Javare Gowda  Deve Gowda Javare Gowda (6 July 1915 – 30 May 2016) was an Indian Kannada author, also known as De Ja Gou or simply Javare Gowda. He was disciple of authors T.N. Srikantaiah and Kuvempu. His literary career spans over decades in which he wrote over thirty-four biographies in Kannada language and other works including children's literature. He campaigned for the promotion of Kannada language. He had received Pampa Prashasti (1998), Padma Shri (2001) and the Karnataka Ratna (2008) awards for his contributions in literature and education. He became a centenarian in 2015 and died on 30 May 2016. Gowda was born on 6 July 1915 in the village called Chakkere in the Channapatna taluk of Ramanagara district in Karnataka state. He was born in a poor family and had three siblings. As his parents could not afford to educate all, only his eldest brother went to school and Gowda would graze goats. Having passion for education, Gowda would let go goats on their own and instead come and listen to teachers from outside near a school window. He recollects that on one such day when the goats entered a wealthy landlord's farm and destroyed the crop, his father beat him and the school principal then rescued him and admitted him in third standard, also providing him with uniform and books. Gowda later went on to study in Bangalore for intermediate classes and completed his BA in Mysore. He wanted to do his BA with History as his major subject but opted for Kannada when he came to know that notable author Kuvempu would be teaching it. Gowda had admired Kuvempu's works long before getting associated with him as his student. After completing BA in 1941, he went on to do post graduates MA in Kannada. With little scope of getting a lectureship in any college, he took up a clerical job at the Secretariat in Vidhan Soudha at Bangalore. He concurrently studied law but did not pursue it as career when he got post of Kannada lecturer at the Central College, Bangalore. After three years, he went on to teach at Maharaja's College, Mysore. Here, he again was associated with Kuvempu and later credited him for his "academic and spiritual enrichment". Gowda served as the Vice Chancellor of Mysore University from 1969 to 1975 for consecutive two terms.