[1][2] His literary career spans over decades in which he wrote over thirty-four biographies in Kannada language and other works including children's literature.

Gowda was born in a Vokkaliga family [1] on 6 July 1915 in the village called Chakkere in the Channapatna taluk of Ramanagara district in Karnataka state.

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.

In his tenure as VC he started various post graduates courses in Home Sciences, Criminology, Law and Journalism at the university.

While reappointing him as the VC for the second term, the then state governor Mohan Lal Sukhadia requested "please try to remember that when you criticize the government, do so mildly".

[3] He also wished to start an Afro-Dravidian Institute of post graduate studies called "The Kuvempu Vidyavardhaka Trust", which did not happen because of inadequate government funding.

He wrote over thirty-four biographies in Kannada language of eminent personalities like Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, Motilal Nehru, Basaveshwara and more.

[1] On 31 January 2006, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Gowda observed a dawn-to-dusk fast seeking classical language status for Kannada.

[2] In 2014, ex-minister P. G. R. Sindhia requested government to confer upon him the title of poet laureate (Rashtrakavi) for his contributions to the Kannada language.

[1] In a felicitation program organized by Kannada Catholic Christian Association on the occasion, he mentioned that he had been worshipping Jesus Christ for past 25 years along with all the Hindu Gods.