Bengaluru, 24 Sept

Popular Kannada novelist and philosopher SL Bhyrappa died due to cardiac arrest at a private hospital here on Wednesday. He was 94, and is survived by wife and two sons.

"The legendary Indian novelist, philosopher, Padma Shri, Padmabhushana and Saraswathi Samman awardee Shri S L Bhyrappa suffered a cardiac arrest today at 2.38 pm and reached the lotus feet of the Almighty. Om Shanti !!!," Rashtrotthana Hospital said in a statement.

According to sources, Bhyrappa's mortal remains would be kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru for people to pay their last respects on 25 September, and his cremation is likely to be held on the next day in Mysuru where he lived for many years.

Expressing grief over Bhyrappa's demise, the Karnataka government has decided to perform his last rites with full state honours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of Bhyrappa and described him as a "towering stalwart", who stirred people's conscience and delved deep into the soul of India.

"In the passing of Shri S L Bhyrappa Ji, we have lost a towering stalwart who stirred our conscience and delved deep into the soul of India. A fearless and timeless thinker, he profoundly enriched Kannada literature with his thought-provoking works. His writings inspired generations to reflect, question and engage more deeply with society," Modi said.

"His unwavering passion for our history and culture will continue to inspire minds for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti," he said.

Bhyrappa has been the bestselling novelist for over 25 years now. His novels are widely translated into English and pan Indian languages.

He is known for depicting fundamental human emotions in his works, along with sharing his knowledge on Indian philosophical and cultural traditions.

Bhyrappa has penned about 25 novels and four volumes of literary criticism and books on aesthetics, social issues and culture, among others. He is known for his popular novels 'Vamshavriksha', 'Daatu', 'Parva', 'Mandara', among others.

He was a recipient of Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Akademi Awards among other honours.

His works like 'Naayi-Neralu', 'Matadana', 'Vamshavriksha', 'Tabbaliyu Neenaade Magane', have been adapted into films.

Bhyrappa's autobiography is titled Bhitti (Canvas).

Born in Santeshivara, a village in the Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district on August 20, 1931, Bhyrappa held an MA in Philosophy and PhD in Aesthetics. He served as a Professor of Philosophy for over three decades at NCERT.

Bhyrappa is often regarded as a "right-wing writer" with pro-Hindutva leanings, particularly for his novel 'Avarana', which deals with the themes of Islamic invasion of India and religious conversion.

Expressing grief, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a post on 'X' said, "The literary world has been left poorer by the death of Bhyrappa, who had a huge readership due to his writing style."

JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda said, "Bhyrappa's passing away is an irreparable loss to the Kannada literary world, as he gave the world excellent novels and touched the hearts of millions of readers."

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said, the death of Bhyrappa, who transformed the very way of perceiving and reading the Mahabharata and Ramayana through his novels, Parva and Uttarakanda, has come as a "profound shock".

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, former CM BS Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka, state BJP President B Y Vijayendra, among others condoled the death.

Writer and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and her husband Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy were among those who visited the hospital to pay last respects to Bhyrappa.

"We have lost a literary stalwart. His contribution to Kannada literary work is immense," Sudha Murty told reporters.