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A Poster from Telugu film Tenali Ramakrishna starring NTR and Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Srikrishna Devaraya and Ramakrishna

Tenali Ramakrishna, popularly known as Tenali Rama and also as Vikata Kavi, was a Telugu, a court-poet and court Jester, in the Sixteenth century. He was part of Ashtadiggajas patroned by Sri Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. He is also referred incorrectly as "Tenali Raman" in media.

Biography

His family had originally hailed from Tumuluru near Tenali in Guntur District. He was also known as Tenali Ramalinga, a Shaivite name. It is believed that he later converted to Vaishnavism.

Some scholars dispute whether that he was a contemporary of Krishnadeva Raya. Tenali Ramakrishna's most famous work, Panduranga Mahatyam, is dedicated to Krishnadeva Raya's grandson, and so it is believed that he was only a boy poet during Krishnadevaraya. He was known for wit and prodigious poetry written in the Telugu language.

His works

Scholars treat his famous work Panduranga Mahatyam as the one among the Pancha Kavyas, the five great books of Telugu Literature. He also composed Udbhataradhya Charitram on the story of Udbhata, a monk, as well as Ghatikachala Mahatyam about Ghatikachalam, a place of worship for God Narasimha near Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Style

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).

Awards and Titles

He was called a vikata kavi (a palindrome in Telugu script) means clown-jester-poet.

References

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
Golden age of Telugu Literature
Literary activity in Vijayanagara Empire
Tenali Ramakrishna's entry into Bhuvana Vijayam

External links

Stories of Tenali Ramakrishna Kavi

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 [[Image:tenaliramakrishna.jpg|thumb|300px|A Poster from Telugu film ''Tenali Ramakrishna'' starring NTR and Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Srikrishna Devaraya and Ramakrishna]]
-'''Tenali Ramakrishna''', popularly known as '''Tenali Rama''' and also as '''Vikata Kavi''' ( VI KA TA KA VI ),  was a [[Telugu language|Telugu]], a court-poet and court [[Jester]], in the Sixteenth century.  He was part of  [[Ashtadiggajas]] patroned by [[Krishnadevaraya|Sri Krishnadeva Raya]] of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. He is also referred incorrectly as "Tenali Raman" in media.
+'''Tenali Ramakrishna''', popularly known as '''Tenali Rama''' and also as '''Vikata Kavi''',  was a [[Telugu language|Telugu]], a court-poet and court [[Jester]], in the Sixteenth century.  He was part of  [[Ashtadiggajas]] patroned by [[Krishnadevaraya|Sri Krishnadeva Raya]] of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. He is also referred incorrectly as "Tenali Raman" in media.
 ==Biography==