Ekkundi's Poetry A Reflection

Subbanna Ranaganatha Ekkundi (S.R. Ekkundi: 1923-1995) was a poet in the Romantic tradition. His publications include nine volumes of poetry, one short-story collection, two Russian novels in Kannada translation, besides a host of columns and articles in many dailies and weeklies.

Ekkundi studied at Willingdon College, Sangli where he came under the tutelage of such stalwarts like V.K. Gokak and R.S. Mugali; yet, he carved a niche of his own.

He was honoured with the Karnataka Sahitya Akademy Award (1978) for his poetry-volume Matsyagandhi and the Central Sahitya Akademi Award for Bakulada Hoovugalu (1993).

Ekkundi is better known for his long narrative poems. His highly metrical poems abound in picturesqueness, sensuous opulence, and lavish descriptions. Though a romantic poet by temperament, Ekkundi's humane empathies are effectively yoked to his progressive ideas. Hence, Madhwacharya and Karl Marx blend into a harmonious experience in Ekkundi's poetry which indeed is his uniqueness.

Laxrninarayana Bhat P is a poet at heart and has published many poems in Kannada and English. He has translated Jayanta Mahapatra's award-winning poetry-volume Relationship into Kannada under the title Sambandha (Sahitya Akademi: 2005); co-translator of the famous Kannada Oral Epic Male Madeswbwara into English along with Prof. C.N. Ramachandran (Central. Sahitya Akademi: 2000).

Bhat is currently working as Professor-cum-Registrar (E) at School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore.

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