R.S. Chulki

Basavaraj Naikar, Rayanna, the Patriot and Other Novellas, Gnosis Publishers, New Delhi, 2011, Pp.300. Rs. 300.

The present collection contains four novellas, which deal with different personalities of Karnataka like Jakkanacharya, Kanakadasa, Mallasarja and Rayanna, known for their various achievements like religious, architectural, personal and political. Each one happens to be a giant in his own particular realm of thought and action.

The first one, Jakkana, the Architect Divine deals with the extraordinary life of Jakkanacharya, who after studying the horoscope of his own new born baby was misled to believe that his wife, Laxmi was an adulteress and that his baby was not at all his. Being extremely disillusioned he became a virakta and went away from his house as it was the will of God. Later on he became a builder of magnificent temples as he was ordered by God.    

Emperor Vishnuvardhana invited Jakkanacharya to build a marvelous temple who readily accepted the stupendous task.  At the time of the installation of the statue in it, a young boy of eighteen years came forward and announced that the statue was not perfect but defective. Without knowing that the challenger was his own grown-up son he said publicly that if it was proved it he would cut off his right hand itself.  When the royal priest observed the navel closely it was found to be wet with water and sand. Suddenly a small frog jumped out of the hole of the navel proving that it was imperfect.  The son had excelled his own father in talent and skill.  He came to know that the young boy was his own son called Dankana. Accepting his defect Jakkana cut off his right hand which made the onlookers unhappy and sorrowful. Dankana became the son-in-law of Vishnuvardhana.  Everything took place as God had willed.  The reunion of the father, son, wife and mother made all of them glad and they lived together happily.

It is a historical novella dealing with the lives of four important characters, Jakkana, Dankana, H.H.Ramanujacharya and Emperor Vishnuvardhana.  It is full of suspense, surprise and miraculous events. The story is quite absorbing but the idea of suvarna rasa that could convert any piece of stone into gold is fanciful.

The second novella, Kanakadasa, The Golden Servant depicts the life and religious achievement of Kanakadasa, who was born by the blessing of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati in Bada village of Dharwad district. He was educated privately and he studied all the ancient scriptures and epics written by the great saints and sages.  After his father’s death he was appointed as an administrator of Bada and Bankapura in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. Once he felt that he was ordered by God Tirumalesha to become his servant or dasa. At once he gave up his job and became a servant of God only.  He has several such spiritual experiences on different occasions.

He built a temple in Kummuru and named the deity Timmakeshava. In his old age he spent his days in the meditation of Lord Adikeshava of Kaginelli and Tirumalesha of Kummuru. He breathed his last at the ripe old age of ninety eight in 1606. His soul was like a star and lived apart without caring for the worldly fame or popularity.

The third novella deals with the life of political struggle of Raja Mallasarja of Kittur kingdom in South India. Raja Mallasarja, the adopted son of Virappagowda Desai, became the ruler of the Kittur kingdom in 1782.  In 1785 Tipu Sultan was planning to subjugate and conquer the kingdom of Kittur by hook or by crook. Under the leadership of Commander Burhanuddin Tipu’s army captured the fort and palace of Kittur without any resistance or opposing, because Diwan Gurunathpant conspired against his own king and became a traitor.  The innocent Raja Mallasarja became a captive and prisoner of Tipu, who kept him first in the prison of Srirangapattana and in the fort of Kapaladurga afterwards.

One day both of them ran away and swam in the river by catching hold of a big log of a tree.  Luckily they reached a safe place which was on the border of the British region. The British authorities treated both of them respectfully by giving them food and shelter.
By this time Commander Budrul Jamankhan who was in charge of the Kittur fort and palace had converted it into a place of enjoyment and entertainment.  One night when all of them were immersed in the grand dance, music and pastime the Commander of Kittur army, Timmanagowda and his soldiers climbed the wall of the fort and slaughtered the enemies and recaptured the palace and the fort. Timmanagowda, the Commander cheerfully told all people that Raja Mallasarja and Madivala had escaped from the prison of Kapaladurga and they would come back to Kittur shortly.  This news made them jubilant.

In fact this is a historical novel in which there is a tale of Kittur kingdom lost and regained.  The chief characters are mainly historical which are well defined and ready made.  There is no scope for the play of imagination. Had the author given exact dates and months of the events its authenticity would have increased. No doubt it is heroic tale of the adventures, grand escape and patriotism based on research.

The fourth novella entitled Rayanna, the Patriot deals with the eponymous hero Rayanna, who was a favourite bodyguard of the now imprisoned Rani  Chennamma of Kittur kingdom, told her that he would not rest until he regained the kingdom from the British East India Company. He developed the thought of vengeance against the British rulers among his followers who were nearly three thousand.

In this novella there is a truthful portraiture of Rayanna’s personality.  He was a pioneer of the freedom struggle through rebellion. He was like a spark which ignited the flame of patriotism afterwards.

The narrative technique of all these four novellas is superb.  Nowhere the book is tedious or monotonous.  There are beautiful and vivid descriptions that catch the reader’s attention. For example, the inhuman treatment of Tipu’s prisoners in the jail is described, “Prisoner Mallasarja was dragging the yoke of the heavy plough as if he was an animal. The prisoners used to be served with a mixture of half a seer of millet dough and half a seer of ash rolled into a ball.  The ash could not be separated from the dough.  They had to gulp it down forcibly with ample water to send it down the gullet” (P.192). Scores of Kannada, Sanskrit and Urdu words have been used to create a proper local atmosphere. For example, karma, punya, lila, mangalsutra, walikar, chavadi, kacheris, darshan, puja,vibhuti, pakoda, chup raho, rotti etc., are meaningfully used. Had the author given a glossary at the end, the foreign readers would have understood them clearly.

The language of all the novellas is full of ease and grace. The author has been successful in creating beautiful episodes and domestic scene.  One is tempted to read the whole book at one sitting because the plots develop swiftly arousing interest and curiosity. But a couple of printer’s devils have crept in the text, which could be avoided in the next edition.

Unfortunately India has remained unknown to Indians, simply because it is geographically a vast country with heterogeneous languages, cultures and literatures. People of one region or state do not know anything about other regions or states.  If India is to be made known to Indians as well as foreigners, writers like Basavaraj Naikar should be encouraged to write more books of this type.  We should admire and appreciate his scholarship besides creative power.  By reading this book one can have a glorious glimpse of India in general and of Karnataka in particular.