Hyderabad, Apr 17: "I'm feeling like having been blessed with a healthy son after remaining childless for a decade. I am at loss of words," said Telugu writer Ravuri Bharadwaja today on being selected for prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2012.
"I am very happy. I am feeling like having been blessed with a healthy son after remaining childless for a decade. I am at loss of words," the 86-year-told writer told PTIhere.
Bharadwaja, who had humble beginnings, recalled his struggles in life. "I struggled for food and clothing. I never asked for awards. Of course, I am happy for getting this award."
The news of Bharadwaja being selected for the highest literary honour in the country brought immense joy to lovers of Telugu language as the prestigious award came to a Telugu writer after a gap of 25 years.
Viswanatha Satyanarayana, popularly known as 'Kavi Samrat', was the first Telugu litterateur to get the Jnanpith Award in 1970.
Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, who had deep interest in literature and was known for his mastery over several Indian and foreign languages, had translated Satyanarayana's novel Veyi Padagalu into Hindi. Writer C Narayana Reddy bagged the award in 1988.
Bharadwaja, who has to his credit more than 37 volumes of short stories and 17 novels among other works, was chosen for the award by a selection board chaired by noted poet Sitakant Mahapatra.
