Poornachandra Tejaswi

Tejaswi was born on 8 September 1938 in Kuppali in Shimoga district of Karnataka. Although he was the son of "Raashtrakavi" Kuvempu, he came out of his father's shadow and established his own image at an early age. Tejaswi received best story award in the competition held by Prajavani Kannada newspaper on the occasion of Deepavali, for his first short story "Linga Banda", a look at the rainy Western Ghats from the eye of a boy. After completion of his education from Maharaja College of Mysore, one among the top colleges in India, due to his interests in nature and farming, he moved to Mudigere taluk of Chikmagalur District after buying a coffee estate. Apart from literature he was actively involved in painting, photography and philosophy.

He was a keen learner of nature and his favourite pastime was to roam around in the forests of western ghats.

Tejaswi has written in almost all forms of literature including poems, short stories, novels, travel literature, plays and science fiction. Nature and incidents related to nature enjoy major roles in most of his works. One of the most popular writers in Kannada, Tejaswi's works have continued to remain popular, going into multiple prints and often topping reader's charts.[3] Karvalo is one such novel where the author participates in an adventure of discovering a flying lizard in the dense forests of Western Ghats.

Tejaswi has translated a number of English books to Kannada enriching the depth of Kannada literature. His famous translations include the series on Kenneth Anderson's hunting expeditions and Henri Charrière's Papillon.

Tejaswi wrote his first novel, Kaadu Mattu Kraurya, when he was a 24-year-old in 1962. The novel is expected to be in print for the first time towards the end of 2012. He had initially planned to name this work Nalini but later decided to go by its present title. Tejaswi was inspired to write the novel after visiting his wife Rajeshwari's maternal home in the forested Malnad region of Karnataka. The novel, whose manuscript was prepared by Rajeshwari, is the story of Linga, a migrant bonded labourer from north Karnataka who moves to a remote Malnad village where he struggles to cope with his new life and surroundings.[3]

• Sahitya Academy Award for "Chidambara Rahasya" (1987)
• Karnataka Sahitya Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement (1985)
• Pampa Award (2001)
• Rajyotsava Award
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Karvalo"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Chidambara Rahasya"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Alemariya Andaman Mattu Mahanadi Nile"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Parisarada Kathe"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Kaadina Kathegalu"
• Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for "Vismaya" along with Pradeep Kenjige
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story 1986-87 for "Tabarana Kathe"
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Dialogue 1986-87 for "Tabarana Kathe"
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story 1989-90 for "Kubi mattu Iyala"

• Nanna Tejaswi/ನನ್ನ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ by Rajeshwari Tejaswi
• Poornachandra Tejaswi Baduku Baraha/ಪೂರ್ಣಚಂದ್ರ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಬದುಕು ಬರಹ by Karigowda Beechanahalli
• Poornachandra Tejaswi Avara Sahitya Vachike/ಪೂರ್ಣಚಂದ್ರ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಅವರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ವಾಚಿಕೆ by Karigowda Beechanahalli
• K.P.Poornachandra Tejaswi/ಕೆ.ಪಿ.ಪೂರ್ಣಚಂದ್ರ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ by Maheshwaraiah
• Kaadina Santa Tejaswi/ಕಾಡಿನ ಸಂತ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ by Dhananjaya Jeevala

• Tejaswi heralded a new wave, when he (with like-minded friends) compiled Kuvempu's Sri Ramayana Darshanam in Kuvempu's handwriting. The Government of Karnataka aided the effort with grants, but the cost of the book was high and ended up with mediocre success.
• A controversy started in early 2004 demanding inducting Madhwacharya's name in Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, written by Kuvempu. Tejaswi, as son of Kuvempu and holder of copyrights of Kuvempu's articles, strongly criticised any attempts to change the poem.
• While some intellectuals condemned the daubing incident of Belgaum Mayor Vijay More's face with black paint on 11 November 2005, Tejaswi rhetorically asked if More deserved Fair & Lovely instead.
• Tejaswi had a great appetite and was known for his fondness for good food.

He died of cardiac arrest at his farm house Niruttara, Mudigere in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka state, on 5 April 2007 approximately at 2.00 p.m.[1] He was 69 at the time. He has 2 daughters Susmitha and Eshanye who are software professionals. His wife Rajeshwari stays in Niruttara,Mudigere.

• Poornachandra Tejaswi's, "Annana Nenapu/ಅಣ್ಣನ ನೆನಪು" although not an autobiography, extensively narrates his childhood and early life.
• "Nanna Tejaswi /ನನ್ನ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ" is a memoir written by Poornachandra Tejaswi's wife, Rajeshwari, that documents the years they spent together.[3]
• "Kaadina Santa Tejaswi /ಕಾಡಿನ ಸಂತ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ" by Dhananjay Jeevala.
• Tejaswi Badukiddare by Keerthi Kolgar

• Kannada
• Kannada literature

• TEJASWI VISMAYA – To Realize Poornachandra Tejaswi's Life – Literature – Thoughts
• Poornachandra Tejaswi on IMDb
• Pampa Award to Tejaswi in 2001