PADMA BHUSHAN AWARD

Bharatiya Jnanpith presents the Jnanpith Award for the year 1988 to Dr. C. Narayana Reddy for his outstanding contribution to Indian literature during the period 1968-82.

Dr. Narayana Reddy is an established writer in modern Telugu literature with a multi-faceted personality as a poet, a critic, a lyricist, a play-wright, an educationist and an orator. Gifted with a reverberating voice and a captivating command over the music of language, Dr. Reddy combines' in him the genius of a creator and the charm of a communicator.

Starting his poetic career with a slender volume of lyrics Navvani Puvvu (The Bashful Flower) in 1953, the poet in Narayana Reddy soon blossomed into the tender smiles of the middle class in his Madhyataragati Mandahasam (1968) witnessing on one hand the cycle of seasons in his Ritu Chakram (1964) and the wild laughter of the leaping flames surrounding man in his Mantalu Manavudu (1970) on the other and finally emerged with a universal vision of Man in his epic poem Viswambhara (1980). In Viswambhara his magnum opus, he not only evolved a new form of epic in free verse but also projected Man in his tri-Iateral journey over the ages trying to attain artistic excellence, scientific advancement and spiritual realisation. There is a fine blend of lyrical romanticism, optimistic humanism, progressive idealism and healthy realism in all his writings.

Besides being a recipient of several honours and awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Kumaran Asan Award of Kerala and Bhilwara Award of Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Calcutta, Dr. Reddy was honoured with Padma Shri in 1977.

Bharatiya Jnanpith wishes the young poet Narayana Reddy a long life. P.V. Narasimha Rao Chairman Selection Board Ashok Jain Mng. Trustee Bharatiya Jnanpith Shriyans Prasad Jain President Bharatiya Jnanpith