churumuri records with regret the passing away of the Kannada critic and columnist H.S. Krishnaswamy Iyengar in Mysore on Friday. He was 89 years old. A longtime columnist on matters economic with Praja Vani and Sudha, HSK wrote every week in Star of Mysore.
Admirers recall his “discipline, prolific output, and encyclopedic knowledge in the pre-internet/ Google™/ Wikipedia era”. The University of Mysore had decorated itself by honouring HSK with the honoris causa a few years ago.
In many ways, HSK was the typical old-style Mysorean: a full-sleeves shirt buttoned at the wrists but tucked out, simple leather chappals, and for a true man of letters, a residence in Saraswathipuram. Rest in peace.
Photograph: courtesy Datta Peetam
churumuri 
HSK weaved his story on a very wide canvas of life, borrowing from his rich experience, knowledge and his innate attitude to keep learning new topics as he grew older.
After GTN, another ‘pithamaha’ of Mysore Arts has left us.
May his soul rest in peace.
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I was shocked to learn the sad demise of HSK. We will indeed miss his columns in SOM now. Soon after Mysore lost one of its illustrious writer GTN, we now lost one more. This is indeed a sad day.
I am sure we will get to read more comprehensive obituary about HSK soon.
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I was 10 yrs when I started reading his Vaarada Vyakti in ‘Sudha’. I used to think then how does he know about so many personalities! His articles on politics and economy were also lucid and even 15 yrs old could understand to some extent. It is regrettable that while Vijaya Karnataka gave frontpage news of his sad demise, the Prajavani-D.H. for which he was a columnist for decades, did not. The news was tucked away in 3rd or 4th page with a small photograph. May his great soul rest in peace.
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RIP Prof. HSK!
Any idea if he finally recovered his pension from his erstwhile employer(Banumaiah’s College)?
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I remember eagerly waiting for Sudha every week for reading HSK’s column “varada vyakti” RIP HSK
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HSK’s “Varada Vyakthi” was fantastic and it capsuled a man-of-the-moment personality in a unique style! May his soul rest in peace.
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Indeed he was the Google before the google – aptly put churumuri. But surprising all media forgot the column he was writing “Vaarada Vyakthi”. Luckily and thankfully, the readers remember the name. That shows the power of his column and the love the readers had for him.
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HSK was one of the influential columinists of our times who nurtured kannada reading through his columns in Sudha and Prajavani. His columns were informative yet written in simple and easily understandable kannada.
HSK wrote about Economics & Finance which are tough to write in Kannada (with all the complex jargons) and was of same calibre as of Ha.Ma.Na and GTN – the 2 other giant writers from Mysore who wrote columns – extensively for Newspapers and Magazines.
Thumbu Jeevana nadesidha HSK avara atmakke shaanthi sigali.
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I used to enjoy reading his columns Vaaradinda Vaarakke and Vaarada Vyakthi in Sudha. He was treasure house of information both national and international and knew how to present it in a lucid and interesting way.
Churmuri’s caption Google before real Google aptly describes this gentleman.
May his soul rest in peace.
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