Today is the birthday of the remarkable Kannada writer Poornachandra Tejaswi. Was truly a renaissance man. Besides being a writer he was a naturalist, painter, photographer, social activist etc. Learnt the sitar fm Ut. Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan.

(His painting of the Charmadi)

Much of Tejaswi's work explores the multiple facets of human engagement with the environment and wildlife.

(Arvind Adiga introducing Tejaswi's classic novel Karvalo | an eccentric scientist in pursuit of a flying lizard) https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20121008-aravind-adiga-on-chikmagalur-becoming-a-favourite-tourist-destination-760011-1999-11-30

ಅವಕಾಶ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದರೆ ಕೋಟೆ ಕೊತ್ತಲಗಳ ಹೆಗ್ಗಲ್ಲುಗಳನ್ನೆ
ಬೇರುಗಳಿಂದ ಮೀಟಿ ಉರುಳಿಸಿ ಬೆಳೆದು ನಿಲ್ಲೋ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿದೆ ಕಾಡಿಗೆ

~ Poornachandra Tejaswi in Jugaari Cross, a thriller set in Western Ghats/ can be a very good movie.

(Photo - Ruins of Keladi Nayakas Kavaledurga fort, atop Western Ghats)

English translation of Poornachandra Tejaswi's short story "Tabarana Kathe"

http://academia.edu/6412180/The_Story_of_Tabara

(Girish Kasaravalli directed a national award winning film based on this story. Theodore Bhaskaran picked Tabarana Kathe as one of India's ten best films of all time)

ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ
ಭೂಮಿ
ಹಾಳಗುತ್ತದೆಯೇ ಹೊರತು
ಅದರ ಪಾಲಿಗಲ್ಲ !

~ ಪೂರ್ಣಚ೦ದ್ರ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ -- ಚಿದ೦ಬರ ರಹಸ್ಯ ಕಾದ೦ಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ

One of his rare appearance on TV.

Jayant Kaikini interview Poornachandra Tejaswi for ETV's Namaskara.

ಒಂದು ಸಸ್ಯ ಅವನತಿ
ಹಾದಿ ಹಿಡೀತೂ ಅನ್ನಿ
.
.
.

Poornachandra Tejaswi's bird photographs.

He also wrote a primer of sorts on birds of Karnataka called "Hakki-Pukka"