Dr. Kadri Gopalnath is one of India’s most famous saxophonists. He is known the world over for playing classical Carnatic music on the Saxophone.
Personalities
Over ages and eras, Karnataka has produced numerous noteworthy personalities who have contributed commendably to the nation in different ways. Famous personalities of Karnataka have made their mark in domains including social work, education, sports, politics, literature, dance, music, cinema and philosophy.
Basavanna, a 12th century philosopher from Karnataka, had spread awareness against caste system through his verses. Another notable personality from the same era, Akka Mahadevi emerged as a leader of the Bhakti movement and she is also one of the earliest female poets of the nation.
Karnataka has produced a number of distinguished scientists like C.N.R. Rao and Narayan Hosmane and respected politicians like George Fernandes, K.C. Reddy and H.D.Deve Gowda, too. Stalwarts of Indian cinema like Aishwarya Rai, Guru Dutt, Deepika Padukone and Prabhu Deva are from Karnataka. Celebrated sports personalities like Prakash Padukone, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rahul Dravid are Kannadigas as well. Read more about eminent personalities from Karnataka
The Lone Warrior – Chonira Belliappa Muthamma
Chonira Belliappa Muthamma as one of the pioneers in the battle for gender equality for women in India. A career diplomat, her entry into the Indian Foreign Service in 1949 was a watershed event as she was India’s first woman diplomat.
Behind the Beats – Biddu Appaiah
Biddu Appaiah was born in Bangalore in 1944 in a Kodava family. His teen years were spent listening to the rock and pop tracks of the 1960s, which were played out over Radio Ceylon, a popular channel back then.
Bellave Narahari Sastri – The Dramatist of Yore
Bellave Narahari Sastri was a great dramatist and musician who defined and set the standards for professional playwriting in Kannada theatre.
The Social Activist and Actor – Bellary Raghava
Bellary Raghava was a gifted actor whose face and voice were well suited to the stage. He was a versatile performer and was involved in English, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi theatre.
The Jain Saint – Bahubali, Shravanabelagola
Bahubali, also known as Gommateshwara, is a famous Jain Saint who is worshipped by people from Jain community throughout the world for his admirable teachings about life that mainly deal with forgoing the two evils, Ego and Desire.
The Actress of Yore – B Jayamma
B Jayamma was born in 1915 in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. She started off as an artiste at a very young age, acting in the plays produced by Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company which was also based in Karnataka.
A Sportsperson Cum Superstar – Ashwini Nachappa
Ashwini Nachappa is a truly multi-faceted personality. A woman of many parts, the former Olympian has acted in Telugu movies, is actively involved in social work and is an educationist.
The Hockey Champ – Arjun Halappa
Arjun Halappa has often enthralled hockey fans as he weaves across the field with a grace and swiftness that has made him one of India’s top players. For a young man who once claimed that he took to hockey mainly to improve the financial condition of his family, Arjun Halappa scaled the heights when he […]
A Designer With a Difference – Arati Monappa
Arati Monappa started her career as a designer from Ahmedabad. Thoroughly natural and instinctive is how one can identify Arati Monappa’s designs