Narada inspired this poetess

When she was a child, she went to sleep only after her grandfather sang Dasara Padagalu. On days or rather nights when he did not sing, the child refused to sleep and cried till her grandfather relented and sang her to sleep.

Married when still young, she lost her husband and like the widows of her age, she tonsured her life and readied herself to live a life of strict widowhood. She was just eleven when she was married off to Muniyappa, thrice widowed native of Harapanahalli. The couple had a son and daughter. She lost Muniyappa when she was 36.  It was during this time of difficult times that her interest in Dasara Padagalu helped her build up her life.

Since she was Madhwa, leading a normal life after becoming a widow was all the more tough.

She slowly began taking interest in Dasara Padagalu. She also began singing them. Soon, she spent most of her time in reading  various Madhwa scriptures and singing Devara namas. Indeed, she became so involved with religion and philosophy, that even in her dreams she was constantly focused on Hari.

When she sang, she lost herself  in the world of Hari. She then began composing her own songs and sang them with the rest of the Dasara Padagalu. One day, when she was deeply immersed in singing the praise of Hari, the saint of  Heaven, Narada muni, came to her in the guise of a Brahmin holding tamboori in his hand. He then gave her the Ankita “Bhimesh Krishna.” This soon transformed the woman and she subsequently came to be known as one of the foremost Haridasa composers of her times. She is none other than Harapanahalli Bheemavva (1822-1902).

 She began composing under the new Ankita Nama, Bhimesh Krishna. Legend has it that she wrote down whatever she saw in her sleep. Thus, her dreams played a major role in writing Kritis and Devara Namas.

She regularly visited Bomagatti Pranadevaru and composed many songs on him and on Mahalakshmi. She also has many compositions on Krishna and his childhood. She visited Mantralaya, Udupi, Sonde and composed songs on Udupi Krishna, Raghavendra Swamy and Vadiraja. She composed more than 200 Devara Namas.

Mangalarathi Thandu Belagire, the Mangalarthi song of Lakshmi is written by Bheemavva as is the popular Gajamukhane Ganapathiae.

Her Harathi Hadagalu are even popular today among the womenfolk.

Bheemavva was born in Narayanakere village of Hospet talyuk of Bellary district. She died at Hosur which is located on the Tungabhadra in December 1902.