision, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2019.
17. Focus on Indian English Drama, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2022/3.
18. Indian Drama in English Translation, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2022.
19. The Sonnets of Shakespeare with Critical Interpretations, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2022.
20. Aspects of Indian English Fiction, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2022/23.
21. Unity in Diversity: Indian Fiction in English Translation, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2022/23.

Edited Works in English:

1. Desert Blooms, A Collection of Poems by T.R.Rajasekharaiah, (Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, 1986)
2. Sparrows (An anthology of Indian English Short Stories), B.I.Publishers, Madras, 1987.
3. Sandalwood, Felicitation Volume on Shankar Mokashi-Punekar, (Manohar Granthamala, Dharwad, 1998.)
4. Indian English Literature, 9 Vols. (Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2001 – 2010)
5. Indian Response to Shakespeare, (Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2003)
6. Perspectives on Fall of Kalyana, (CVG Publications, Bengaluru, 2015.)
7. Collected Poetry of T.R.Rajasekharaiah, CVG Books, Bengaluru, 2018.

Works in Kannada:

Drama:

1. Swatantryada Kanasugara, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 2007.
2. Kitturina Virarani. Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 2011.
3. Vairagya Vijaya, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
4. Kagineleya Paramasanta, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
5. Sharif Sivayogi, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
6. Sangavalliya Huli:Rayanna, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
7. Christa Vijaya,  Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
8. Dehave Degula, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
9. Pericles-na Sahasagalu, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.
10. Gunavante mattu Sweta Vartula, Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 20.

Kannada Translations:

1. Nigudha Saudha, Tr. of 11 French short stories, (Navakarnaka Publications, Bengaluru, 1982)
2. Govardhanram (Central Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 1984)
3. Beowulf, (Sivaranjani Publications, Dharwad, 1996)
4. Gilgamesh Mahakavya, (Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara, Bengaluru, 2000)
5. Bharatiya English Sahitya Charitre,  (Central Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2006)
6. Paduvana Nadina Premavira Mattitara Natakagalu, (Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 2008)
7. Kempu Kanigilu Mattitara Natakagalu, (Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 2009)
8. Androsina Kanye mattu Phormio (Gitanjali Publications, Bengaluru, 2011)
9. Lusiads: Portuguese Mahakavya, Gitanjali Prakasana, Bengaluru, 2019.
10. Shakespeare-na Sunitamale, Gitanjali Prakasana, Bengaluru, 2021.
11. Kaledukonda Bhukailasa mattu Marali Padeda Bhuklilasa, Gitanjali Prakasana, Bengaluru, 2022.

Critical Works:

1. Kannada Asangata Natakagalu, (Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, 1990)
2. Samrachanavada, (Karnataka Sahitya Akademi, Bengaluru, 1999)
3. Asangata, (Karnataka Sahitya Akademi, Bengaluru, 2002)
4. Sri Kanakadasaru, (National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2006)
5. Siddhanta mattu Prayoga, (Gitanjali Prakashana, Bengaluru, 2006)
6. Rasanubhuti, Kala Prakasana, Bengaluru, 2021.

Edited Works:

1. Vatsalya, Dr. Panchakshari Hiremath Felicitation Volume, (Bengaluru, 1996)

Critical Works on Basavaraj Naikar:

1. Perspectives on Basavaraj Naikar, Ed. S.P. Singha, (Shanti Prakashan, Ahmedabad, 2006)
2. Basavaraj Naikar: Trends and Techniques, Ed. Jeydeep Sarangi, (Author’s Press, New Delhi, 2007)
3. The Works of Basavaraj Naikar, Two Vols. Ed. N.D.R. Chandra, (Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2010)
4. The Voice of India: Critical Essays on Basavaraj Naikar. Ed. Jeydeep Sarangi, (Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2009)
5. Socio-Cultural Vision in the Creative Works of Basavaraj Naikar, By Pramod Ganganmale, Indo-tech Publications, Latur 413512 (Maharashtra), 2014.
6. A Critical Miscellany: Essays in Honour of Dr. Basavaraj Naikar, By Shashidhar Vaidya, Prakash Book Depot, Bareilly, 2015.
7. P.V.Laxmiprasad., The Nativist Vision of Life in the Works of Basavaraj Naikar, Author’s Press, new Delhi.2018.
8. P.V.Laxmiprasad, .Rewriting Indian History in Basavaraj Naikar’s The Queen of Kittur, Academica Press, Washington-London.2022.

References

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