The ‘Christian novel’ in Kannada

GN Savanoor’s novel written over a hundred years ago, speaks of the benevolence of Christianity as opposed to the backwardness of Hindu society

August 26, 2020 12:10 am | Updated 12:10 am IST

Hemalathe-Prabhakara , a novel written by G. N. Savanoor in 1904, is Kannada literature’s contribution to the small sub-genre of novels during the early days of the novel in India that could be called the ‘Christian Novel.’ Almost all Indian languages have at least one novel during this period that not only deals with the backwardness of Hindu society and need for social change, but more importantly, talks about equality in Christianity and a life of peace and harmony in a non-hierarchical religion under a benevolent and just god. These novels were mostly written by Hindu writers converted to Christianity and some by foreign missionaries themselves.

21bgfrHemalathaPrabhakara

21bgfrHemalathaPrabhakara

Hemalatha is a young widow who was married to a 65-year old Jagirdar when she was only five years old. The Jagirdar had died within a year of getting married to Hemalatha. Hemalatha is now 14 years old and it is now, nine years later that her family has learnt that her husband had died. She attends the girls’ school and is the most intelligent girl in her class. Hemalatha does not want to live like a widow with a tonsured head, eating once a day, doing rituals at home, and fasting. Her mother, Kashibai, agrees, but does not want her to attend school anymore. Violet Goodwill, known as Goodwill Missy, a missionary and a teacher at the school, also a well-wisher, offers to come home and teach her. Kashibai is not too pleased because Goodwill is considered untouchable as she is a Christian and a foreigner, and as Brahmins they would get polluted, but for the sake of her daughter she accepts.

Hemalatha’s father, Janardhanachari’s main occupation is match-making and his forte is finding pre-pubertal young brides for very old men, who are willing to pay high bride-prices. He is known as ‘maiden merchant’ among the educated class. He is against Hemalatha going to school and learning English, and when he comes to know that Goodwill comes to their house to teach Hemalatha, he is livid and sends Kashibai away to her brother’s town. He also puts an end to Hemalatha’s learning at home.

In the meanwhile, their town is besieged by plague and Janardhanachari dies of the disease and Kashibai comes back to Bangalore. Goodwill helps them to restart their lives and also persuades them to move away from their dark, airless, and unhygienic large house to a better house with natural light and fresh air. Kashibai has now come to accept that education is important for women and resumes Hemalatha’s lessons at home. She too starts learning Kannada and also starts thinking seriously about Hemalatha’s remarriage to an educated young man.

Prabhakara is a progressive and idealistic young man studying for his BA degree in a college in town. He lives in the same neighbourhood as Hemalatha seem to like each other. Prabhakara at that point was not aware that she is a widow. Prabhakara’s mother Yamunabai has orthodox views about women learning to read and write, caste pollution, performing rituals, and superiority of the Brahmin caste. Prabhakara’s father Madhavarao works and lives in Pune. Prabhakara feels strongly about education for women and is appalled at the backwardness of the Hindu community, its caste system, its shocking treatment of women, bride-price, and superstitious beliefs, rituals and practices of his Brahmin caste. He wants to bring in some change and is willing to set an example.

Prabhakara does not believe in idol worship and feels that god is omniscient and one can pray to god in any way, in any language. On his way to Madras to write his BA exams, he meets Rev. Vedamitrayya, a Christian priest, on the train. He discusses his dilemmas with him extensively. When Rev. Vedamitrayya asks him if he would like to convert to Christianity, Prabhakara says that he has no clarity now and he would like to know more about the religion. The priest gifts him a copy of The Bible and asks him to read it thoroughly. He asks him to meet Goodwill, so that he can speak to her about Christianity when he goes back to Bangalore. He meets Goodwill and tells her about his views and desire for change.

Prabhakara gains admission in a law college in Madras to pursue his degree in law. When Kashibai discloses that she is interested in getting Hemalatha remarried, Goodwill thinks of Prabhakara and summons him to Bangalore. Hemalatha and Prabhakara meet each other and with Kashibai’s blessings, they get married in Madras. The wedding itself was a simple ceremony, but officiated by Brahmin priests who had come from Rajahmundry. It is mentioned that an important person from Rajahmundry delivered a talk on widow remarriage in the evening. Remarkably, the entire wedding event is described in one short paragraph. Prabhakara is now shown as a successful lawyer, firm, but kind to poor litigants. Both Hemalatha and Prabhakara continue their liking for Christianity. They have eschewed idol worship and pray to an omniscient god in their own way. Prabhakara has Biblical quotes and pictures of children kneeling down and praying on the walls of his office. As the novel closes, the authorial voice says that Hemalatha and Prabhakara have not yet converted to Christianity due to community and professional anxieties, but have accepted Christianity wholeheartedly, and some day in the future they would accept Jesus as their protector.

The novel contrasts Hinduism and Christianity using a set of strong and vocal characters, but despite Hemalatha’s, Prabhakara’s, and Kashibai’s sharp views about the backwardness of Brahminical practices and beliefs, their anxieties regarding religion and caste do not seem to go away, more so of caste. When Goodwill talks about Prabhakara to Hemalatha and vice-versa, both want to know if the other is a Brahmin; Kashibai even asks if he is a ‘deshasta Brahmin.’ Even when Rev. Vedamitrayya offers him a room to stay in his quarters Prabhakara is hesitant and understanding this, Vedamitrayya offers to talk to his Brahmin neighour and arranges for him to stay there. When Goodwill talks to Prabhakara about Hemalatha, he wonders if she is a Christian convert, and tells himself that he would never marry a Christian girl. Hemalatha’s and Prabhakara’s wedding is conducted by Brahmin priests. They are willing to follow ‘Christian practices,’ as the author seems to suggest through their ‘kneel-down’ prayer postures, praying in their own language without mentioning any god’s name or facing any idol or in a pooja room, or even depicting Biblical themes and quotes on the walls. At some level, the novel suggests that it is difficult to shake off the coils of caste.

Almost nothing is known about G. N. Savanoor. Among the handful of books on Kannada Arunodaya literature, only one book so far, R. Y. Dharawadakar’s Hosagannada Sahityada Udayakala (1975), mentions this novel. Taking into account the author’s name and the Kannada used in the novel, Dharawadakar speculates that Savanoor would probably have had his roots in north Karnataka, but his ancestors could have migrated to the old Mysore province.

There is a lot of letter-writing in the novel by Prabhakara, Goodwill, and Hemalatha, and also letters from readers appreciating a serial-story written by Hemalatha in the newspaper edited by Goodwill, suggesting that literacy was gaining ground in urban areas at least. Hemalatha is seen reading Pandita Ramabai’s Stree Dharma Neeti and Yatrikana Sanchara , the Kannada translation of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress . We also get to see two large cities in India during the early days of the 20th century with their educational institutions, rail and postal systems in place, print media, and other paraphernalia that we acquired during this period of colonial modernity.

Hemalathe-Prabhakara succeeds in portraying a widow remarriage, a simple wedding, a young girl becoming a writer, her older mother learning to read and write, and a successful and intelligent young man setting an example for his community.

(A scanned copy of Hemalathe-Prabhakara is located here https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP673 )

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S. Jayasrinivasa Rao is a literary historian and translator living in Hyderabad. He is a teacher at Aurora’s Technological & Research Institute , Hyderabad. esjeisiri.row@gmail.com

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