Bhakta Kanakadas
A commemorative postage stamp on Haridasa Kanaka Dasa (1509-1609), a saint-poet from Karnataka :
Issued by India
Issued on Dec 26, 1990
Description of Design : The stamp has been designed at the India Security Press, Nashik, based on a photograph supplied by the Govt. of Karnataka. It depicts the Saint-Poet in the fore-ground with the Udupi Temple in the background. FDC and cancellation visuals have been furnished by the Director, Kannada & Culture, Govt. of Karnataka. Cancellation design by Nenu Gupta.
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
Colour : Single Colour
Denomination : 100 Paise
Overall size : 3.34 x 2.88 cms.
Printing size : 2.98 x 2.52 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Paper : Indigenous Un W/M P.G. Coated Gummed Stamp Paper
Number Printed : 6,00,000
Number per issue sheet :35
Printing Process : Photogravure Process
Printed : India Security Press
About :
- Bhakta Kanakadas (1488-1578) was a mystic, saint and singer of Karnataka. The son of Beerappa, a ‘danayaka‘ (army chief) who controlled 78 villages, and Bachamma, he learnt the arts of war and administration. Succeeding his father at the age of seventeen, he made his mark both as chief and as a warrior. But the early death of his wife and a traumatic experience on the battlefield when he was at death’s door changed his life completely. He became a disciple of Sri Vyasaraya and joined the galaxy of the ‘dashakoota‘ or Servants of the Lord, and became one of its brightest stars. He was sometimes humiliated by foolish men because he was a shepherd by his birth; but by the flame-like purity and radiance of his life, he won golden opinions from the truly enlightened like his Master Vyasaraya and Sri Purandaradasa. A born poet, he composed a number of poems ranging from the ornate ‘Mohanatarangini‘ and the immensely popular ‘Nala Charitre’ to the simple lucid and philosophical ‘Haribhaktisara’ and another one ‘Ramadanya Charitre‘. At once a great mystic and a gifted composer, he sang the glory of the Lord and spread the message of Right Living. He was a chieftain who had served the Vijayanagar Empire in the days of its dazzling glory; he saw it crushed and humiliated. He had known pomp and power, but had given them up for a life dedicated to the Lord and to His service. His was a life rich in experience. His teachings reached every heart and every home on the wings of music. A great soul seeking salvation, a wise teacher of mankind, an outspoken mentor of society, a revered mystic and musician, Kanakadas has become the teacher of the learned and the masses. Some of his songs, denouncing caste and embodying the message of Right Conduct, are on everybody’s lips. His life and works shed their effulgence across the centuries, guiding men and women along the path of wisdom and serenity.
- Text Courtesy : Director, Kannada and Culture, Government of Karnataka.
