KAMALA HAMPANA, b. 1935
Kamala hampana
(kamalA hampanA) (ಕಮಲಾ
ಹಂಪನಾ) is among
the few women writers of Karnataka who have pursued the path of research and scholarship
in the fields of Kannada literature and ancient culture.
She has worked for a number of decades in the disciplines of textual criticism,
Jainology and culture studies. She has also published a few collections of poems.
C. R. Kamalamma nee Kamala Hampana was born
in Devanahalli, Bangalore (Rural) district. She obtained a B.A. (Hons.) degree in
Kannada and an M.A. degree in the same subject (1958) from the University of Mysore.
She was conferred a Ph.D. degree for her dissertation on ‘Turanga Bhaarata’. She
has worked in a number of government colleges in various capacities. (1959-1996)
Kamala was the Principal of The Government First grade College, Vijayanagara, Bangalore
at the time of her superannuation. She was a professor and the Chair person of the
department of Jainology and Prakrit Studies in the University of Mysore.
Her areas of interest include ancient Kannada
literature, textual criticism and Jainology. She has been in the fore front of women’s
movement and dalit movement in Karnataka.
She has published more than fifty works in various genres of literature such as
poetry, fiction, literary criticism and biography. Some of her important publications
related classical studies are as follows:
1.
‘turanga BArata- ondu adhyayana’
2.
‘anEkAntavAda’
3.
‘jaina sAhitya parisara’
4.
‘sukumAra cariteya sangraha’, (Textual criticism)
5.
‘BaratESha vaiBava’, (Textual Criticism)
6.
‘cAvunDarAyapurANa’, (Textual Criticism)
7.
‘Jaina Dharma’, (Edited Work)
8.
‘D.L. N. avara Ayda lEKanagaLu’ (Edited Work)
Kamala Hampana has won a number of awards. Danachintamani Attimabbe Award’, ‘Rajyotsava
Prashasti’, ‘Baba Amte Award’ and Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award are a few among
them. She was the president of the 71st ‘All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana’
held in Moodabidri in 2003. ‘Kamalabhinandana’ is the felicitation volume presented
to her.