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Harihara
ಹರಿಹರ
The poet of the Ragale — the master of the Kannada form
Years
c. 12th century
Known as
Harihara — the Kannada poet of the Hoysala age
Birthplace
Halebidu, Karnataka
Field
Poets & Writers
“The ragale, the song of the people — that is the form in which the great tales must be told.”
— The spirit of Harihara
The Story
Harihara flourished in the twelfth century at the court of the Hoysala kings, in the golden age of Kannada literature. He chose to write in the ragale, the flowing verse form of the people, and his mastery of the form made him its supreme artist.
His Girijakalyana, the story of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, is one of the great works of the classical tradition, composed in verse of remarkable beauty and rhythm. He also wrote devotional works, including a celebrated poem on Basaveshwara, one of the earliest lives of the great reformer.
He is honoured as one of the pillars of the classical age of Kannada literature — the master of the ragale whose works are the treasure of the language.
Core Ideas
The Ragale
He raised the people's verse form to classical art.
Girijakalyana
His masterpiece on the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
The Basaveshwara Poem
One of the earliest lives of the great reformer.
The Hoysala Court
A poet of the golden age of the language.
The Pillar
One of the great poets of classical Kannada.
Why it matters today
Harihara is honoured as one of the pillars of the classical age of Kannada literature — the master of the ragale whose Girijakalyana is a treasure of the language. His name stands among the great poets of the Hoysala age, and his works remain part of the foundation of the Kannada tradition.