Siddalinga Pattenshetti
Credit: DH Photo
Dharwads: Well-known writer Siddalinga Pattenshetti of Dharwad has been selected for the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize, instituted by the Sahitya Akademi on Friday.
This is a literary honour presented by the Sahitya Akademi, recognising outstanding translations of creative and critical works.
Expressing his happiness, Pattenshetti said, “whatever is destined to come will come in its own time...”
“I am happy to have received the award. In fact, I should have received it much earlier. However, I continue to work with the mindset that whatever is meant to come will come in its own time. I have no expectations of rewards,” he said.
He further said, “The award has been given for my work Vidisha Prahasana, which is a translation of Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitram. I have written the songs. The play was directed by theatre artiste Chidambara Rao Jambe and was performed by the students of Rangayana. It was staged twice in Dharwad and once in Bengaluru. For the Bengaluru performance, the roles were played by actors who did not know Kannada, and they were taught the language for the play.”
Pattenshetti so far, has authored 93 books, including original works and translations. “My first translated work was Ashadhada Ondu Dina. I have never written or translated any work unnecessarily,” he said.