Meet Padma Bhushan awardee Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh
What's the story
Renowned scholar and polyglot from Karnataka, Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh, has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to art and India's cultural heritage. The 63-year-old holds the title of Shatavadhani for mastering Avadhana, a classical art where the performer manages 100 different tasks from 100 scholars simultaneously.
Literary feat
What is 'Avadhana'?
One of the major forms of Avadhana is the Sahitya-avadhana, which involves solving a variety of poetic challenges with verses composed extempore, without using any tools like pen and paper. Dr. Ganesh is credited with reviving the art form in Karnataka single-handedly in 1981, where it was extinct. He has also performed more than 1,300 Ashtavadhanas and five Shatavadhanas.
Polyglot
A mark of erudition
Dr. Ganesh is counted among India's pre-eminent polyglots, being well-versed in Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, English, Prakrit, Pali, Greek, Latin, and Italian. He is also a prolific author, having more than 70 books to his credit: he has authored poems, plays, monographs, biographies, literary essays, analytical papers, and scholarly treatises in Kannada, Sanskrit, and English.
Early life
A man of diverse talents and accomplishments
Dr. Ganesh was born in Kolar, Karnataka, in 1962. His academic journey is as impressive as his artistic accomplishments. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UVCE, a master's degree in metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Science, a Master of Arts in Sanskrit, and a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) from Hampi University, awarded for his thesis on Avadhana in Kannada.
Recognition
No stranger to awards
Dr. Ganesh has been conferred with some of the most prestigious awards in his lifetime. In 1992, at the age of 29, he became the youngest recipient of the Rajyotsava Prashasti, Karnataka's highest state award. He was honored with the Badarayana-Vyasa Puraskar by the President of India in 2003 for his contributions to Sanskrit literature and received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize in 2021.
People's Padma
Push for 'Peoples Padma'
President Droupadi Murmu will present the Padma Awards for the year 2026 on May 25. Since 2017, the government has been pushing the #PeoplesPadma by highlighting the works done by these eminent personalities on social media. State-owned public radio broadcaster All India Radio News also launched a special series, People's Padma on Akashvani, featuring inspiring conversations with Padma Shri awardees.