Sadguru Appayya Swamigalu (not to be mistaken with the 17th century Carnatic Musician and scholar of Tamil Nadu with the same name) was born as Palanganda Appaiah, the son of a Kodava paddy farmer in Kodagu (Coorg) in 1885. Appayya did his schooling in English and Kannada in Central High School, Mercara. Later he joined the Government Service under the Raj. However he was of a religious bend of mind since childhood, and inspired by the lives of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda. He sought a spiritual guru, whom he eventually found in Guru Ramagiri. His Guru then ordained him into Sannyas (monkhood) in 1917. In the monastery, Swamigalu learnt and composed several hymns. Through the path of devotion he attained self-realisation. Over time he became a spiritual teacher with several disciples and was hence given the title of Sadguru. Later he became the founder and head of a monastery in Virajpet known as Kaveri Ashram after the river goddess Kaveri and started in 1941. In 1956, aged 71, he passed away. His work in sustaining Hindu spirituality and culture in Coorg and it's surrounding regions is being carried on by the Kaveri Ashram (also known as Cauvery Ashram [1]) today. At present, there is a school named after him in Somwarpet taluk's Kudige town, Kodagu called Sadguru Appayya Swamy High School [2].
Books:
1. Śrī sadguru appayya vijaya (Kannada) authored by V.S. Rāmakriṣṇa (Śrī Kāvēri Āśrama, 1965) (Google Books: [3])
2. Śrī sadguru appayya svāmijīyavara ātmakathe mattu sandēśa (Kannada) (Śrīkāvēri Bhakta Jana Saṅgha, 1965) (Google Books [4])
1. A disciple of Sadguru Appayya speaks :[5]
2. One among several newspaper articles related to Cauvery/Kaveri Ashram [6]