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.