Veteran writer Ravuri Bharadwaja received the prestigious Gyanpeeth Award. He is now the third Telugu literary figure, after Vishwanadha Satyanarayana and Dr. C Narayana Reddy, to receive the coveted award.
Ravuri received the Central Sahitya Akademy Award in 1983. His popular work, Kaumudi, was translated into Hindi and Gujarati.
Ravuri received the state Sahitya Akademy Award in 1968 and 1983. Andhra University conferred on him the Kala Prapurna title in 1980, and Nagarjuna University honoured him with a doctorate in 1977.
He was born in Mogalthuru of West Godavari district in 1927, and his family then moved to Tadikonda in Guntur district. His works number over 130, and stories, novels, plays, essays, children's stories and scientific books.
Ravuri wrote 11 plays, which include Jeevanadi, Bhanumathi and Atma gatham. He also wrote 33 children's books.
Some of his prominent works in poetry include Naloni Neevu, Antharangini and Oka Kantham.
Ravuri briefly worked with Zameen Rythu weekly in 1946, and in 1948, he moved to Deeabandhu.
He also worked for some film magazines, including Jyothi, Sameeksha, Abhisara and Chitrasema. He joined All India Radio in 1959. (INN)