Daatu

{{short description|1973 Kannada-language novel by S L Bhyrappa}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox book

| name = Daatu

| title_orig =

| translator =

| image = SL-Bhyrappa-Daatu.jpg

| image_size = 270px

| caption = Cover photo of 2017-18 publication of novel ′Daatu′

| author = S L Bhyrappa

| illustrator =

| cover_artist = Chandranath Acharya

| country = India

| language = Kannada

| series =

| subject =

| genre = Indian Caste System

| publisher = Sahitya Bhandara, Bangalore

| pub_date = 1973

| english_pub_date =

| media_type = Print (Hardcover)

| pages = 412

| isbn = 9788126021550

| oclc = 1010505848

| preceded_by = Grahana

| followed_by = Anveshana

| website = [http://slbhyrappa.in/daatu-the-crossing-over/ Official website]

}}

Daatu (meaning: cross) is a novel by Kannada writer S L Bhyrappa for which he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 1975.{{cite web |url=http://www.sahitya-akademi.org/sahitya-akademi/awa10307.htm#kannada |title=Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955–2005 |work=Online Webpage of Sahitya Academy |publisher=Sahitya Academy of India |accessdate=23 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211010650/http://www.sahitya-akademi.org/sahitya-akademi/awa10307.htm#kannada |archivedate=11 December 2007 }} The Book has story which goes through the complex caste system that is deep rooted into Indian society demonstrated through the characters. This book has been translated to 14 major Indian Languages.{{cite web|title=datu|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13706919-daatu}} The novel name indicated the crossing over the boundaries of castes and colors.{{cite web|url=http://booksrevisit.blogspot.in/2014/09/DaatuKannadaNovelReview.html|title=Daatu by Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa |date=3 September 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://nitinkidiyoor.blogspot.in/2009/08/daatu-review.html|title=Daatu and Indian secularism|date=6 August 2009 }}

The novel was translated into Gujarati by Jaya Mehta, published in 1992.{{cite book|last=Rao|first=D. S.|title=Five Decades: The National Academy of Letters, India : a Short History of Sahitya Akademi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8JDsBBDoMccC&pg=PA48|year=2004|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-260-2060-7|page=48}}