2022 - Kavi Muddana | Commemorative Coin

The first commemorative coin for the year 2022 was released to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Kavi Muddana on his 152nd Birth Anniversary.

Nandalike Lakshminaranappa, known by his pseudonym Muddana (In Kannada:ಮುದ್ದಣ), was a Kannada writer and a Yakshagana poet. He was also known as "Mahakavi" (Great Poet) or "Mahakavi Muddana". His best known works include Ratnavati Kalyaana (Yakshagana), Sri Rama Pattaabhisheka, Adbhuta Ramayana and Sri Ramashwamedha. He coined the word Kannadam Kasthuriyanthe, where he heartily compares his beloved language Kannada to Kasthuri.

Lakshminaranappa was born on 24th January 1870 in Nandalike in Karkala taluk in Karnataka, India. His father was Pathaali Timmappaiah and mother Mahalakshmamma. His physical attractiveness earned him the nickname Muddana, which comes from Muddu (cute) in the Kannada language. Suffering poverty and poor health, Muddana died at the age of 31 on 15th February 1901. His literary works have been used extensively in Kannada literary educational books. 

Muddana Jayanti ("Muddana Birth Anniversary") is celebrated every year in Muddana's birthplace of Nandalike in Karnataka. In 1979, under the leadership of Nandalike Balachandra Rao, a cultural board Kavi Muddana Smaraka Mitra Mandali was formed as a memorial for Muddana. Also, Muddana Memorial building (Kavi Muddana Smaraka Bhavana) was constructed in 1987. In November 2017, a commemorative stamp featuring Kavi Muddana was issued by the India Postal Department.

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