Live floral installations at the 219th Lalbagh Flower Show themed ‘Tejaswi Vismaya’, celebrating Kannada writer KP Poornachandra Tejaswi, at the Glass House in Bengaluru on Wednesday. | Photo credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Renowned Kannada writer and thinker KP Poornachandra Tejaswi’s deep association with literature, nature and the landscape of Malnad became the focal point of Lalbagh’s Republic Day Flower Show themed ‘Tejaswi Vismaya’.
The flower exhibition, which runs until January 26, brings to light the environment he cherished and many aspects of his life.
Life and work
Inside and around the Glass House, exhibits trace the different phases of Tejaswi’s life, including his childhood, education and personal influences. Excerpts from a letter he wrote to his father Kuvempu, a towering Kannada literary figure, are on display. There is also information about his mentors and ideological influences, including his contemporaries, Shivaram Karanth and Ram Manohar Lohia, and his parents. His writings on environmental degradation and conservation form the central theme of the exhibition, which features several of his books.
Outside the Glass House, a heart-shaped horticultural installation and bee sculptures near Tejaswi’s statue symbolize his environmental interests. Opposite the Glass House near the hill representing his home in the Malnad region was a large installation of a red rose elephant accompanied by a tortoise.
GI crops
The exhibition also includes a special display of GI-marked Karnataka crops, rare and exotic fruit plants and an insect display with butterflies, honey bees and beetles, organized by the KP Poornachandra Tejaswi Foundation.
This year’s theme attracted a large number of visitors, many of whom told The Hindu that the exhibition reminded them of the books they treasured. Rashmi M., a student who visited the exhibition with her friends, said the arrangement was designed to clearly convey Poornachandra Tejaswi’s legacy. A European couple who also visited the exhibition praised the overall management of the event.
The flower exhibition recorded a total attendance of 39,790 visitors on January 16. This included 15,590 adults, 4,750 children and 18,960 students. Ticket sales on the day were ₹6,78,560.
Published – 16 Jan 2026 22:10 IST
