Saraswati Samman for SL Bhyrappa

Mandra, one of the most acclaimed epic novels of Kannada writer SL Bhyrappa, has been awarded the 20th Saraswati Samman for 2010.

Mandra, one of the most acclaimed epic novels of Kannada writer SL Bhyrappa, has been awarded the 20th Saraswati Samman for 2010.

HT Image

A jury, headed by former Chief Justice of India GB Patnaik, selected Bhyrappa’s novel in Kannada after considering the works published in 22 Indian languages during 2000-09. Mandra was published in 2002.

The award, instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991, carries a cash prize of R7.50 lakh, a citation and a plaque.

Bhyrappa, 75, has so far published 22 novels, the first being Bheemakaya in 1959 and the latest Aavarana in 2007.

He is one of the best-selling novelists in Kannada for over the past 25 years.

Saraswati Samman is recognised as the most prestigious and the highest literary honour in the country. It is given every year to an outstanding literary work written in an Indian language and published during the last 10 years.

The first recipient of the award was Harivansh Rai Bachchan in 1991 for his autobiography. Other awardees include Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar, Oriya writer Manoj Das, Malayalam poetess Balamaniamma, Tamil writer Indira Parthasarathy, Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay and Urdu literary critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.