People of Bhyrappa’s native village called him ‘Bhagirathi Swaroopi’

Novelist S.L. Bhyrappa, who passed distant connected Wednesday, had a beardown enslaved with his autochthonal spot Santheshivara, a colony successful Hassan district. The writer played a salient relation successful the improvement of the colony successful the caller years. The days helium spent successful Santheshivara, astir 26 km from Channarayapatna taluk centre, arsenic a child, profoundly influenced his depiction of villages successful galore of his novels.

Mixed memories

Born to Lingannayya and Gowramma of Santheshivara, Bhyrappa spent his aboriginal beingness successful the village. He had some blessed and unhappy memories associated with this place. Following a bubonic plague, helium mislaid his elder sister and a member wrong a mates of hours. Later, his parent besides died of the same. He recalled those days successful his interviews and his autobiography Bhitti. He studied astatine Bagur, Nuggehalli, and Channarayapatna, earlier moving to Mysuru for higher studies.

After his studies, helium worked successful Gujarat and Delhi, earlier returning to Mysuru, wherever helium spent the remainder of his days.

Occasionally helium visited the colony and interacted with the residents. He acceptable up the Gowramma Memorial Trust, named aft his parent and converted the ancestral location into a library. The room has a hallway wherever literate meetings could beryllium held. In 2019, galore of his readers assembled successful the colony for a literate meet.

Farmers’ problems

The writer, during his sojourn to the village, understood the problems faced by farmers owing to the depletion of the groundwater table. He felt if the vessel successful the colony was connected to the Hemavati canal it could get capable h2o and groundwater would improve. He appealed to the authorities to supply funds for the same.

Then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, successful the 2020 Budget, announced ₹5 crore for the improvement of the village. However, the authorities could supply lone ₹1 crore, and utilising the funds, the instauration chromatic was laid for the operation of an creation centre named aft Bhyrappa. However, the operation has not been completed yet.

Again, Bhyrappa continued his efforts to guarantee the colony got h2o facility. His efforts yielded results earlier this year, erstwhile the tanks astatine Santheshivara and neighbouring Agrahara Belaguli were connected to the Hemavati canal astatine Karehalli, done a 11-km pipeline. The authorities spent astir ₹20 crore for the project.

Felicitation

Earlier this year, connected March 9, residents of the colony invited Bhyrappa, his woman Saraswathi, erstwhile Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, and others and felicitated them for their efforts successful fulfilling the long-pending demand. They held a procession that progressive tableaux depicting Bhyrappa’s 27 novels. The villagers honoured him arsenic ‘Bhagirathi Swaroopi’ rubric connected the occasion.