Gamaka Vidwan M S Ananthapadmanabha Rao (6 September 1903 – 29 November 1987) was an Indian Kannada-language poet, writer, and gamaki.
He was the author of the magnum opus Karnata Bharatha Kathamanjari containing the last eight parvas of the Kannada translation of the Mahabharatha that Kumaravyasa had left unfinished.
Ananthapadmanabha Rao, drew the attention and appreciation of DVG, who inspired him to become a lifetime member of Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
DVG handed over the left over funds of the conference and suggested Ananthapadmanabha Rao to establish a Kannada Sangha at Coorg.
[4] Ananthapadmanabha Rao was also selected as the member of Kannada Sahitya Parishat's working committee and became the representative of the Coorg State.
In the name of this festival, many stalwarts of Kannada literature like BM Shri, TP Kailasam, GP Rajaratnam, AaNaKru, TaRaSu, Ta Su Shyama Rao, Shamba Joshi, Da Ra Bendre, Kuvempu, Shivarama Karanth, M Govinda Pai, and many more visited Coorg.
Ananthapadmanabha Rao also invested his time in organising many other literary programmes like the Navaratri Utsava at the Madikeri Vedanta Sangha and Shrimadaanjaneya Temple, Ramotsava Literature festival and so on.
Ananthapadmanabha was later appointed as the Secretary of the Coorg wing of Sangeetha Nataka Academy[4] People from different walks of life attended the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (Literature Conference) held in 1932.
On the occasion of Bendre's 50th birthday, he invited Ananthapadmanabha Rao to his house to perform Kavya Vachana and encouraged him.
[5] In the year 2000, Madikeri Nagendra released "Yatiwara Banda Raghavendra" music album consisting of songs composed by Ananthapadmanabha Rao under his direction.