For most Kannada readers, K.P. Poornachandra Tejaswi is remembered first through the people and creatures that inhabit his writing. Kiwi, the dog who appears repeatedly in his life and work, Carvalho, the scientist navigating power and forest politics, Mandanna and Kariyappa, figures anchored in the Malnad landscape, and the birds, insects, and animals that Tejaswi wrote about with rare attentiveness.
These familiar presences will form the backbone of this Republic Day’s Lalbagh Flower Show, themed ‘Tejaswi Vismaya’.
Daughters, friends shape exhibition
For the flower exhibition, the Horticulture Department relied on the recollections of those who knew Tejaswi and saw him at work. “His daughters, Sushmitha Tejaswi and Eshanye Tejaswi, were part of these conversations, alongside caricaturist B.G. Gujjarappa, who has long captured Tejaswi’s spirit through line and humour, and Dr. Pradeep Kenjige, an environmental writer who co-authored several science books with Tejaswi and continues to be associated with the K.P. Poornachandra Tejaswi Pratishthana. Friends and acquaintances from the Malnad region, where Tejaswi’s life and imagination were rooted, also shared memories, as did scientists from Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra and the College of Horticulture, Mudigere,” M. Jagadeesh, Additional Director of Horticulture (Parks and Gardens), told The Hindu.
From coffee farms to farmers’ movements
Beyond celebrating Tejaswi’s stature as an acclaimed Kannada writer, the flower show will make a conscious attempt to examine the many lives he led alongside literature. One of the most striking aspects is his role as a farmer and activist. In the early 1970s, small coffee growers in Karnataka were forced to sell their produce through the Coffee Board, which had become increasingly rigid and pro-government. Farmers faced falling prices, delayed payments, and mandatory pooling. Tejaswi refused to submit to this system. “I will sell my crop in the market,” he wrote, and did so, inspiring other growers to challenge the monopoly. His writings and public advocacy helped open Karnataka’s coffee market, a milestone in the State’s agricultural history.
Tejaswi’s concern for farmers extended into the larger agrarian movements of the 1980s, when he collaborated with leaders such as M.D. Nanjundaswamy. He travelled across the State, attending meetings in Malnad towns, giving speeches, and writing critically about policy and rural distress. Even after the formal Raita Sangha waned post-1990, his columns and essays continued to highlight the vulnerabilities of small farmers, particularly in the context of environmental degradation and economic precarity.
Forest, wildlife and ecology
At the same time, the exhibition aims to highlight Tejaswi’s ecological awareness. Sections of the Glass House will display his lifelong resistance to deforestation and his meticulous observations of flora and fauna. Models of birds, insects, and animals, constructed entirely from flowers, will accompany the forested diorama, bringing the Malnad ecosystem to life.
Mantramangalya
Tejaswi’s domestic and ethical life will also find its place in the exhibition. A floral vertical garden pavilion will recreate his and Rajeshwari’s Mantramangalya wedding, one of the earliest to follow Kuvempu’s model of simple weddings. Portraits, photographs, and replicas of the autographed invitations will be on display. The Glass House will also showcase his wooden farm house with 90,000 roses and chrysanthemums used to recreate it, alongside 3D figures of Tejaswi, Rajeshwari, and Kiwi, his dog which made its way into literature.
Technology and writing
A strong focus is placed on his experimentation with technology and knowledge dissemination. Tejaswi contributed to early Kannada computing and software projects, ensuring that the language could enter the digital era. Cartoon-style figures of Tejaswi surrounded by his books, writings, and characters will illustrate his curiosity across science, engineering, and environmental studies.
Statues of Kuvempu, Shivarama Karanth, Rammanohar Lohia, and Rajeshwari Tejaswi will occupy the periphery of the Glass House, highlighting mentors, contemporaries, and companions who shaped his thinking.
Skits and QR code
The Horticulture Department will also stage skits based on Tejaswi’s novels, marking the third time such performances have accompanied the flower show, following earlier productions on Kuvempu and Basavanna. Visitors can also scan a QR code to explore his life and work in detail.
Published – January 13, 2026 11:29 pm IST
