The Kannada novel Bayala Beragu by Late Mrs Sumangala S Mummigatti on the life of 12th century Kannadiga, Allama Prabhu, a maverick, a mystic, an enigmatic, an unfathomable, profound thinker, philosopher, debator and poet was honoured by the Karnataka Sahitya Academi Award as the 'Best Novel' for the year 2022.

While the whole of Kannada literary academia for last 6 or 8 decades, except a few scholars in the field, have struggled to figure out what this astounding personality of Allama Prabhu is, he continues to be largely incomprehensible intellectually, philosophically and spiritually. Most of his Vachanas are so figurative, metaphorical, allegorical and cryptic that they seem to be enigmas wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a puzzle, and placed in a baffling maze. Hence, this revolutionary 12th century thinker of Karnataka has hardly seen the light of the day. His unorthodox, original and ultramodern thoughts and work are limited to libraries and research institutes.

To free this enigmatic thinker from these academic limits and bring to light his life and thoughts in a common man's language and genre so that more people can know him, an effort was made through story, and thus, the novel Bayala Beragu came into being in 2022.

Bayala Beragu is a novel on Allama's life, thoughts, journeys, interactions, discussions, debates with varied kinds of saints, gurus, mystics, thinkers, philosophers and the like, not excluding farmers, merchants, travellers, artisans, chieftains, women and so on. The novel can be viewed as a travelogue aswell, starting from Belligavi in central Karnataka to, Kalyana in North Karnataka to Tamil Nadu to West coast to Maharashtra to Gujarat, Kashmir to Himalyas and back to Kalyana, ending in what is believed to be in Kadali Vana of Shrishaila in today's Andhra Pradesh.

The travelogue may also be seen as gathering, intermixing, reshaping, sharpening, of knowledge, experience, thoughts and speculations on highly ethical, moral, spiritual, philosophical, intellectual, mystical to mundane, practical and day to day life events of the traveller in a simple language. Allama is on a journey in search of the wisdom of Bayalu , the astounding experience of Nothingness, which seems to be the pivot of his philosophy.

Born in Balligave in Central Karnataka, Allama's early life is shrouded in mystery. As the legends speak, he was a young drummer in a temple at Banavasi and fell in love with a dancer there. But the relation seems to have not materialised, and hence he abandons the place to meet in the very vicinity of Animisha, his immediate guru and guide.

He comes to know that at Kalyana, the Capital city of Kalachuri Chalukyas in Northern Karnataka, Basavanna, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, was pioneering a democratic socio-religious literary movement of a new kind. The movement encouraged all sections of the society without discrimination of caste, gender, rich or poor or other kinds to participate actively in socio, religious, literary, philosophical or intellectual contributions as an alternative to the the widely rampant Varnashrama System.

It was a grand pool of collective wisdom and practice, termed as Vachana literature and culture, on which the strong foundation of Lingaytism is built. Vachana or Sharana literature and culture was churned out at the Anubhava Mantapa, the Hall of experience and reflections, which was taking a definite shape of an extraordinary, profound and peaceful revolution of an unprecedented kind. That was Basava Kalyana of the 12th century.

The curious and ever-exploring Allama visits Kalyana, meets Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Siddarama, Muktayakka, and other Shivasharanas.His stay here is said to be short as his hunger to explore life was intense. He travels all over India from Tamil Nadu to the North western borders of India, Kashmir, visits Himalyas meets and exchanges his experiences, views, ideas, thoughts of all kinds and returns to Kalyana of Basavanna after around 12 years,enriched with astounding rationalism, critical thought, analytical acumen, clarity of vision, very outspoken, straightforward, crowned with unusual wisdom.

Basavanna was waiting at Kalyana to invite this unique personality. Allama is made the President of the Anubhava Mantapa, the Hall of Experience and Reflections probably the only experiment World over, ever made. It was a democratic social, religious, intellectual, philosophical, literary hub that discussions of all kinds except the political ones were made by men, women, poor, rich, all castes, communities, professions, artisans, farmers, workers and so on. The discussions based on each individual's experiences were formulated into short poems called Vachana literature. which is the Granth Sahib or Bible of Lingayats of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Allama Prabhu lived in Kalyana for some years and presided over the intellectual, spiritual and philosophical movement with the help of Basavanna and others.The novel is not only based on historical and literary sources of later period but more authentically on Vachana literature which is in the form of conversations by Allama Prabhu with Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Akkamahadevi, Siddaramayya, Ambigara Chodayya, Akka Nagamma, Muktayakka, Soole Sankavve, Aydakki Marayya and other Vachana writers.

The storyline in the novel runs along the journey of Allama with meetings, exchanges, discussions, formulation of ideas, views thoughts of all the people that he comes across and the epitome of his philosophical expressions that culminate at Anubhava Mantapa with daily congregations of people of Kalyana and his last journey towards Shrishaila. The whole novel is interlaced with more than 500 Allama's Vachanas to bring authenticity to his meetings, journeys and thoughts followed by simple commentaries and stories to make them comprehensible to common man

The novel also gives a picture of peaceful revolution of 12 th century at Basava Kalyana of Karnataka.

It was a bit surprising to many that Sumangala Mummigatti known as a science writer and broadcaster for the last 30 years, has written a novel on a spiritual personality. True, but Allama Prabhu was not just spiritual or a mystic, he was a free thinker, he was a rationalist, he was a critical analyst, he was a rigorous observer and examiner, which are the essentials of scientific mind and thought. She felt that such an individual calls for a wider introduction, larger audiance and wider publicity. Hence the novel Bayala Beragu took shape.

The novel Bayala Beragu was honoured as the Best novel by the Bengaluru-based literary and cultural organisation , B M Sri Foundation, with its Endowment Award last year. Now the Karnataka Sahitya Academy has come forward to honour it with the Best Novel award. The award ceremony will be held on 24th March 2024 at Ravindra Kalakshetra Bengaluru.

To give a short account of Sumangala S Mummigatti's other works, she has written about 40 books and booklets mostly on Science, Scientists, Environmental conservation, Wildlife conservation, Space exploration, Travelogue, Technological developments, edited science books and contributed science related articles regularly to periodicals and newspapers in Kannada and at times in English.

Her works include Bhuvionde Bhavishyavonde a book on environmental conservation which was honoured with ''Best Science Writer'' award by Karnataka Science and Technology Academy in 2011.

Prithvigeega Parvakaala a book on immediate measures required to contain global warming and climate change was honoured with Best Science Writer award by the Karnataka Women Writers Association in 2015.

Kempu Grihada Hostilalli on Planet Mars was honoured by the Karnataka Women Writers Association with the Bhagya Nanjappa Endowment Award in 2016.

Koneya Aley a Kannada translation of English novel The Last Wave of Pankaj Sheksharia on Andaman Nicobar Islands was honoured with Best Translatation Award by Karnataka Sahitya Parishat in 2017.

Other books include Adbhuta Jeevaavasa Andaman a travelogue with focus on Biodiversity of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Vividha Maadhyamagalalli Vijnyaana Samvahana on science communication in various media platforms.

Adaviya Madilalli on wildlife conservation

Baduku badalisida Vignyana on scientific lifestyle.

Chandrashodhane on Indias work, search and developments on moon.

Namma bhoomi namma parsara on environmental conservation.

Naanu yaaru? on human genome project.

Vanyajevigala ramyaloka on wildlife of Karnataka.

Vignyaana yaana on History of Indian science.

Vignyanamayi on women scientists.

Vartanegondu Artha on human behavior

Sankhya Sampannaru on Mathematicians and mathematics.

Shatamaanada Savaalu on global warming and climate change.

Ondu Binnaha Kelu Manuja collection of articles published in various periodicals.

Havaamaana Vaiparitya on climate emergency.

Ondu Muttina Kathe on pearls.

Soundaryavardhakagalu the risks involved in using cosmetics.

Praanigalu on Animal life.

Sasyagalu on plant life.

Books on life sketches of World scientists.

Sumangala has been on editorial boards of Navakarnataka Publications Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru and Udayabhanu kala, samskritika mattu vignyana sangha, Bengaluru.

Her articles on environmental conservation, climate change, global warming and tradition of Science broadcasts on All India Radio have been incorporated in curricula of Graduate studies by Universities of Mysore, Mangaluru, Kuvempu, Kalburgi, Central Sanskrit University Shimoga and Karnataka University Dharwad.

-Shashikant Mummigatti

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti