Gunturu Seshendra Sarma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gunturu Seshendra Sarma
Seshendra Sarma
Born	20 October 1927 Nagarajupadu, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Died	30 May 2007 Hyderabad, India
Occupation	Poet
Spouse	G.Janaki, Rajkumari Indira Devi Dhanrajgir

Gunturu Seshendra Sarma (born October 20, 1927 – died May 30, 2007) was a famous Telugu poet, writer, and critic. He was also known as Yuga Kavi, which means "Poet of the Era." He wrote more than fifty books. Many of his works have been translated into languages like English, Hindi, and Greek. Some of his most well-known books are Naa Desam, Naa Prajalu and Kaala Rekha.

Early Life and Education

Gunturu Seshendra Sarma was born on October 20, 1927. He earned degrees in Arts and Law.

Family Life

When he was 18, Sarma married Gunturu Janaki. They had two sons and two daughters: Vasundhara, Revathi, Vanamaali, and Satyaki. Later, in 1970, he married Indira Devi Dhanrajgir, who was also a poet. He lived with her at Gyanbagh Palace until he passed away.

Seshendra Sarma deeply loved his children and grandchildren. His son, Vanamali Gunturu, wrote a book about his father called "Seshendra velugu niidallo." This book describes Seshendra's amazing talent and knowledge as a writer. It also shows how he fought against unfair power and faced challenges.

His Important Writings

Seshendra Sarma was a very important writer in India. He was the second person from India to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The first was Rabindranath Tagore.

The government of West Bengal gave him the title "Rashtrendu," which means "Moon of the Nation." Telugu University also gave him an honorary doctorate degree in 1994. He received many other awards, including the "Kalidas Samman" and a Central Sahitya Akademi fellowship in 1999. He was also chosen to be a member of the 'Kendriya Hindi Samithi' by the Prime Minister of India.

Seshendra's first published work came out in 1952. It was his translation of Sohrab and Rustum by Matthew Arnold. This poem is based on the ancient Persian epic Shahnama. At first, he mainly wrote poetry and sometimes literary criticism.

His collection of prose-poems, Sesha Jyotsna, was published in 1972. It was written in Telugu and English. Later, it was also translated into Hindi and Urdu.

His most famous work is Naa Desam, Naa Prajalu, which means My Country, My People. This book made him one of India's most important poets. It even led to his nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2004.

He also wrote literary criticism. Shodasi is about the Ramayana, and Swarna Hamsa studies another ancient text. His 1994 book, Kaala Rekha, is a collection of twenty-five essays. These essays cover many topics, like ancient Greek and Sanskrit plays, and different types of poetry.

In 1976, his collection of poems called Neerai Paaripoyindi (which means "Melted away") was published in two languages.

Later Years and Passing

Gunturu Seshendra Sarma passed away on May 30, 2007.

His Lasting Impact

Sarma's works are still studied today. Many students have written their PhD papers in Telugu literature about his writings and ideas.

Awards and Honors

• 1994: Won the Sahitya Akademi Award in Telugu literature for his book Kaala Rekha.
• 1994: Received an Honorary D.Litt. from Telugu University.
• 1999: Awarded the Central Sahitya Akademi fellowship for his contributions to Telugu literature.
• 2001: Won the Sahitya Ratna from Sri Ram Sahitya Mandal, Himachal Pradesh.
• Nominated for the Jnanpeeth award for his contributions to Telugu literature.
• 2004: Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work My Country, My People.
• 2004-2005: Won the Hamsa Award from the Andhra Pradesh State Government for his contributions to Telugu literature.
• Given the title Rashtrendu (Moon of the Nation) by the West Bengal State Government.
• Received the Kalidas Samman from the Madhya Pradesh State Government.
• Won the Subrahmanya Ekta Award from the Hindi Academy.
• Won the Rashtriya Sanskriti Puraskar.
• Won the Ugadi Puraskar.
• Won the Lokamanya Tilak Award.
• Nominated as a member of the Kendriya Hindi Samiti by the Prime Minister of India.

Images for kids

• 

  Seshendra with his children

• 

  Seshendra with his son and grandchildren