Torave Ramayana, in Kannada, was written by Kumara Valmiki also known as Narahari. It is believed that Kumara Valmiki and Torave Narahari are the pen names of the author. His real name is believed to be Narahari.
Not much is known about Kumara Valmiki except that Torava is a place in Bijapur district of Karnataka. The poet was a devotee of the Narasimha Temple at the place. The poet belongs to the 14th century CE.
Toraveya Ramayana is the first adoption of entire Valmiki Ramayana in Kannada. It is a voluminous work consisting 112 sections and approximately 5079 verses composed in Bhamini Shatpadi meter.
The intention of the Kumara Valmiki was to depict the greatness of Bhagavan Sri Rama. Through various characters and episodes the poet proves that the incarnation of Sri Rama was meant for the purification of all lives.
Narahari has also written another work called ‘Airvana Kalaga’ which again in an episode from Ramayana composed in four sections (Sandhi) consisting of 296 poems.