Nagathihalli Ramesh Celebrated for Literary and Social Impact
Kolkata: Acclaimed poet Nagathihalli Ramesh earned recognition for his extensive contributions to literature, environmentalism, and social activism, according to a recent announcement. Born in 1967 in Nagatihalli village, Mandya district, Karnataka, Ramesh completed a BSc and a Bachelor of Law at Bangalore University and a Journalism diploma at Mysore University. During the 1980s, he dominated 150 inter-collegiate debates, winning awards in each, and later edited the Kannada magazine Spardha Prapancha for 12 years.
His creative pursuits included short filmmaking, with his film The Roots capturing life’s essence, and poetry,
notably Samudra Mattu Male, translated into languages like English and Hindi. The Karnataka government honored him with the Karnataka State Youth Award in 1989 and the Environment Award in 2002. Other accolades included the 2013 Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre Jeevala Prashasti Puraskar, the 2014 Kuvempu Sahitya Ratna Award, the 2022 Shri Krishna
Premamrutham Samman Award with Rs 2 lakh, and the 2024 Jaga Hrudaya Rashtriya Prashasti Puraskar.
Ramesh’s musical endeavors, such as the album Tili with flautist Bapu Padmanabha and Jeeva Jeevada Haadu with S R Ramakrishna, gained widespread appreciation. Known as Avvanni, he traveled to countries including Sri Lanka, the UK, and Egypt, advocating for environmental and cultural causes. His poems featured in university curricula, reflecting his literary influence. Ramesh’s blend of artistry and activism continued to inspire Karnataka’s cultural landscape, cementing his legacy as a thinker and creator.
