Renowned Dalit personality, poet and Telugu writer Prof.Kalakaluri Enoch was conferred with the prestigious Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith for the year 2015.
Bharatiya Jnanpith & Moortidevi Award,
Bharatiya Jnanpith, a research and cultural trust founded in 1944 by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, for publication of Ancient Indian manuscripts in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Apabhramsa, Tamil, Kannada, etc., and for giving impetus to contemporary creative writing in modern Indian languages, decided to present annually an Award of Rupees One lac in the memory of Moortidevi.
- Moortidevi mother of Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, the founder of Bharatiya Jnanpith to a contemplative or intellectual work created by any living author writing in any of the languages enlisted in the VIIIthSchedule of Indian Constitution and English, which underlines and expresses Indian philosophy and cultural heritage based on wider ideals and human values.Presently, the award consists of a Saraswati Statue, a Citation Plaque and Cash Award.
- Its research and publication programme started with the publication of theDhavala A Jain temple at Moodabidri in Karnataka, southern India, had stored for centuries its manuscript of palm-leaves.
- It was a 9th-century commentary in Prakrit and Sanskrit, of a 2nd-century AD work, Satkhandagama, in Prakrit on the Jain doctrine of karma
- The Moortidevi Award is an annual literary award in India presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization for a work which emphasizes Indian philosophy and culture. In
2003, the prize included an amount of Rs.1 lakh (US$1,500), a plaque, a statue of Saraswati, and a shawl. - The cash prize was raised to Rs.2 lakh in the year 2011 and to Rs.4 lakh in the year 2013.
2003, the prize included an amount of Rs.1 lakh (US$1,500), a plaque, a statue of Saraswati, and a shawl.About Kalakurichi Enoch,
Dr Enoch was born on July 1, 1939 in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. He is a former vice-chancellor of SV University. He has been awarded the Padma Shri, fourth highest civilian award of the country for his contributions to the field of literature.
- The prestigious literary award was bestowed upon him for his novel “ Anantajivanam ” by veteran art historian Dr Kapila Vatsyayana function in New Delhi.
- The novel ‘Anantajivanam’ depicts the struggle of a weak, downtrodden and common man from Rayalseema in the face of a cyclone.