- Tenali Ramakrishna
Garlapati Tenali Ramakrishna ( _te. తెనాలి రామకృష్ణుడు), popularly known as Tenali Rama and Vikata Kavi, was a court-
poet of theVijayanagara Empire in the16th century CE. He one of the "Ashtadiggajas " who were patrons ofKrishnadeva Raya and is also referred to as "Tenali Raman" in some parts ofSouthern India .Biography
His family had originally hailed from Tumuluru near
Tenali inGuntur District . He was also known as "Tenali Ramalinga", a Shaiva name. It is believed that he later converted toVaishnavism . Some scholars dispute whether that he was a contemporary ofKrishnadeva Raya . Tenali Ramakrishna's most famous work, "Panduranga Mahatyam ", is dedicated toKrishnadeva Raya 's grandson; it is therefore possible that he was only a boy poet during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529). He was known for wit and a large volume of poetry written in theTelugu language .His story was made into a cartoon called "The Adventures of Tenali Raman" by the
Cartoon Network (India) in 2003. [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/06/20/stories/2003062001610200.htm The Hindu Online | Adventures of Tenali Raman] Article dated June 20, 2003 by Savitha Gautam, accessed on October 20, 2008]His works
Scholars treat his famous work "Panduranga Mahatyam" as one among the
Pancha Kavyas , the five great books of Telugu Literature. He has dedicated "Panduranga Mahatyam" to Viruri Vedadri. [ [http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Books/11/Telugu/Poetry/6%20Susarmopakyanamu.pdf] ] This book is about the Pundarika Shetram on the banks of river Bhaimi and its legend. He also composed "Udbhataradhya Charitram" on the story of Udbhata, a monk, as well as "Ghatikachala Mahatyam" aboutGhatikachala m, a place of worship for GodNarasimha nearVellore ,Tamil Nadu ,India .tyle
He followed the Prabhanda style. He took the theme for "Panduranga Mahatyam" from the
Skanda Purana and enhanced it with many stories about the devotees of God Vittala.He is noted for brilliance and wit and for mocking other poets and great personalities. He created a celebrated character called "Nigama Sarma akka"(sister of Nigama Sarma) and a story around her without giving her a name. He also had written many "Chatuvu"(extempore poems).
Titles
* He was called a vikata kavi (a
palindrome inTelugu script ) means clown-jester-poet.
* Kumara Bharathi [ [http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Books/11/Telugu/Poetry/6%20Susarmopakyanamu.pdf] ]References
External links
* [http://www.inca.engr.mun.ca/~adluri/telugu/classical/prabandha/tenali/tenali1.html Tenali Ramakrishna]
* K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002) ISBN 0-19-560686-8
* [http://www.tlca.com/youth/golden-age.html Golden age of Telugu Literature]
* [http://www.ourkarnataka.com/states/history/historyofkarnataka47.htm Literary activity in Vijayanagara Empire]
* [http://www.samasya.com/kids/stories/ramakrishna/index.html Tenali Ramakrishna's entry into Bhuvana Vijayam]External links
* [http://TenaliRamalinga.com/ Original Tenali Ramakrishna Kavi Stories translated from Telugu]
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