AP Heritage

A N D H R A

P R A D E S H

‘a great synthesis’

RINL

... a pictorial presentation by

Pride of Steel

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

a gift

from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

“If Indians would make steel, Britishers would eat it” said derisively the British steel manufacturers to Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata when he approached them a hundred and twenty years ago for help in setting up the steel industry in India. J.N.Tata was disappointed but not disheartened when his request was mockingly turned down in Britain. It was Tata’s good fortune that when he was sailing for the United States in pursuit of his objective, Swami Vivekananda also on board of that ship, blessed Tata with words of wisdom and encouragement. What followed later is history as movingly narrated by Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam in his book Indomitable Spirit. No one, for that matter no big country, at that time would have imagined that a hundred years later India would make world class steel, not for human consumption but for industrial development, and that Indian experts and industry would be global players in the manufacture of steel.

Forty five years ago an agitation launched locally, for a steel plant in Visakhapatnam grew into a statewide movement with the slogan Visakha Ukku Andhrula hakku - “Visakha Steel is Andhras’ right.” The fulfillment of the Andhra demand for a steel plant began with the laying of the foundation stone in 1971 by Smt Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister. Twenty years later another Prime Minister Shri P.V.Narasimha Rao came here in August 1991, dedicated the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant to the nation and unveiled the statue of the venerable Shri Tenneti Viswanatham, called the ‘father of the Steel Plant’, for his magnificent role in pursuing the project from the beginning when the idea was conceived and agitation launched in the mid sixties till its fruition in 1981.

Thanks to the hard work and zeal of its 17000 employees and the able stewardship of the management the progress of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has been steady except for a short period of slump and despair. VSP’s recovery from that difficult period bears testimony to the capabilities and commitment of its employees. The emergence of the VSP as a leading steel manufacturing industry in India, capable of creating new records in the years ahead, is among the best things happening in the state and the country. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh launched the second phase of the expansion project of VSP in 2006.

In consonance with its avowed objectives the VSP has been playing a major role in India’s industrial development. After wiping out losses accumulated over the years it has been breaking records in production output and profit-making. At the same time it has been contributing liberally to welfare programmes for the benefit of the poor and the disadvantaged sections of the society, not just under Corporate Social Responsibility but as a purposeful and creative exercise for the enrichment of cultural life, social well- being and human happiness in general. The VSP has, in a short time, carved a niche for itself in the hearts of the people all over and it is no exaggeration to say that VSP is now the pride of Andhra

Pradesh. It is indeed an honour to have been invited by the Chairman cum Managing Director of VSP Shri P.K.Bishnoi, and the Executive Director(CAS) Shri MVR Sarma to write a coffee-table book, a pictorial profile of Andhra Pradesh focusing on the culture of the people. A challenging task indeed! For it is neither easy to describe the myriad features of the huge state of Andhra Pradesh nor delineate its cultural ethos.

Still an attempt is made to encapsulate the vibrancy of the culture of the people and draw a portrait of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Nani Palkhivala once said that though illiteracy is a handicap, cultural illiteracy is really dangerous. And culture cannot be understood if it is restricted to a study of a place, a period or a people. It transcends time and space. Knowledge, especially today, may be power or even wealth.

But culture is a shock absorber and a harmoniser. It brings people together, irrespective of caste, creed and language, and motivates them to pursue human values so crucial for the world of today. It is, therefore, laudable that the VSP management has chosen to bring out a coffeetable book on Andhra Pradesh. The work is neither a comprehensive presentation of the history and culture of the people of Andhra Pradesh nor a critical evaluation of the various crafts, arts and professions. A profile portrays only the contours of a place or person or people, seldom a picture of it in its totality. It is, therefore, not a comprehensive or exhaustive study of the subject. If this modest work, however, kindles the interest of the reader in the state and its seventysix million people and enables them to get a look at the landscape natural, social and cultural of the splendorous state of Andhra Pradesh, it will indeed be a reward for the effort made during the last several months. This work is largely based on pictures of places and people taken with imagination and skill by Mr M.A. Srinivasa Rao and Mr V.V.Rama Raju, AFIP, LIIPC of VSP and veteran local photographer Mr K.Bhaskara Rao. Valuable material drawn from many sources has been used in preparing the script of the work with acknowledgements of the sources. The task of doing the work, which at times appeared daunting, has been made easier by the cheerful cooperation of the VSP management, particularly by the Public Relations chief Dr. V. Phaneendrudu, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications, Shri B.S. Satyendra, Assistant General Manager, Corporate Communications and their assistants. I alone am responsible for any shortcomings or errors that might have crept into the book.

- A. Prasanna Kumar Director, Centre for Policy Studies (Former Rector, Andhra University)

RINL

Pride of Steel

CMD's message Andhra Pradesh has always fascinated me for its enchanting scenic beauty, serene environment, rich cultural heritage, intellectual people and hard working artisans and craftsmen have further enriched it.

I was really delighted to join Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, as it gave me a feeling of associating with the great State that has immensely contributed socially, culturally and economically to the development of our Nation.

After staying in Visakhapatnam for five years and having known more personally about the arts and crafts and tourist attractions with scenic beauty in and around Visakhapatnam Steel Plant I thought we should do some thing more than being a 'mere spectator'.

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has a 'Corporate Social Responsibility' Policy, which includes 'Socio-economic, environmental and cultural up-liftment activities.

I thought one way of giving some thing back to the people of Andhra Pradesh, as a token of appreciation is to produce this pictorial book to spread the message near and wide.

The focus of the book is on 'fascinating landscape, arts and crafts and the rich cultural heritage and chiefly on the people who shaped the destiny as well.

I would like to thank Professor A Prasanna Kumar, an eminent Professor and scholar and a person who has vast knowledge about these aspects for having accepted our request to prepare this 'Coffee Table Book'.

I appreciate the efforts put in by Dr V Phaneendrudu, DGM and Sri BS Satyendra, AGM of our Corporate Communications department for the content management and associating in editing at all stages in bringing out a contemporary outlook.

My special thanks go to Sri VV Ramaraju and MA Srinivas, our Photographers, who had through their keen eye captured the insights of the lives of people and places of Andhra Pradesh I do hope that this humble tribute of RINL-VSP to the 'People of Andhra Pradesh' will be cherished and remembered. We would be presenting this book to some libraries so that people can enjoy it.

We also wish to present this 'Coffee Table Book' to dignitaries in India and abroad to our Embassies, Missions to spread the charm of Andhra Pradesh.

RASHTRIYA ISPAT NIGAM LIMITED

P.K.Bishnoi

VISAKHAPATNAM STEEL PLANT

Say it with flowers

a girl with roses in kadiyam, east godavari

tribal women of araku

...to those in need of care and shelter

ANDHRA PRADESH - a great synthesiss -

Contents A Gift from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant CMD’s Message

ANDHRA PRADESH

- Land and People - History - Culture

TELUGU TALLI LITERATURE

- Language - Devotion

GLORY OF GOLCONDA GRANDEUR OF VIJAYANAGAR NATURAL SPLENDOUR

SITES MONUMENTS HERITAGE

- Festivals and Fairs - Crafts and Arts - Dance and Culture

REVOLUTIONS

- Revolutions through construction - The Modern IT Revolution

PATH FINDERS HYDERABAD... the Dream City VISAKHAPATNAM... the City of Destiny

the

great

synthesis

A N D H R A

P R A D E S H

“ Andhra Desa has been the laboratory of Indian national evolution, where the synthesis between the Aryan and the Dravidian culture was worked out through many centuries. That Sayana’s great commentary of the Vedas should have been produced here is no accident. The integration of Northern and Southern thought, which that commentary signifies, is the result of the great synthesis.

Historically this tradition has been a living factor, and it has continued to mould the life and thought of the Andhras. Their contribution to the culture of India in its most comprehensive sense has been unique... what has appeared to me to be the true significance of the Andhra spirit, the spirit of synthesis. Geography and history have both contributed to it.”

- Sardar K.M.Panikkar

a

fusion of

cultures

Land and People Situated in the Deccan plateau, a region ‘eminently suitable for the fusion of the two cultures’, a ‘creative synthesis between north and south’ Andhra Pradesh is the fourth largest state in population and fifth in area in India with over 80 million inhabiting an area of 275,069 sq km. Bound by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the north, Orissa and Chattisgarh in the north east, Karnataka in the west and Tamil Nadu in the south, the state of Andhra Pradesh nestles, though not entirely, between the Eastern ghats stretching over a distance of 1,750 km and the 960 km long coastline— natural sentinels of freedom and security, the silent hill-range and the roaring and restless sea, the former standing for permanence and tradition and the latter representing change and the spirit of adventure. India’s largest maritime state also called the riverine land, has 34 major and minor rivers and hill streams with the Godavari traversing 1450km of the state’s area being the longest river in south India and the Krishna, the second longest, covering just 150 km less than the former. Forests cover 63,815 km of the state’s area. Four national parks and twenty wildlife sanctuaries showcase the state’s flora and fauna. The sea on one side, the chain of hills on the other, the magnificent rivers in between and the vast expanse of lush green fields that mark the landscape are visible symbols of the natural splendour and wealth of Andhra Pradesh.

No less expressive are the numerous monuments and sites of ancient glory, lying generally hidden to the naked eye because of centuries of neglect and poor maintenance, stretching across the length and breadth of the state, from Salihundam and Mukhalingam in the north to Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda of Guntur district to Karimnagar and Adilabad in Telengana and Kurnool in Rayalaseema. If Ashoka is hailed as the great emperor who sent emissaries of peace to the outside world in 3rd century BC, Nagarjuna, the greatest of Buddhist philosophers of ancient India who lived in the 2nd century A.D. on Sriparvata, was Andhra’s most precious gift to humankind. Centres of learning such as Dharanikota attracted students and scholars from far and near.

H I S T O R Y

Centuries before the advent of Christ, the Andhras rose to be a great civilized power in the Deccan and started schools of science and learning.

- R.C.Dutt

”

Though the earliest reference to Andhra seems to be in the Aitareya Brahmana of 600BC and in some Buddhist texts of 500BC the history of Andhras begins with the Satavahanas from about 3rd or 1st century BC. Gautamiputra Satakarni was the greatest of the Satavahana rulers who dominated over the region stretching “ from sea to sea, girdling, the Deccan, from Ujjain in Central India to Kanchi in the far south and Mysore in the south west.” Despite their Vedic leanings the Satavahanas were great patrons of Buddhism. The Ikshvaku rulers continued the Satavahana legacy. Telugu language came to be extensively used during the rule of the Renati Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas and under the patronage of Rajaraja Narendra, Nannaya’s two Parvas and a half of the Mahabharata, the first Telugu literary work, were composed in the 11th century AD. Tikkana in the 13th century continued Nannaya’s work which was ultimately completed by Errapragada in the 14th century. In the medieval period of six hundred years, between 1000-1600 AD, the Kakatiyas, Reddis and Vijayanagar kings ruled over either the whole of Andhra Pradesh or parts of it. Krishnadevaraya, the most famous emperor, besides being a great warrior-king was a patron of arts and letters, himself being the author of some classics. The Qutb Shahis of Golconda (1510-1687) ruled over almost the entire area of the present Andhra Pradesh. During their rule, trade and commerce flourished with a rapid increase in exports and imports and manufacture of goods and commodities. Aurangzeb ended their rule and established Mughal authority over Andhra in 1687. The 18th century marked by ‘upheavals and trauma across the Deccan’ witnessed the entry of the western powers marked by the bitter Anglo-French rivalry.

Hyderabad ceased to be the capital of the Deccan when Aurangzeb shifted the seat of the Mughal headquarters to Aurangabad. The eighty years of eclipse for Hyderabad ended with the Asaf Jahi dynasty wresting power from the declining Mughal rulers. Nizam Ali Khan who ascended the throne in 1762 made Hyderabad again the capital of the region. The Nizam ceded northern Circars of the Andhra region to the British who ruled over Andhra and Rayalaseema districts under the Madras Presidency while the Telugu speaking Telengana region was under the Nizam of Hyderabad which became a separate state in 1948 following ‘police action’ for its liberation. A separate state of Andhra came into being on October 1,1953. Three years later the two were merged and on November 1,1956 the State of Andhra Pradesh came into being.

”

“Standing midway between the North and the South, the culture of the Andhra country was a natural confluence of all streams. Its history, from the time the Andhras first made their appearance on the stage to the end of the Vijayanagar Empire, was a continuous effort towards synthesis. The spirit of exclusion was never there, and this is indeed a point of utmost importance to all of us today.”

- Sardar K.M. Panikkar

C U L T U R E

Praise or protest devotion or dissent ancient monuments or modern industry, natural splendour and human creativity all embody the quintessence the fusion of cultures of this fascinating land and people

The evolution of a composite culture, assimilating the indigenous and outside cultures, is a notable feature of Andhra history. Assimilation and expansion occurred simultaneously and the “expansion, as is usual with every race of people, must have been along the banks of the rivers first” as these offered “easy means of communication and comfortable livelihood.

These lines of communication which ran along the courses of the rivers, the Krishna and the Godavari, kept the Andhra settlers in contact with the outer world.”

Composite culture and Secular traditions : In the medieval times the Andhras came under the influence of Muslim culture and later under that of the colonial powers, especially the British. A remarkable coincidence was around the time when Akbar the great Mughal ruler was striving to evolve a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim cultures, down south the rulers of the Qutb Shahi dynasty achieved a fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures. Ibrahim of the Qutb Shahi dynasty claimed Telugu as his “second mother tongue” and appointed a Telugu poet as poet-laureate of his court! The patronage they extended to Andhra art and culture was extraordinary. The Muslim rulers went to the extent of sending royal gifts to the Rama Temple at Bhadrachalam for the annual Sri Ramanavami festival. Secular traditions owed their origin to the rule of the Muslim Kings of both Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jah dynasties. Nawab Mehdi Yar Jung put it aptly when he said at a university convocation: “The commingling of the Hindu-Muslim civilizations into a harmonious whole is one of most interesting phenomena of history.”

The rebellious streak : At the same time there have always been poets and writers who could defy tyrannical authority, reject pomp and wealth and fight orthodoxy and superstition. The rebellious streak is an important aspect of the creative Andhra mind. The Andhras have captivated me... Andhra desa “has resources. It has poetry. It has faith. It has the spirit of sacrifice”. ... The Andhras are also “lavish in conferring titles on their leaders” said Gandhiji with a touch of characteristic humour. Sarojini Naidu, Andhra’s greatest daughter-inlaw, as C.R. Reddy described her, wrote that “The Andhras were a compromise between Dravidadesa and Vangadesa in that they combined in themselves the intellectual agnosticism of the Tamils and the mystic quality of the Bengalis”. Amaravati, Kuchipudi, the glory of Golconda and the grandeur of Vijayanagar and centuries old literature, arts and crafts embody the culture of Andhra.

No less noteworthy is the devotional fervour of saint- composers, the dissent and protest of Tikkana, Vemana and Gurazada, the courage and sacrifice of Alluri Seetaramaraju who led a rebellion against the British and sacrificed his life, of Prakasam who bared his chest before the bayonet-holding British police, the revolutionary writings of Sri Sri, et al., modern protagonists of social change and the fight of the radicals for equality and justice. The Andhras are emotional and in a way ‘eccentric’ too. “Tikka kontha leka Telugu vaadu etulu avunu? Telugu danam ledu tikka leka. How can one be a Telugu person without some eccentricity? There is no Teluguness without eccentricity” - said P.V. Rajamannar, former Chief Justice of Madras High Court, quoting a Telugu writer. The learned Judge, however felt that tikka was a strength of Andhra character. “The pen is my sword” declared a famous Andhra Editor long ago. The pen should be replaced by the gun, shouts the young radical of today.

Obeisance to thee Our Divine Mother !

Literature Language and Devotion

Dissent, Protest and Reform...

Telugu Talli

Literature L A N G U A G E

The richness of Telugu language has been acclaimed by emperors and rulers, including Muslim kings, and by western scholars. From C.P. Brown the legendary lexicographer to J.P.L. Gwynn who died recently, famous Englishmen and Americans have studied the language and produced monumental works on Telugu language and culture.

Trilinga’ or Andhra Desa, Telugu, Tenugu—tene agu (honey like) is ‘the most musical or the sweet Italian of the East’ writes a historian. As a compound language Telugu is rich in the number and variety of words, an inflexional language with 60% of the words used in Sanskrit. The term Andhra means invincible and it is used whenever a reference is made to Telugu speaking people. ‘Andhra/Telinga/Telunga are used synonymously to refer to the people and the country inhabited by them. It was during the time of Adikavi Nannaya that the word Andhra was used while referring to Telugu language. Since then all Telugu speaking people are also called Andhras, and Telugu and Andhra bhasha are used synonymously. The richness of the language has fascinated many foreigners especially the Englishmen during the last two hundred years and more.

Telugu is unique among the languages of the country.

- Sri Krishnadeva Raya in his Amuktamalyada

”

“Among these five languages (Telinga, Karnatic, Tamil, Malayalam and Singalese) Telinga appears to be the most polished and though confessedly a difficult language it must be numbered with those which are the most worthy of cultivation, its variety of inflection being such as to give it a capacity of expressing ideas, with a high degree of facility, justness and elegance,” wrote Dr.Carey in his Telinga Grammar in 1812. “Telugu is singularly melodious. It is the sweetest and most musical of all the Dravidian tongues and it sounds harmonious even on the lips of the most illiterate. It has justly been called the Italian of the East and though Tamil may, perhaps, be a richer language and more wealthy in classical literature, Telugu confessedly bears the palm for its exquisite melody and grace.” (Henry Morris in his Simplified Telugu Grammar.)

“The works still extant, however, are sufficiently numerous and various to evince the great degree of refinement to which the Teloogoo has attained. Few languages will be found more copious, more nervous, or more regular in constructions and it may boast, in a peculiar manner, of great elegance of expression and melody of sound.” (Dr.Campbell in his Introduction to Teloogoo Grammar (1816)) “In respect of antiquity of culture and glossarial copiousness, Telugu is generally considered as ranking next to Tamil in the list of Dravidian idioms, whilst in point of euphonic sweetness it just claims to occupy the first place.”…. wrote Dr.Caldwell, the father of Dravidian Philology, in his Comparative Grammar of Dravidian Languages.

”

“It is adaptable, dynamic, absorptive, grammatically simple and euphonically exceptionally beautiful even when using foreign words. It has never suffered from narrow provincialism.”. (wrote G.Homefield Mcleod, Ph.D., in his letter to the Editor “The Hindu,” Dated 16th July 1958). “You cannot keep out foreign words as you keep out foreign manufactured goods.

Perhaps Telugu accepts them more easily than any other Indian language, and this will certainly help to make it a rival to Hindi in teaching Science, Medicine and Engineering,” observed renowned scientist Dr J.B.S.Haldane.

Nannaya Bhatta of 11th century is called the Adikavi, the first poet of Telugu literature. Inspired by the Chalukyan King Raja Raja Narendra he composed the first two and a half of the 18 parvas of the Mahabharata. His work was more than a translation of the epic from Sanskrit into Telugu and is regarded as a transcreation, an all time classic . Tikkana Somayaji (1220-1280) continuing the Nannaya tradition composed the last fifteen of the 18 parvas and Errana, also called Errapragada, of the 14th century, completed Nannaya’s unfinished part of third parva. The trinity of poets, kavitrayam thus came to occupy an honoured place in Telugu literature as the authors of Andhra Mahabharatam.

Palkuriki Somanatha (12th - 13th century) a versatile and multilingual poet, composed works in Telugu, Kannada and Sanskrit, “a propagandist poet who strove to propagate Veerasaivism through all possible literary genres” (Dr Velcheru Narayana Rao).

Baddena of 13th century... is considered to be the author of Sumati Satakam, a popular treatise on ethics. Sumati means a good person.

“Sometimes boats carry carts Just as carts carry boats, Wealth and poverty, like the cart and the boat swing and switch, Sumati”

The more than thousand years of history of Telugu language and literature has been marked by the contributions of poets, scholars, playwrights and writers drawn from different places with varying social and cultural backgrounds. The patronage of kings and rulers, like in the 11th century or three centuries later under the Vijayanagar rulers, was a source of inspiration and sustenance to poets and scholars, though a few of them with unwavering faith in Divine grace, rejected it outright to protect the sanctity of their work. For them devotion to God and dedication of their literary works to their deity were greater than royal patronage,rewards and awards.

My anger is my foe my poise is my blessing, my compassion is my kin my joy is my heaven my sorrow my hell O Sumati - (Tr by C.N. Srinath & T.V. Subba Rao)

Srinatha (1363-1445), called kavisarvabhowma, (the emperor of poets) was a gifted poet who enjoyed the patronage of Kondaveeti kings and founded the Kavya epoch of Telugu literature.

Bammera Potaraju, known as Potana, was a classical poet of the 14th century who dedicated his work Srimadandhra Mahabhagavatamu, a transcreation of Vyasa’s Bhagavata mahapurana,to Lord Sri Rama uttering those immortal lines “reciting Bhagavatamu as ordained by Ramabhadra” in utmost humility attributing his poetic genius to his Lord’s grace.

Literature L A N G U A G E

Sri Krishnadevaraya (1487-1529) who ruled over the Vijayanagar empire raised the stature of Telugu literature by his munificent patronage and with his own work Amuktamalyada. Eight famous poets, known as Ashtadiggajas, adorned his court and Krishnadevaraya was hailed as Andhra Bhoja, ‘in allusion to Bhoja the famous king-poet in Sanskrit.’ Allasani Peddana, (1470-1535), one of the renowned court poets of that time was a close and respected friend of Krishnadevaraya. A trend-setter in writing prabandha kavyas Peddana authored a literary masterpiece Manucharitramu. He was hailed as ‘Andhrakavitapitamaha’ the father or creator of Telugu poetry... first original and independent poetic compositions. The Emperor had great admiration for the venerable Peddana’s poetic and literary skill and knowledge of men and matters too. Ramaraya, the son-in-law of Sri Krishnadevaraya, was also a scholar-patron of Telugu literature. Among the great poets of the sixteenth century were Dhurjati who dedicated his works to Lord Siva of Kalahasti, Pingali Surana, Nandi Timmana, Bhattumurti alias Ramaraja Bhushana and the lively Tenali Ramakrishna, lovingly remembered as vikatakavi for his dazzling puns, epigrams and barbs at some of the poets and their works. The spontaneity of his wit and penchant for mischievous humour to wriggle out of difficult situations and tricky debates earned for him a place in literary history alongside Kalidasa in Bhoja’s court and Birbal in that of Akbar.

Molla... born without any advantage of birth or wealth, composed the Ramayana. She was the first woman to author the epic in Andhra history. Tarigonda Vengamamba, of the nineteenth century is hailed as Andhra Meera. She authored more than twenty literary works and translated Venkatachala Mahatyam from Sanskrit to Telugu. In Tirumala Temple the last ‘harathi’ to the Lord is offered at night in the name of Vengamamba, the great devotee.

Brown on Telugu

C.P. Brown. the Calcutta born Englishman, Charles Philip Brown, did yeoman service to

“ Telugu is the principal language of the peninsula of India. It is ancient; and has been highly cultivated. It possesses a very scientific grammar, and a system of prosody nearly as highly polished as that of the Greeks. In this and some other respects the language is acknowledged to be more difficult than Sanskrit. It is peculiarly smooth and elegant in its sound, and the poets have cautiously preserved its euphony.

Hence Europeans have called it the Italian of India.”

(November 23,1824)

Telugu language and culture. As a twenty two year old assistant collector he went to Kadapa where he studied Telugu and was fascinated by its richness.

He published a book on Telugu grammar, brought out English to Telugu dictionary and translated Vemana’s verses into English. He spent his time, energy and money on learning and enriching Telugu language. “The library of Sanscrit and Telugu manuscripts which I have collected cost me more than 30,000 rupees,” he wrote. That library in Kadapa named after C.P. Brown bears testimony to the Englishman’s contribution to Telugu language. A doyen among scholars Sri Janamaddi Hanumath Sastri is now in charge of it at Kadapa.

Gidugu Venkata Ramamurti... 1863-1940 Pioneer of the modern Telugu movement whose scholarship, powerful expression, easy style of writing and insistence on using the spoken dialect and idiom made him a towering literary figure. He and Gurazada Appa Rao were mainly responsible for the modern Telugu movement that began in the early years of the twentieth century. Gidugu Ramamurti made an in-depth study of the Savara language of the north Andha tribals and produced works in that language besides compiling Telugu-Savara and Savara –English dictionaries. The Madras Government honoured him with the Kaizer-e-Hind Gold Medal for his services to language and literature. His worthy son Sitapati continued the work of Ramamurti and enriched Telugu language and literature with his scholarly works.

Dasaradhi Krishnamacharya... 1927-1987, popularly known as Dasaradhi, Krishnamacharya was born in a village near Warangal in July 1927. As a student of the Osmania University he learnt several languages including Telugu,Sanskrit and Urdu. A gifted poet, progressive writer and freedom fighter he took part in people’s struggle against the Nizam rule. He launched the Telengana Writers Association to awaken the people of the region through literary works. He translated Ghalib’s gazals into Telugu. Dasaradhi’s “Mahaandhrodayam” (birth of greater Andhra) poems reveal his love of Telengana and his earnest desire to see a united Andhra Pradesh with two crores of people of the Circar districts and the one crore of Telengana, at that time, living as citizens of the undivided state” M.V.Chalapathi Rao THE BIRTH OF UNITED ANDHRA PRADESH “I smashed the fetters of Telengana and bellowed to the skies, I thawed the demoniac heart, singing my verses and saved the common folk, I grew a Telugu garden in the shade of thousand pillars and gathered its flowers.

I inherited the subtle nuances of the music of majestic Pothana.

Transmitting the message of two crores of our elder brothers To their one crore younger brothers, Tying up all the three crores into a single knot, I sang Mahaandhra’s mighty epic”. (Tr.: M.V. Chalapati Rao)

Dasaradhi Rangacharya... younger brother of Dasaradhi Krishnamacharya, Rangacharya plunged into people’s movement as a boy of twelve and took an active part in the Telengana armed struggle during 1946-51.

He made a mark early in his life as a writer and novelist. Switching to the more serious task of translating the epics into Telugu Rangacharya began to produce outstanding works culminating in the presentation of the four Vedas in simple style and chaste Telugu for the benefit of the common reader. The massive volumes on the four Vedas, the magnum opus of Rangacharya, constitute a significant contribution to Telugu literature. The septuagenarian scholar continues to write and lecture on the epics and classics.

Literature D E V O T I O N A L

”

Ramadas, Potana and Thyagaraja are considered to be three Telugu Bhaktas who made crucial conscientious choices against panegyrics and for devotional lyrics.

The three are the real kings who have held sway over the kingdom of devotion in Andhra literature as distinct from the rust kings, moth kings and robber kings whose pomp is ephemeral.

”

- William L. Jackson

Potana... the poet, Annamayya, Kshetrayya, Ramadas and Thyagaraja, saintcomposers and ardent devotees, were also benefactors of the society in which they lived. Seeking salvation, moksha, through their creative work was not their only goal. They always had people’s well being in their minds and wrote several compositions to awaken the people, the poor and the illiterate also, to the reality and purpose of human life. That they sought neither wealth nor pomp and power has been another endearing feature of their time-honoured compositions.

“Three splendorous kings without crowns (makutamuleni maharajulu) have shone on our firmament. One blessed by Rama and ordained by Him to write the Bhagavathamu in Telugu, Potha raju, Thyaga raju who attained siddhi by chanting the Rama mantra and who sang in ecstasy on Rama’s qualities of head and heart, and one who worshipping Rama at Bhadradri with utmost devotion, singing His glory all the time and gave us treasure in the form of Dasaradhi Satakamu, Gopa raju. In the Empire of Rama bhakti they are the true kings!”

Madhurabhakti... sweet devotion, of poets, composers and saints has enriched Telugu literature and culture for over a thousand years. Potana the first great poet to spurn royal

patronage

sent

out

the

message

that

a

literary

work

was

an

offering at the altar of the Supreme needing no royal support or human intervention.

Bhadrachala Ramadas who braved years of incarceration and cruel punishment, appealed for mercy only to his Lord and the Divine Mother through immortal song.

Thyagaraja

rejected

the

King’s

offer

of

wealth

to protect the purity of his pursuit and sanctity of his work.

and

public

honour

“The sun that shines On the elephant and the mongrel Is the same The merciful name of Sri Venkateswara Is again the same that guards the sinners and the virtuous equally.”

“O Venkatapati!

You are our guardian-angel I take refuge in You and this to me is the ultimate.”

Annamaya (tr. Sri Veturi Ananda Murthy)

ADIGO ALLADIGO SRIHARI VASAMU

Tallapaka Annamacharya...

1408-1503 Born in Tallapaka in Kadapa district Tallapaka Annamacharya was said to have composed 32,000 kirtanas, mostly in praise of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. The compositions of his son and grandson might have been included in the large list credited to Annamayya. Of these about 6000 have been traced and many of them recovered from the premises of the temple. Annamayya’s compositions marked by lyrical charm and devotional fervour, with a touch of Sringara, are sung every day by thousands of devotees of the Lord of Seven Hills. The spectacular celebration of his 600th jayanthi in May this year has evoked keen interest in Annamayya’s compositions.

The earliest poet-singer in south Indian languages who composed devotional songs called padas or sankirtanas with the structure of pallavi and charanam composed in devotion to Lord Venkateswara hailed as Padakavitapitamahudu father or creator of padam poetry... his sankeertanas are suited for solo or group singing... real life situations are reflected in his compositions which abound in feelings of devotion combining Madhura (sweetness) and Vairagya (asceticism) (Sri Veturi Ananda Murthy).

Literature D E V O T I O N A L

...in praise of Muvva Gopala Kshetrayya... 1600-1680 originally named Varadayya this gifted composer came to be called Khsetrayya because of the Kshetras (temples and holy places) he visited. He composed devotional verses, madhurabhakti, with a touch of eroticism, in praise of Lord Krishna, worshipped as Muvva Gopala, the presiding deity, of his native place Movva in Krishna district. Devadasi women who were dancers of temples in South India benefited from Kshetrayya’s compositions mostly depicting the love of Radha for Krishna. In recent times Veena Dhanammal and T.Brinda popularized Kshetrayya’s compositions with their musical interpretation. The padams of Kshetrayya have enriched the tradition of dance and music of south Indian temples.

Thyagaraja was a Gandhi of music, a genius gaining ground in an Indian artistic domain which impelled people’s lives inspiringly... music that was able to transport the mind beyond the worldly cares

”

- William L. Jackson

‘palikinchedivadu Ramabhadrudu’ ‘reciting as ordained by Ramabhadra’ Potana with his famous Andhra Mahabhagavatamu

Bammera Potaraju ... 15th century, the only classical poet who is a household name for both scholars and commoners alike, was a simple devotee of Lord Sri Rama. He was the author of Srimadanandhramahabhagavatamu. Vyasa’s was a book of knowledge.

Potana’s was a book of devotion.. His prayer is recited in most Andhra homes for over five hundred years now.

“I seek refuge in the self-manifesting God, who is all in all, the sole Lord, the cause of all, the one without beginning, middle and end, by whom this world is brought forth, in whom it lies dissolved, and in whom at the end it rests”.

(Tr. By S. Laxmana Murty)

”

Thyagaraja... “Melody is the soul of music and Thyagaraja is the soul of melody,” wrote The Hindu editorially on December 22,1946 on the occasion of the 100th aradhana of the saint-composer. Sir S.V.Ramamurti, the then Chief Secretary of the Madras Presidency said that “Thyagaraja’s music is a synthesis of South Indian culture and is as great as any form of Indian culture.” American scholar William L.Jackson in his book on Thyagaraja wrote that Thyagaraja’s krithi was recognized as an integrative cultural form which ‘popularised classical music and classicised popular music.’ Describing Thyagaraja’s music as ‘gold that has acquired fragrance‘ Jackson wrote that “his music is way to peace. His krithis are wonders, Goddesses of enchanting beauty.’

‘Philosophical Truths’ “Profound philosophical truths conveying the essence of spirituality are conveyed in kirtanas of matchless style and that is why Sri Thyagaraja became famous as Thyagabrahma and his compositions as Thyagopanishad.

‘the melodic emperor’ sang

Thyagaraja was not indifferent to social and political problems. The solution to all issues lies in the doctrine of surrender. Thyagaraja discoursed through

“Ramabhakti is the empire

his kritis on matters spiritual such as liberation or moksha and mundane

of those who attain the enjoyment of it

problems, social and individual.” Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati,

and I cannot describe the joy

Mahaswami of Kanchi.

it can only be known by one’s own experience

‘Prince of Renouncers’ “The name Thyagaraja means the prince of renouncers, of those who give

in this great uproar of the three worlds created

up worldly desires. Thyaga or renunciation is the way mental peace and free-

by the play of the Lord whom

dom, the attainment of life in God is achieved more easily by bhakti than by

Thyagaraja adores. ”

other means. Thyagaraja was a person of great humility, utter self-effacement. In blending music and literature to create such soulful compositions

(Tr. by Prof. William L.Jackson)

he has few equals. It is art that elevates man to great heights.”

- Dr S.Radhakrishnan.

Literature

Dissent,

Vemana... utilized his talent and wisdom to debunk the degenerate social, religious and cultural practices in the contemporary society.

Protest

“Vemana breaking all barriers of religion, caste, community and language taught that if you want to be one with God, be one with man” - O.P. Ramaswami Reddiyar ‘Vemana is the morning star of Telugu literature’ - C.P.Brown

and Reform...

”

Tikkana, Vemana, and Gurazada emphasized the use of Telugu idiom in literature

Tikkana... the first great Telugu poet to raise the banner of revolt against orthodoxy and sectarianism

”

a few verses of Vemana...

Unless he leaves desire he is not free from bonds Unless he is liberated does one become a sage Unless one is a sage will all desires be shed O’ Vema!

One’s shadow is one’s enemy One’s shadow itself is witness in one’s body One’s own kin are the enemies One’s own mind is sure one’s companion O’ Vema!

Men who find fault are many very many All people on earth have mistakes They who find faults know not their failings O’ Vema!

The illusory body is like an earthen pot It perishes at any time the soul does not Forms may be many but the firmament is one O’ Vema!

Valmiki chanting Rama’s name on earth Though being a hunter became a brahman Hey caste has no eminence nature is eminent O’ Vema! ( Tr. by Prof. B. Parvati )

Ramadas...

Kancharla Gopanna who came to be called Ramadas for his devotion to Sri Rama was appointed Tahsildar of Bhadrachalam by Abul Hasan Tan-e-Shah(Tanasha), the last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Gopanna built a temple for Sri Rama by spending both his personal money and government funds for which he was imprisoned for twelve years in Golconda jail and treated brutally. In pain and agony Ramadas sang keertanas extolling Rama and Sita and begging Them for solace and redemption and these keertanas have since been sung with fervour and devotion by the connoisseur of music, the literate and illiterate in every home and every part of the state. Ramadas also gave to Andhras a treatise of hundred verses hailing Rama as ‘Ocean of Mercy.’

The Bhadrachalam temple on the banks of the Godavari is among the popular shrines in India. A remarkable feature of the bhakti tradition of Ramadas was the involvement of people from all sections of society in bhajans, festivals and celebrations. The Muslim rulers since those times used to send new clothes and gifts for the annual Sri Ramanavami celebration, a practice being continued by the government of Andhra Pradesh.

Salt and camphor both have the same look,

Put in jail where he was tortured for twelve long years Ramadas sang in praise of his God Sri Rama, hailing the qualities of Sri Rama thus:

But tastes are not the same there if you look,

“O Sree Rama of noble Raghu lineage!

Saints among men can be picked oh! You look, Vema! Oh! Listen oh! Pleaser of the world!

How magnificent are your auspicious attributes of self-control, ready forgiveness and similar other virtues of ethereal grandeur!

If you sing and sing the tunes get sweeter,

O Lord, how strictly you adhere to Truth in speech and action!

If you eat and eat the neem gets sweeter All the works on earth on practice are achieved, Vema !Oh! listen oh! pleaser of the world! ( Tr. by Sri P. Nagaran)

How readily you grant refuge and protect the supplicants!

Son of Dasaratha, Ocean of boundless grace!”

(Tr. By Sri C.Sitarama Murti)

O Rama, the best of the Surya dynasty!

I wonder how you ‘ll treat me with kindness!

How can I swim the ocean of life?

O lotus-eyed Rama! (tr. By Sri I.V. Chalapati Rao)

Literature R E F O R M I S T

Gurazada Appa Rao...

Gurazada Apparao (1862-1916) was the ‘harbinger of modernity in Telugu literature.

Ever a champion of social causes and a crusader against social evils Appa Rao exposed the evils of bride-price’ (kanya sulkam).

Appa Rao, a humanist, patriot, social reformer, was a literary trail blazer whose socially relevant play, short story and living prose set a new trend in Telugu literature with his Kanyasulkam - a masterly satire on professions and institutions.

Said Gurazada...

“My play is the first ambitious work in the spoken dialect.”

“Modern women will rewrite history.”

“The best prose is in spoken dialect.”

Gurazada’s poem translated by Sri Sri...

“The sinful wretch who weeps all day Because another is rich, how can he be gay?

Always happy, is really he, who sees his own in the other’s joy!”

“Never does land mean clay and sand, The people, the people! They are the land.”

“What avails the backward glance?

The good is but a trifle of the past; Tarry not; march ahead fast; Stay back and be backward till last!” (tr. By Prof. S.S. Prabhakar Rao)

revolutionary and martyr

Kandukuri Veeresalingam...

(1848-1919), was a social reformer, literary trail-blazer and visionary .. prime architect of Telugu literature and a vital force in the rejuvenation of social life in Andhra. He wrote the first burlesque, the first parody in verse, the first sustained satire in prose, the first social play, the first full length novel, the first detailed autobiography in prose’ He used literature as a potent weapon of social reform.’

- D.Anjaneyulu

Alluri Seetarama Raju ... the famous revolutionary who single handedly raised a revolt against the British in

“Veeresalingam is the greatest Andhra of modern times.”

- C.R.Reddy

the agency area of Visakhapatnam district and whose valour, selfless service for the poor tribal people and leadership qualities continue to inspire the people of Andhra

‘Father of modern Andhra’ “Veeresalingam was the first modern man in South India” - V.R.Narla

Pradesh. Seetarama Raju , a legend in his lifetime, has since been a hero and role model for young men imbued with revolutionary fervour and spirit of service and sacri-

“Andhra Desah and Andhra people could not be what they are if Veeresalingam had not arrived to vitalize them.”

- Rajaji

fice. As a boy he displayed unusual courage and organizing abilities and as a teenager he trekked hundreds of miles in the agency area to serve the poor and illiterate people always exploited by the rulers. He raised an army of his own and fought guerilla battles that unnerved the British administration. He was just 26 when the bullets of the British police extinguished the life of a rare revolutionary at Koyyuru village in the agency area. The hero became a martyr whose very name touches a chord in every Andhra heart even eighty years after his premature exit.

Literature REVOLUTIONARY

Sri Sri... Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, popularly known as Sri Sri, was the harbinger of progressive poetry, devoted to the cause of the exploited and the downtrodden... a revolutionary poet ‘who exploited fully the potentialities of free verse’. Sri Sri regarded history as soaked either in blood or in tears.

Prophet-Poet of Revolution

“What is there to be proud of in any nation’s history?

The history of the human race is Exploitation of man by man” - (tr. Sri M.V.Chalapati Rao) “The history of human race is soaked in the bloody streams of battlefields”.

“The enemy to mankind is man himself” “I was dead when alive, I am alive because I am dead.”

“My life I laughed away Seeking seeking seeking I almost forgot What it was I sought” “Old walls are cracking Old songs are croaking Old ways are breaking Why are you not waking?”

“I am not that sixty old I am but the true herald Like a cobra hissing bold The cause of oppressed I uphold Taking high-skies in my fold.”

- Sri Sri

Suravaram Pratap Reddy…. freedom fighter, scholar-playwright, journalist and a literary giant, Suravaram Pratap Reddy was a towering personality in the history of freedom struggle in the erstwhile Nizam state. He presided over the first Andhra Mahasabha held in the Hyderabad state in 1927 and aroused the political consciousness of the people of the Telengana region through his literary output and journalistic works. His work on Andhra’s Social History earned for him the Sahitya Akademi award. His journal Golconda Patrika made him highly popular among all sections of the people.

Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdary...

1887-1943, a champion of reformist-nationalist poetry, he authored poems and patriotic songs and works giving a rationalist turn to traditional myths. He debunked scriptures and superstitious beliefs and set a trend in progressive writing.

Gurram Joshuva (1895-1971) His outlook transcended the barriers of

Kaloji Narayana Rao..... A legend in his lifetime Kaloji Narayana Rao was a fearless and tireless crusader for people’s rights. Admiringly called Praja Kavi (people’s poet) Kaloji wrote powerfully, prolifically and scathingly too against political bondage and social oppression, always of course, in support of the meek, the downtrodden and the exploited sections of the society. An embodiment of dissent and defiance, Kaloji was honoured by the President of India with Padma Vibhushan.

P.V.Narasimha Rao in his tribute to Kaloji recalled how Kaloji’s hometown Warangal was also the abode of the great poet Potana, who had contempt for kings and how Warangal was “ a center of dissent and a citadel of defiance.” A colossus indeed Kaloji was in public life and literary world.

caste and creed. A poem of his on death and graveyard.

“Here beside the glistening mausoleum Reigns supreme the Spirit of one Who rolled in untold wealth; There lies the neglected corpse in rags of someone swallowed by the scorching flames of penurious pangs of hunger.

None sheds a tear for the forlorn, Even the grave ignores that departed soul.”

(Tr. by Sri Mallipriya Ramaraju)

Literature C R E A T I V E

Viswanatha Satyanarayana...

1895-1976 admired for his versatility, Viswanatha, as he is reverentially referred to, has authored over a hundred books and hundreds of essays, poems and plays. He was awarded the Jnanapith Award for his classic Ramayana Kalpavrikshamu and among the other honours he received were Padma Bhushan and Sahitya Akademi Award. A poem of his rendered into English by S.Laxmana Murthy is as follows:

Jnanapeeth Awardees...

“When I hear the mere names of the old Andhra Kingdom beginning from (Sri)Kakulam My heart throbs, touched to the quick.

If it is true that the mind has the intimations of previous life, the Andhra blood courses through my veins across the many previous births”

C.Narayana Reddy... an eminent Telugu poet popularly known as Cinare, he has volumes of long poems such as Nagarjunasagaram and Viswambhara and hundreds of lyrical plays, essays in criticism and popular film songs. He received the Jnanapeeth Award in 1988 and many honours including Padma Shri. Cinare has been for over half a century a towering literary figure and a patron of arts and letters.

From his “ Twinkling Anklets ‘Divvela Muvvalu’ ” “She’s the Muse of Poesy dancing with twinkling anklets, She’s the immortal poetic stream seen but by the soul”.

(Modern Indian Literature) (An Anthology Surveys and Poems Sahitya Akademi New Delhi 1992)

glory of... golconda

grandeur of... vijayanagar

Glory of..

The Qutb Shahis of Golconda who ruled from 1510 to 1687 are known for their achievements and many sided contributions to art and culture. They ruled over that part of the Deccan which broadly constitutes the State of Andhra Pradesh today. During their rule the Golconda fort was rebuilt, the jurisdiction of the kingdom was extended to Masulipatam on the Bay of Bengal, languages like Persian, Urdu and Telugu were encouraged, Kuchipudi art was patronized and relations with foreign countries improved along with an increase in exports. Masulipatam port became internationally famous from where textiles, tobacco, gunpowder, rubies and wooden furniture were exported.

Diamond mining was a thriving industry providing employment to 30,000 men.

Diamonds upto 30 carat were mined here, the most famous being Koh-I-noor (mountain of light) which changed hands before adorning the London museum. According to historian Jadunath Sarkar “The Capital Haidarabad was at this time the center of the diamond trade, not of Asia, but the entire world. A number of foreign traders assembled here and transacted business. The kingdom was famous for several industries.”

GOLCONDA

” Qutb Shahi ruler Ibrahim considered Telugu to be his “second mother tongue” and patronized poets like Addanki Gangadhara Kavi and vaggeyakara Khestrayya.

Md. Quli appointed Pattametta Somayaja Kavi as his poet-laureate.

”

“Golconda kingdom may be said to be the country of diamonds” (quoted by William Dalrymple page: 109) The steel works of Nirmal and Indur supplied raw materials for the world famous Damascus blades. Masulipatam’s cloth weavers became famous and the chintz woven there ‘had a continental celebrity.’ Carpets made in Ellore, like the cloth of Masulipatam, were exported to foreign countries.

Md. Quli was the fifth king of his dynasty.

His Ghazals are marked by a tenderness inspired by the landscape of Deccan. He composed over a thousand couplets most of them in Dhakahni Urdu, with ‘a secular element’.

He also wrote in Persian and Telugu.

“I am bothered neither about the temple nor about the mosque. After all temple is like the mosque” - wrote Md. Quli.

Mohammed Quli

“O Quli Qutb Shah In vain you give advice; You only waste your words on those who live in frenzy” - (Tr. by Ahmed Ali)

GOLCONDA

Glory of..

GOLCONDA

A portrait of Masulipatnam drawn in 1759 Masulipatnam was developed into an internationally famous port by the rulers of Golconda

Masulipatnam became “a port of international importance providing access to the rich buzaars of the kingdom of Golconda at the peak of its power and influence”.

(William Dalrymple)

”

”

Grandeur of..

V I J AYA N A G A R

The last Hindu kingdom in South India that united the whole of South India politically and culturally the Vijayanagar Empire was ruled by four dynasties— — Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu for about three hundred years.

Founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336 who originally belonged to Warangal, Vijayanagar empire owed its origin to Hoysalas according to one school of historians while another school traces its origin to Telugu chieftains. That apart, the Vijayanagar emperors were the undisputed rulers of the Telugu speaking areas of the present state of Andhra Pradesh and were such great patrons of arts and letters that their rule is regarded as a golden period in the history of the Telugu speaking people.

”

‘Andhra looks back upon imperial memories, a place in the succession of empires and imperial dynasties which reigned over a large part of the country; it looks back on the more recent memory of the glories of the last Hindu Empire of Vijayanagar, — a magnificent record for any people.’

- Sri Aurobindo

A glorious chapter in the history of medieval South India...

”

The greatest of them all was Sri Krishnadeva Raya who ruled from 1509 to 1529. Himself a brilliant warrior, admired for his valour and strategy, Krishnadeva Raya expanded his empire by winning many decisive battles against the Muslim rulers, the Bahamanis and Adil Shahis, the Portuguese and some Hindu rulers too. Vijayanagar owed as much to Krishnadevaraya’s pen and intellect as to his sword and military prowess. A great patron of arts and letters whose court was adorned by eight famous poets Ashtadiggaja, Krishnadeva Raya himself authored the great prabandha Amuktamalyada. “Among the languages of our country Telugu is unique” he declared – a line that has since been often quoted by poets, scholars and writers. The multifaceted Krishnadeva Raya was adored not only by poets and scholars of his court but also by foreign visitors.

In just twenty years Sri Krishnadeva Raya transformed Vijayanagar into a prosperous and splendorous empire. Nicolo Conti the Italian visitor, Abdul Razzak, the Persian ambassador, Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa the Portuguese travellers were among those who vividly portrayed the grandeur of the Vijayanagar empire. “The city of Vijayanagar is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth,” wrote Razzak. Art and architecture like literature received abundant royal patronage.

The Lepakshi temple in Anantapur district is one of the best specimens of Vijayanagar art. Temples and mosques were renovated and high quality paintings were produced during this period.

VIJAYANAGAR

natural splendour

The long coastline on one side... and the eastern ghat hill range on the other, with a landscape of lush green fields in between, make Andhra Pradesh a land of natural splendour.

Araku Valley... The imaginative and innovative constructions of the tourism department and the vast fields used for coffee plantation and for growing flower and fruit gardens bear testimony to human endeavour to embellish natural splendour.

Nestling in the gorgeous Eastern Ghats is the Araku valley, 112 km from Visakhapatnam known for its verdant valleys and enchanting greenery. Araku encompasses many beautiful things like the million year old Borra caves, the highest broad gauge railway station of Simliguda at an altitude of 996 metres above MSL, the rail route that passes through 61 tunnels, the Anantagiri hill resort and of course, the rustic charm and soaring spirits of the tribals whose Dhimsa dance is a special attraction.

lush green mountains at araku

natural splendour

natural splendour

Wings of hope and joy ...across the fertile Konaseema .the southern part of the fertile East Godavari district is called Konaseema, meaning tailend treasure, because of its location in the corner of the district. The lush green landscape is dotted by coconut and banana gardens and innumerable palmyrah trees.

The ever flowing canals that make the area the rice bowl of the state also add to the allure of konaseema.

natural splendour

Thanks to the engineering genius of Arthur Cotton the Godavari region blossomed into a fertile area becoming rich not only in the cultivation of rice but also in the growth of mango groves, coconut trees and nurseries for plants.

In and around the village Kadiyam a huge area of 5000 acres was transformed into a land of flower gardens raised by nearly 600 nurseries. Kadiyam is the most famous home of nurseries in Andhra Pradesh, if not South India from where flowers and plants are exported to several states in India and also to some countries abroad.

From a coriander sapling costing a few rupees to high quality Cycas and other saplings costing Rs 10,000 each are sold here.

The many varieties of plants sold here include flower plants, creepers, fruit plants, cacti and rose plants of various types. About 30,000 people are engaged in the thriving business that has an annual turnover of Rs 900 crores. The beauty of flowers and grandeur of greenery here provide an enchanting spectacle to the visitor.

flower power of kadiyam...

a defining image of the beauty of the Godavari landscape

natural splendour

lush green landscape in east godavari

...the joy of raising a crop

...the red hot chillies of Guntur

natural splendour

Guntur is famous for Chillies and Tobacco Asia’s biggest market...

Guntur chillies were renamed as “gun powder” by the Englishmen “Eating chillies causes people to sweat, thus turning on the body’s ‘natural air conditioner’. ” - David Webb

3,00,000 cultivators 1,00,000 labourers 1,000 traders 70 of whom are exporters contribute to an annual turnover of Rs. 1000 crores, 10-15% of which is earned from exports.

natural splendour

Tobacco, one of the important commercial crops of India, provides employment to 30 million people who are engaged, directly or indirectly, in various operations like cultivation, harvesting, curing, grading, processing, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of the products to companies and consumers. India produces 700 m. kgs of tobacco grown in an area of 4 lakh hectares. FCV tobacco is grown mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Guntur district is the hub of tobacco trade. In 1920 cultivation of FCV tobacco began and it was commercialized in 1929. The growth of the tobacco industry was such that by an act made by Parliament of India in 1975 the Tobacco Board was set up at Guntur to regulate the production and marketing of Virginia Tobacco. During 2007-08 the export of unmanufactured tobacco reached a new peak of 1,74,261 tonnes valued at Rs 1475 crores. This year an all time high record has been created with exports touching 2,03,399 tonnes at a value of Rs 2021 crores. Tobacco crop also earns about Rs 9500 crores of excise revenue to the national exchequer on the sale of tobacco products in the domestic market, 15% of which is earned from exports.

India exports unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco products to over 80 countries. There are 10 manufacturers, 500 dealers, 61 exporters, 500 families of cultivators and 4000 labourers engaged in the tobacco business.

... the tobacco field Among the leading players in the field are ITC Ltd, Bommidala and Polisetty families.

sites & monuments

Andhra Pradesh abounds in sites, monuments, ancient coins and artefacts that depict centuries of history..... with as many as 150 Buddhist sites and monuments and hundreds of coins including Roman, belonging to the period before the advent of Christ.

Sites & Monuments

Visakhaptanam, endowed with rare natural splendour, is the only place in the eastern ghats where ‘the sea and the hills meet.’ The area abounds in sites of historical significance, particularly the hills.

Konda in Telugu means hill.

Bavikonda, Thotlakonda and Bojjanakonda are famous Buddhist sites.

Bojjanna Konda of 2nd century A.D., 25 km from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Bojjannakonda, 40 km from Visakhapatnam and 3 km from Anakapalli, is visited by Buddhist monks and tourists from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Kampuchea.

The excavation made a hundred years ago revealed, among other things, a gold coin belonging to Samudragupta period and copper coins of the Chalukyan rulers.

The double-storeyed cave on the hill was once known as Buddhinikonda (hill of the Buddha).

Popular belief is that the site was a place of worship 2000 years ago.

Bojjanna Konda... an ancient Buddhist monument

Thotla Konda... another ancient monument near Visakhapatnam

a fusion of

architecture, faith and science The famous Sun temple of

Arasavilli near Srikakulam ...is one of the four temples in India dedicated to the Sun god... a unique feature of the temple is the fall of sunrays at the feet of the Deity twice a year in March and October in the early hours of the day even when the five big entrance gates are closed.

a blend of ... aesthetic pleasure and awakened spirits Alampur Mulk Raj Anand... has this to say on Alampur: “ If faith enlarges man’s perspective, then the site where the faith was to be realized seems to have been the important consideration for the ancients. The beauty of the earth is concentrated on that bend where the Tungabhadra rushes on to its sangam with the Krishna.” “ It is possible that the aesthetic pleasure of the landscape was fused with the spirits in the shrines, where the morning and evening prayers rang to the sound of bells to awaken the gods.” “ Certainly the extension of consciousness towards the deity even now takes place in the first confrontation with the Alampur temples.”

(Alampur — Published by Tourism & Culture Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh January 2004).

combining sanctity & aesthetic splendour Sri Mukhalingam “The Madhukeswara Temple at Mukhalingam is a great achievement of Hindu art combining sanctity, aesthetic splendour and interesting features�

- N.S. Ramaswami

a marvel in stonecraft

Simhachalam The deity at Simhachalam, the boar incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu appears like a Sivalinga when covered with sandalwood paste.

The original shape of the deity in the tribhanga posture has two hands with the head of a boar on a human torso.

The Simhachalam temple faces the West unlike so many others which face the East.

An east-facing entrance, according to religious belief, brings prosperity while the west - facing one brings victory.

famed arches...

Warangal The ‘kirti torana’ elaborately carved gateway adorning the famous temple at Warangal Fort the construction of which was begun in late 12th century by King Ganapati Deva and completed in 13th century by his daughter Rudrama Devi.

The gateways ‘ kirti Toranas’ four in number built to mark the boundary of the temple are reminiscent of the Toranas at the great stupa at Sanchi.

Ramappa Temple The Ramalingeswara temple, popularly known as Ramappa Temple situated at Palampet, 70 km from Warangal, built in the 13th century, is yet another beautiful architectural monument with its richly carved pillars and walls.

Described as the ‘brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temple architecture of the Deccan’ the Ramappa temple’s pillars made of black basalt are so exquisitely polished that they glisten like mirrors.

Thousand Pillar Temple The Thousand Pillars Temple, located in Hanamkonda, built in 1163 by King Rudra Deva is one of the famous monuments of Andhra Pradesh.

It represents the Eastern Chalukyan style of architecture with its richly carved pillars and lintels.

The huge granite Nandi measuring six feet in height is a brilliant specimen of monolith with beautifully chiseled ornaments and garlands.

Nandi at Lepakshi Lepakshi in Anantapur district, the temple dates back to 16th Century AD. The monolithic Nandi, 4.5 meters high and 8.23 metres long is carved from a single red granite boulder.

a single red granite boulder

“Home of the Classical Andhra Art”

Nagarjuna “A prodigious figure of encyclopedic scholarship, he was the celebrated founder of the Madhyamika system of Buddhist philosophy and the greatest apostle of the Mahayana school (‘Great Vehicle’)”.

Hiuen-Tsang, the Chinese Master of Law, who visited Dhanyakataka (circa A.D. 639), wrote that Nagarjuna rose to become “one of the four suns which light the world” along with Aryadeva, Kumaralabdha and Asvaghosa, three famed philosophers of the time.

“Nagarjunakonda was the focus, at its height some seventeen hundred years ago, of the votaries of Buddhism from the entire arc of countries from Ceylon, through Burma, the Indonesian archipelago, Thailand and Indo-China to China. The art of Nagarjunakonda was the farthest amplitude in India of the classical Andhra Art of Amaravati, and it was from Nagarjunakonda, in the main, that this gloriously sailed forth to inspire national arts of East Asia.”

- P.R.Ramachandra Rao

Nagarjuna Konda... another view

Sites & Monuments

standing Buddha

Sites & Monuments

Buddhist stupa at Salihundam

...on the banks of the Vamsadhara, (the river is also seen in the picture) 12 km from Srikakulam... here in this village was excavated a Buddhist Mahastupa from Salihundam. Buddhism reached out to Sumatra and other far-eastern countries.

sculpture of Buddhist monks at Bheemili beach

Meditation at Sunrise

heritage F E S T I VA L S A N D FA I R S CRAF TS AND ARTS D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

F E S T I VA L S A N D FA I R S There is no month without a festival and no day without a fair in some part or the other of Andhra Pradesh.

Rustic simplicity and ardent fervour of the people mark these fairs and festivals.

illumination of Tirupati temple during Brahmotsavam

heritage FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

The Shrine of all shrines Tirumala The Abode of Lord Venkateswara Everyday, on average, 70,000 devotees have darshan of the Lord.

Gajendra showering his blessings on the tonsured head of a young devotee

heritage FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

...total surrender in absolute faith

heritage FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

Bonalu Festival

Bonalu... is ritualistic and celebratory dance tradition, which involves community participation in a sacred and religious environment. ‘Bonalu’ is a corrupt form of “Bhojanalu”, community’s food-offering to the Mother Goddess, and is usually celebrated as a culminating ritual of a weeklong festival. A woman, carrying a “ghatam” a container for people’s offering, her chieftain Potharaju, the village protector and the Goddess (known by different names in different villages) with several instruments (mainly drums) playing the rhythm, dance in trance in the village streets when housewives give ‘harati’ and present their offerings. The dance that is practised in this procession form of the ritual has a large group of percussionists and members of the community participating in it as an offering to the goddess.

tappetagullu resonant melodies of North Andhra...

The popular dance form has its origins in the traditional practice of the villagers keeping vigil at night through drum beat and loud song to scare away wild animals that used to intrude into their villages to prey on the sheep. The rhythmic sound of drum beat and leaps and jumps of the menfolk performing ‘Tappetagullu’ make it a special feature at cultural festivals.

Painting

”The fine arts have a peculiar attraction for Andhra genius. The aesthetic sense and the love of the beautiful is a strong point of Andhra nature and character.”

- Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Aiyar

Damerla Rama Rao...

1897-1925, A pioneer in the field of art Damerla Rama Rao achieved outstanding success in his short life of 28 years.

Born in Rajahmundry on March 8,1897 Rama Rao was just ten years old when his portraits and drawings attracted public attention and the commendation of the famous Principal of Arts College J.J. Couldrey on whose advice Rama Rao was sent to Bombay for higher training. He set a trend in the field which came to be called the Andhra School of Art. In 1922, Rama Rao established the Bharatiya Chitrakala Parishad. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore commended Rama Rao’s art.

An arts school was set up in Rajahmundry in his memory. His premature death at the age of 28 left a deep void in the field of fine arts.

Adivi Bapiraju...

1895-1952 the multi-faceted Bapiraju was a scholar, poet,writer and artist who enriched Telugu culture with his lasting contributions. That he achieved fame in several fields in a short time bears testimony to his creativity. He wrote novels and short stories, composed poems, edited journals and drew portraits and paintings and worked as a lecturer and art director for films, besides being a practising lawyer for sometime.

“Forest (Adivi) may be his surname but Bapiraju is himself a beautiful literary garden,” wrote Karunasri, the famous poet. Andhra University honoured him along with Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyayanarayana in the early 30s of the last century.

heritage A RT S A N D C RA F T S

Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao. born in 1924 in Penugonda, Warangal district, he obtained a diploma in Fine Arts from Santiniketan and also studied at Banasthali Vidyapith,Rajasthan. Worked as Principal of SV College of Fine Arts,Madapur,Hyderabad. Won a number of awards and medals beginning with a silver medal in Nizam State in 1944.

Send off to Sankuntala

Antyakula Pydiraju...

1919 - 1998, the renowned painter and sculptor was also good at music. He obtained a diploma in first class from the Madras School of Arts and won a gold medal at an exhibition organized by the Andhra Mahila Sabha, Madras in 1941. He established a School of Arts in his home town Vizianagaram and joined the Faculty of Fine Arts in Andhra University where he worked till his retirement.

His portraits were displayed in several exhibitions in India and abroad and the King of Afghanistan was pleased to take a portrait drawn by Pydiraju to his country. D.P.Roy Chowdhury was among the celebrities who commended Pydiraju’s works.

Women’s fest

Painting

Vaddadi Papayya... had a style of his own that endeared him to young and old alike for over half a century.

Popular Telugu magazines invariably carried on their coverpage such portraits and drawings of Vaddadi Papayya.

Padma Shri

S.V. Rama Rao Born in 1936 Gudivada, he received a diploma from Madras School of Arts before going to the MIT, Boston on a research fellowship for higher training. Took up teaching assignments in American universities and schools of art and became a citizen of the United States where he has been living for the last four decades. Participated in exhibitions and group shows all over the world. Received from the President of India Padma Shri and awards and honours in India and abroad. a picture of cyclone

Bapu...

He was a boy of twelve when he started drawing pictures and cartoons for Telugu, English and Tamil magazines in 1945.

Bapu the celebrated artist and art director started directing films in 1967 and has to his credit 33 films including 9 in Hindi and one in Tamil. Sita Kalyanam hailed by The Guardian of England as a masterpiece “the most extravagantly beautiful film…an amalgam of lyricism, poetry and spectacle” was selected for London and Chicago film festivals. As a film director he has won three national and three state awards…. there is hardly a Telugu home that is not adorned by a painting or portrait or greeting card drawn by him. Bapu’s art holds (borrowing the words of Bernard Shaw) “the magic mirror you make to reflect your invisible dreams in visible pictures.”

Sculpture

K. Lashma Goud India’s finest draughtsman.

Born in 1940 at Nizampur in Medak district Lakshma Goud had his training at JNTU, Hyderabad and M.S.University Baroda. Retired as Professor in the Sarojini Naidu Faculty of Performing Arts and Dean of Fine Arts in the Central University, Hyderabad. Acute sense of observation is his hallmark.

heritage work of a doyen and his worthy son

A RT S A N D C RA F T S

Shri Mulk Raj Anand..

helping hand

waiting

C.Ravi Shankar Patnaik...

C.S.N Patnaik.. the 83 year old veteran sculptor, is a doyen in the field whose works are displayed in art galleries in India and abroad.

worthy son of a renowned father C.S.N.Patnaik, is himself a leading sculptor today having sculpted the statues of celebrities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Kandukuri Veeresalingam.�

heritage A RT S A N D C RA F T S

The craft of Bidriware... The art with sil-

Bidri Craft

ver is known as Bidriware, named after the old city of Bidar which was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state till 1956. Bidriware was chiefly manufactured in Bidar and from there it went to other places. The craft came to India nine hundred years ago through migrants from Iraq and Iran via Rajasthan. Bidriware is a system of ornamentation made by encrusting one metal on the other. The base material is an alloy of zinc and copper or an alloy of zinc and other metals innovatively done in Bidar. Silver and gold which were used in the land of its origin are also used in the manufacture of Bidriware. In the final stage of the process of manufacturing the article a paste made of fine charcoal and groundnut oil is applied on the finished product and rubbed with mull cloth several times to give it a glazed and shining effect.

heritage A RT S A N D C RA F T S

the making of....

Bobbili Veena at work is Sarvasiddhi Gangadhar achari, his father Veeranna received President’s medal.

Vessel or Vase - the brassware of Budithi is known all over the country...

Budithi... is a small village 50 k.m. from Srikakulam. The craft of intricate weaving in bronze has made Budithi bronze work nationally and internationally popular…solid bronze and gunmetal are used for making vessels, flower vases, water pots and idols of Gods --- a hundred families were engaged in this craft in its heyday and the number has dwindled to just two with the others having migrated to cities for greener pastures.

giving it a sleek shiny look is craf tman Srinivasa Rao

Chinnayya Achari shows the wooden egg innerset of 32 layers.

His skill won for him an award from the President of India.

The unmatched skill of

Etikoppaka toy makers...

heritage A RT S A N D C RA F T S

Etikoppaka... a byword for quality handicraft‌the popular craft originated 200 years ago in Nakkapalli, a village near Etikoppaka. Initially they were making grain measures for farm use as well as for domestic purposes. Later the craft was used for making boxes for use in rituals like marriages and jatras (village Goddess festivals). The application of lacquer was started in 1905 and in 1909 the use of chemical colours was introduced..

These items became popular in temples like Puri, Tirupathi and Konarak. In 1991 the use of natural dyes was revived and eight shades of colours were developed. C.V.Raju looked at lacquer in all its dimensions from design to manufacturing.

CV Raju

Elegant candle stands made here were exported to German markets, cases for brand timepieces (Titan) were sent from here. Etikoppaka lacquerware became popular in France, Italy, Germany and the US.. ..

C.V.Raju received the National Innovation Award in 2002 and Kamaladevi Chatopadhyaya birth centenary award in 2003. About 200 families are engaged in the craft in Etikoppaka.

The famous Ponduru

Khadi...

Ponduru ... is a small village near Srikakulam that became famous for producing the finest khadi. Mahatma Gandhi, surprised at the quality of the finesse of the Khadi woven here, sent his son Devdas Gandhi to study the manufacturing skill of the people here. Young India edited by Gandhiji carried an article on Ponduru khadi in its issue of May 18,1921. The Mahatma visited Ponduru in 1927 and witnessed the drawing of fine yarn from charkhas by a group of ladies. The citation printed on the khadi cloth made here in honour of Gandhiji fetched an auction amount of Rs 250 which the Mahatma gave away for Harijanoddharana funds. Decades later Acharya Vinoba Bhave laid the foundation stone for the Ponduru Weavers Association Building on October 1, 1955. Tara Bhattacharya, the Mahatma’s granddaughter, unveiled the statue of Gandhiji in the premises of the Khadi office here. Ponduru khadi is being exported to the USA, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Japan and other advanced countries. US President Bill Clinton was presented with Ponduru khadi during his visit to Hyderabad in 2003.

commended by Gandhiji and blessed by Vinoba Bhave, the fabric of Ponduru is a gift of rural people, mostly women, 1500 out of 2000 weavers... the volume of business may have declined but not its quality or popularity... each weaver works for 8 hours a day earning a meagre Rs.20/-

...from spinning to weaving

heritage A RT S A N D C RA F T S

The making of Peddapuram

Silk...

the famous silk industry originated around 1869, importing raw material from Bangalore Rayadurg, Madanapalle and some towns in Maharashtra the silk handloom weavers of Peddapuram developed it into a thriving industry providing livelihood to over 1500 families.. The Handloom Weavers Association was formally launched on February 10,1937.. over the years the industry began to decline with many weavers switching to employment in factories in neighbouring towns. The number has come down to 600 families today and a weaver earns less than Rs 40 a day despite eight hours of work on the loom.

no celebration is complete without wearing Peddapuram silk... known for its quality and variety..... now a prestigious export material.

His child is a source of joyful inspiration for Srinivas.. the master craftsman at work in Kondapalli.

The allure of Kondapalli

toys...

A RT S A N D C RA F T S

The famous

Paintings of Nirmal (Adilabad dist.)...

The making of the wall plaques or the artifacts slightly varies from that of making, toys. The wood, which is being used here, is teak, which is well finished on lathe before painting the predefined design. Then the plaque is sprayed with Duco paint in the desired background colour, the artist then paints the already determined design.

The quality of paintings is very high with intricate designs, rare artistry and skill giving rise to breath-taking beauty.

Keeping pace with the fast changing trends the Nirmal craftsmen have developed styles to suite the modern taste without moving away from tradition and intricacy of the art the items are contemporary in design. Experimentation with colours has resulted in hues, which are very tasteful.

A RT S A N D C RA F T S

If five hundred years ago carpets were exported from Eluru to distant lands today it is handmade lace and linen that have become popular in many countries all over the world...

Palakole and Narsapur, among other towns, bustle with the business of lace manufacture and export... Palakole has business houses flourishing for over half a century... providing employment to many rural people.

Rustumbada, a village near Narsapur, has the world’s largest lace park, run by a federation of artisans for artisans with 30,000 rural women lace-artists as members. The range of these handmade products is wide, from kids wear to ladies and gents garments.

Lace Export

A RT S A N D C RA F T S

Skill of Araku tribals

Teerracota - Araku Style The clay is solidified and wedged to the framed into the desired shape and size, on the potters wheel.

This is followed by hand - craft for decoration and design like inlay, handle making, etching etc. After drying the product is given finishing by sand paper and sponging and then the initial firing is done followed by glazed firing in the kiln. Meticulous care is taken to retain the natural grace and feel of the products.

a tribal woman of Araku displaying her skill in making toys...

rolled gold ornaments of The popular

Masulipatam...

Rolled gold or gold covering works………is a century old thriving business in Masulipatam.

In its early stages it was called rolled gold industry as thin gold sheets were used to cover the metal ornaments made here. In 1935 the name was changed to gold covering works by Thota Venkatasubbaiah who started the Uma Gold Covering works. His grandson Kameswara Rao says that today gold is not used in the manufacture of these products.

30,000 families depend on this craft which has an annual turnover of Rs 30 crores. Most of these craftsmen live in their small old tiled- houses. “Our business is severely hampered by lack of capital and fierce competition from companies in Mumbai and Surat making imitation jewellery,” says Kameswara Rao.

... the sarees of Pedana krishna dist., showing their finished work

Centuries old Kalamkari

art

Centuries old Kalamkari art... the use of vegetable dyes is a speciality of the art of making Kalamkari cloth -- not only kings and queens of foreign countries but stars and celebrities have begun to buy the Kalamkari material now in use for a variety of purposes...

The Crown Princess of Greece contacted me today and wants to use your fabrics for her products and her shops in London, Athens and New York. That is quite an honor!!!, I hope your workers are still working while youre at the symposium.

- Mary Mulcahy The famous TV star Winfrey Oprah’s secretary writes... We ordered 10 sets a long time ago, please try to make them and send them right away. This is for the designer who works with Oprah Winfrey�.

Recognition from abroad for Srinivas of Pedana near Masulipatam

Celebrity demand

A RT S A N D C RA F T S

... the intensity of The timeless potter’s wheel... the hands that convert clay into wheel shape the world.

involvement

Two great legends of those times...

Adibhatla Narayanadas from 1919 to 1936 - Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu from 1936 to 1953 headed the Music College and nurtured it into a famous centre of learning.

music the fusion of cultures

heritage D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

�The fine arts have a peculiar attraction for Andhra genius. The aesthetic sense and the love of the beautiful is a strong point of Andhra nature and character.�

- Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Aiyar

Music College,

Vizianagaram was

established on February 5th, 1919.

Thanks to the munificence and patronage of the Maharajas of Vizianagaram and the creative brilliance of several writers and poets, Vizianagaram became a hub of Andhra renaissance.

The visionary rulers provided excellent institutional support by starting schools and colleges for music and fine arts too. The Maharaja’s College of Music produced many outstanding musicians and musicologists.

heritage

music

D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

the fusion of culture

Wizard of the Violin Dwaram Venkata Swamy Naidu.

a legend in his lifetime ‘Naidugaru’ as he was adoringly addressed brought a new dimension to carnatic music. ...the first among the many honours Dwaram received was on September 5, 1931at Waltair by Dr S.Radhakrishnan, the then Vice Chancellor of Andhra University who presented the forty year old violinist with a golden ring..

September 5, Radhakrishnan’s birthday, later came to be celebrated as Teacher’s Day. The first Asthana Sangeetha Vidwan appointed by the state of Andhra Pradesh (in 1964) Venkataswamy “woke up the dumb instrument and produced a feast of melody.” In 1941 Dwaram became the first violinist and first Andhra musician to preside over the Madras Music Academy’s conference. Violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin was among the celebrities of the world of music who admired Dwaram.

“The

legacy he has left behind is rich and varied.”

Magic of Mandolin U. Srinivas... Born in 1969, he was a boy of eleven years, when he stormed into the world of carnatic music with the little instrument that became a prefix to his name. The magic of his fingers enhanced the melody and popularity of the mandolin. Srinivas was trained in music by his father Rudraraju Subbaraju. He started playing the mandolin at the age of six, gave his first concert at the age of nine and became the first exponent of mandolin as a carnatic music instrument.

His concerts in India and abroad became highly popular and honours and awards started pouring in when he was a boy of 12 summers. Presidents and Prime Ministers honoured Srinivas who also has the privilege of being felicitated by Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa and Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi.

- Subbudu

Harikatha Pithamaha...

Adibhatla Narayana Dasu... ...the versatile Adibhatla was a poet, scholar, musician... a master of many arts - was the trend-setter in the popular art of harikatha. ...he was a linguist who translated into Telugu poems and works from Sanskrit, English, Urdu, Hindi and Persian.. his harikatha, (song-discourse) became so popular that the Raja of Vizianagaram, the Maharajas of Mysore and Baroda personally honoured Adibhatla “Adibhatla a legend of his time was radiant versatility and aesthetic artistry personified.�

- Dr A Ramalinga Sastry

enduring melody...

Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao...

the renowned musician and playback singer whose rich voice lent dignity and stature to the top heroes of Telugu films for over three decades. The master playback singer’s film songs and private records including devotionals on the Gita continue to be played in every part of Andhra Pradesh and abroad too. His name is fondly remembered and memory honoured in many ways all over Andhra Pradesh.

heritage D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

music the fusion of culture

a modern Gandharva of Music Dr. M.Balamuralikrishna... ...hailed as a boy prodigy when he arrived seventy years ago on the musical firmament Padma Vibhushan Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, now an ‘adult prodigy’... is a living legend who has created new ragas, composed krithis, sang in films, performed all over the world, winning awards and titles during the last six decades with over 22,000 concerts to his credit‌.. no wonder he has been the moon that blanks out the stars around him in the world of Carnatic music, a musical genius spanning across decades whose voice casts a spell on millions of people in India and abroad, Balamurali played violin, introduced the viola into Carnatic music.

the maestro with a message...

SP Balasubrahmanyam... the versatile playback singer with a golden voice has to his credit over 36000 film songs in 15 languages - a world record - Padma Shri Balasubrahmanyam, popularly called Balu and SPB, is a crusader for human values which he promotes through his regular music training programmes on television in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada‌ Balu has so far presented over 1500 episodes of this hugely popular TV serial for promoting musical talent and human values.

the ‘nightingale’ of film music P Suseela... Padma Bhushan P. Suseela has sung over 25000 songs in nine languages... since her debut in 1951. Gifted with a sweet voice and superb singing skills Suseela enjoys phenomenal popularity in India and abroad.

KUCHIPUDI the hallowed home of dance that showcases the rich and ancient tradition of Telugu culture.

dance KUCHIPUDI

�the dinstinctively Andhra dance form, Kuchipudi represents the concept of total theatre at its best� (A.S. Raman)

heritage D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

Situated in Krishna district between Vijayawada and the district headquarters town Masulipatam, is Kuchipudi, the small village radiating arcadian simplicity with no outward hint of its six centuries of world - famous dance tradition... the place in and around Kuchipudi is hallowed, backed by historical significance and artistic excellence... 10 km from here is Srikakulam, the legendary capital and Ghantasala the famous port of the Satavahana times, 8 km away and less than 5 km is Movva the birth place of Kshetrayya who carved a niche for himself in the hearts of the Telugu speaking people with his devotional songs, padaalu, in praise of Lord Venugopala... Narayanateertha the composer of Krishnaleela tarangalu lived at Srikakulam for eleven years popularizing Jayadeva’s Gitagovindam which the Devadasis of Srikakulam started rendering since then...

Siddhendra Yogi... a scholar and the village originally was known as Kusilavapuri named after Kusilavulu, Brahmin boys performing Bhamakalapam, launching the tradition of males enacting female roles, in a place claiming familiarity with Bharata’s natyasastra, science of dance dating back to 1st century BC... the Brahmin families were initiated into the art of dancing with the blessings and guidance of the Peetadhipathi of Udupi whose message was that dance could be the path to salvation and Sringara romanticism in devotion would lead to Madhurabhakti, pure and sweet devotion...

The boys who performed dance were called Kuchilu, an abbreviation for the Sanskrit word Kusilava, meaning the cast of dramatic representation Kusilavapuri became Kuchilapuri, Kuchanapuri Kuchipuri and eventually evolved into Kuchipudi.

master of fine arts and visionary, stepped into Kuchipudi around 1400 AD to transform the place and the people through his creative genius. Adopting the existing Yakshagana form he revolutionized the art form with his innovative Bhamakalapam - a fusion of dance, music, lyric and rhythm - that till today continues to ennoble the spirit, uplift the emotion and soothe the aesthetic sensibilities of connoissuers of dance and music. The message of Kalapam is that Krishna is the Lord of the Universe and all human beings, irrespective of gender and caste, are in love with Him, sublime love leading to salvation...

D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

dance KUCHIPUDI

Nataraja Ramakrishna...

a doyen of dance in India, Ramakrishna has been for over fifty years propagating classical dance with indefatigable energy despite advancing years. Born in Bali in Indonesia in March 1933 he started the noble mission of propagating the pristine purity of ancient Indian art and dance through demonstration lectures and dance performances. His work ‘Nrityanjali’ published in Nagpur in 1950 when he was 17, won for him wide acclaim and many awards. His mastery over the subject and command of five major languages made him an authority on the subject before he was thirty. ‘Andhrula Natyakala’ his magnum opus, the result of twenty years of solid research in the field, is considered a treatise on dance. The first artiste to compose a ballet in Sri Venka-Lasya tradition, Ramakrishna recreated Perini Sivatandavam, the militant male dance tradition of the 10th century and revived Navajanarda parijatham the four hundred year old temple dance tradition of East Godavari. He has set up training institutes among which is the well known Nritya Niketan established in 1955 at Hyderabad. He received several prestigious awards and honours including Padma Shri from the President of India.

Sobha Naidu... the outstanding exponent of Kuchipudi dance with superb portrayal of a variety of roles in such popular ballets as Bhamakalapam, Krishna parijatam, Kalyana Srinivasam, Vipranarayana and Chandalika. She has choreographed and produced 13 brilliant ballets. A recipient of numerous awards at home and abroad including the Padma Shri from the President of India Sobha Naidu has trained over 1500 dancers as the Principal and Director of the Devi Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad since 1980.

Raja and Radha Reddy... the world renowned dancing couple have given a new dimension to the art of dance, conveying through their dance “the twin concept of purusha and prakriti, the male-female principle in Indian philosophy”. The Reddys established in 1976 Natya Tarangini for the propagation of Indian arts and culture, focusing on Kuchipudi dance. Physically challenged persons and youth from disadvantaged sections are among their pupils.

“Kuchipudi natya combines speech, song, mime and dance” - Vempati “the two ‘Satyams’ were singularly responsible for projecting the Kuchipudi dance form on national and international horizon.”

- Nagabhushana Sarma

Yamini Krishnamurthy..... Named by her scholarly father Yamini Poornatilaka meaning ‘‘a beautiful mark on the brow of light’’ Yamini Krishnamurthy was initiated into Bharata Natyam at Kalakshetra in Chennai at the feet of the celebrated Rukmini Arundale. Yamini learnt from renowned masters different forms and styles. Making her debut as a performing artist in 1957 she has given performances all over the world before Presidents, Prime Ministers and monarchs gracefully displaying the power and radiance of Indian dance. Launched Nritya Kaustubha Society and Yamini School of Dance to train young artists in India and from abroad. She has been honoured at home and abroad and by the President of India with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

the living legends of Kuchipudi dance Vempati Chinna Satyam... the charismatic teacher whose art is a blend of learning, sensibility, creativity and expressiveness, is the founder-director of Kuchipudi Art Academy, in Madras. “Padma Bhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam brought to Kuchipudi a classical insignia and global ambience”, wrote an expert.

Hailing the class, charisma and creativity of Vempati Chinna Satyam, A.S. Raman said that “nine out of ten celebrated dancers must have learnt Kuchipudi at his feet one time or another”. He has been honoured and felicitated on innumerable occasions with national and international awards and titles.

Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma...

‘dancer’s dancer’

”unique virtuosity of impersonating women” the maestro’s portrayal of the role of Satyabhama, Devadevi and Gollabhama has earned for him wide acclaim and numerous awards.

at 72, still rehearsing

the youngest to receive Sangeet Natak Academy award at 26, Padma Shri Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma is a doyen of the Kuchipudi tradition.

D A N C E A N D C U LT U R E

dance KUCHIPUDI Divine Mother going to sleep...

Srinivasa weds Padmavati ‘Kalyana Srinivasam’

Oh, my Lord where are you?

Salutations to the Divine Mother

Vijaya Durga

The popular Dhimsa Dance...

dance DHIMSA

the sound of music and rhythm of the tribal dance at Araku valley

Dhimsa dance... the tribals of north Andhra celebrate spring, heralding the New Year and Deepavali the festival of lights through the popular group dance Dhimsa in which men and women sing in their Savara language as the others around provide stimulating musical support with bugles, wooden sirens and sticks. The picturesque Araku valley that provides a perfect backdrop reverberates with the sound of music and rhythm of the tribal dance. Eight forms of the dance are presented with men on the right side and the women on the left forming a chain with each holding the waist of the other as they sing and shout in praise of their deity. It is a colourful celebration of hope and joy over their hard earned produce.

revolutions REVOLUTION THROUGH CONSTRUCTION AND THE MODERN IT REVOLUTION

“The Godavari anicut was a new and splendid illustration of Cotton’s powers of mind and self-devotion from the excercise of which the country had so largely benefited.”

“Arthur Cotton will continue to be venerated by millions of people, yet unborn”.

revolution THROUGH CONSTRUCTION

“The more I worked, the stronger I became”.

- Sir Arthur Cotton

‘‘People perished for want of the water that flowed in abundance at their feet’’. - Governor M.E. Grant Duff on the Godavari.

Arthur Cotton declared that ‘‘so magnificent a country in such a state of ruin was the greatest disgrace to a civilized government’’.

The anicut construction work began in April 1847 and took five long years for completion. Ten thousand labourers, five hundred carpenters and as many smiths were employed. It was completed on March 31 1852 costing over 15 lakh rupees.

The Godavari district which stood at a poor 13th among the 22 districts of the Madras Presidency leaped to 2nd place and Cotton’s irrigation works increased the state’s revenue by 25%. The construction of the anicut resulted in “an agrarian revolution”.

“The Godavari anicut was a new and splendid illustration of Cotton’s powers of mind and self-devotion from the excercise of which the country had so largely benefited.” - The Court of Directors “The noblest feat of engineering skill which has yet been accomplished in British India”. - Morris.

Arthur Cotton was hailed as the “Founder of the cheapest school of engineering in the world”.

revolution THROUGH CONSTRUCTION

A view of the magnificent Godavari with the boat in the river, the bus on the road bridge & the train down below...

Soaring into the skies ...Pride of Space Research

Rocket launching at Sriharikota

Hi-tex, Hyberabad

Hi-tech City, Hyderabad

Shamshabad Airport, Hyberabad

T H E H I -T E C H

revolution

The Hi-Tech Revolution Andhra Pradesh is fast emerging as a leading centre of information technology, attaining high levels of excellence in software and communication skills.

Shamshabad airport and hi-tex buildings bear a testmony to it.

International Business School

Pathfinders

Andhra Pradesh was in the forefront of social reform and social reconstruction,thanks to the vision and work of many selfless men and women.

Some of them are...

Pathfinders Pioneers and Legends...

...THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Osmania University was established in 1918 by the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan

The ninety year old University situated on a sprawling area of 1500 acres has many achievements to its credit. Buildings of the campus present a unique blend of medieval Moslem, Arabic, Moorish, Gothic and modern schools of architecture.

Mir Osman Ali Khan was called “the richest man in world”... His jewels were estimated to be worth 400 million in pound sterling. He used the fabulous 187 carat Jacob diamond which was the size of a lemon, as a paperweight...He was also known for “his legendary generosity”, though personally he led an austere life.

‘Statesman of Education’ C.R. Reddy, orator and educationist, was one of the outstanding intellectuals of the 20th century whose work and vision as an educational -administrator was commended

by Sri Aurobindo.

Andhra University, a product of Andhra Renaissance, was nurtured by Dr C.R. Reddy, the Foundation-Vice Chancellor and his immediate successor Dr S.Radhakrishnan into a famous center of learning. Dr C.V.Raman who was Honorary Professor of Physics at Waltair wrote thus about the work of Dr Reddy and Dr Radhakrishnan: “ The work of these two leaders will never perish. These two Andhras have succeeded in infusing into the minds of Andhra desa a love and regard for the university with which their names were connected.”

A great occasion it was for the young university when in December 1933 India’s first Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore lectured at the university on MAN with the second Indian Nobel Laureate Sir C.V.Raman in the audience and Dr S.Radhakrishnan, as eminent as these two, in the Presidential Chair!

Fifteen years later on December 11,1948 Vice Chancellor Dr C.R.Reddy presented, in absentia, the Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy National Prize to Sri Aurobindo. Graciously

accepting the honour the Seer of Pondicherry sent a benedictory message to the Andhra University on the occasion.

“A Statesman of Education who cultivated and inspired the research outlook. For the best part of his working life he was preoccupied with the philosophy of education,” wrote N.Raghunathan Assistant Editor of The Hindu.

‘Minister to and for humanity’ Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan rose to become the President of India.

The Philosopher-Statesman was hailed as “minister to and for humanity”.

He taught philosophy to politicians and politics to philosophers, wrote Natwar Singh.

His arresting personality and ‘evocative oratory’ cast a spell not only on rulers and princes but on the most enlightened minds of the twentieth century. His philosophy stemmed from a fusion of Indian and Western thought and his outlook presented a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity. Muirhead called him ‘a philosophical bilinguist’ and the Indian philosopher-statesman was hailed as the builder of ‘the rainbow bridge’ between the age-old wisdom of India and the new knowledge of the West.

Vemuri Ramjee Rao Pantulu... (1891-1963) started the first school for Dalits and other depressed classes in 1907 in Masulipatam, raised it into a primary school in December 1914 and built a hostel for the poor scheduled caste students. Hailed as ‘Dalit Janoddharaka’ and ‘the first great emancipator of Dalits’, Ramjee Rao Pantulu worked till his last for the welfare of the depressed classes. His courageous and noble work brought tears of joy to Mahatma Gandhi when he visited Masulipatam. The Madras Government made the Ramjee School a middle school and grateful students lovingly raised a statue for him and celebrated his birth centenary.

Durgabai Deshmukh... as a girl of 12 she started the Balika Pathsala (school for girls) in 1921, at 14 she made a bonfire of foreign clothes in response to the ‘magic call of the Mahatma’, as a volunteer at the 1923 Kakinada Congress session she refused to allow Jawaharlal Nehru, without the required identity badge, to enter the venue ..founded in Madras a women’s organization under the name Little Ladies of Brindavan in 1937 and the famous Andhra Mahila Sabha in 1938 and from then on continued to raise a building or add a ward to a hospital every year … in all helped in launching over 10,000 voluntary associations all over India… became the first woman member of the Planning Commission… authored The Stone That Speaketh, the book of her life and work. “ No good cause ever suffers for want of funds if it is rich in dedicated workers.” “ While one honest and sincere worker can create millions or billions of rupees, no million or billion rupees can create an honest or sincere worker.”

- Durgabai

“Saraswati and Lakshmi who do not normally go together, joined hands to help the dreams, hopes and aspirations of this adventurer.”

- Prabhudas Patwari, Governor of Tamil Nadu

‘Andhra Kesari’ (Lion of Andhra)

Tanguturi Prakasam...The first Chief Minister of Andhra state was also the first cricketer among political leaders. At the age of 12 in 1884 Prakasam was a good alrounder of his team that took to the game of willow just then introduced into India.

Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya - Founder of Andhra Bank Andhra Bank, the first commercial bank and Andhra Insurance Company the first insurance company, were founded by Dr B.Pattabhi Sitaramayya, the eminent Gandhian and Congress historian, in 1923 and 1925 respectively. Dr Pattabhi founded these institutions for the benefit of the common man. In 1969 when bank nationalization took place with the object of providing cheap credit to the farmer and the trader, the then Chairman of Andhra Bank recalled that its founder had envisioned it forty years earlier. Dr Pattabhi Sitaramayya’s outstanding work as the President of the All India States People’s Conference during 193639.... striking the boldly innovative path of bringing the people of the Princely States into mainstream politics — later helped Sardar Patel, to a considerable extent, in effecting the gigantic task of integrating the Princely States into the Union.

Journalism...

Andhra was also in the forefront in the field of journalism. If Kandukuri Veeresalingam and Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao were trend setters in vernacular journalism Pattabhi Sitaramayya and Tanguturi Prakasam, by launching journals and newspapers in English, inspired a number of young men to take up journalism as a profession. Pattabhi’s English journal Janmabhoomi inspired the Kotamraju brothers, Punnayya and Rama Rao to become journalists. Both became nationally famous editors and a road in Karachi was named after Punnayya.

Rama Rao was the Editor of The National Herald. Sir C.Y.Chintamani was the first Andhra to become the editor of a national daily when he became the Chief Editor of The Leader. T.Prakasam started an English daily at Madras and on Rajaji’s suggestion named it Swarajya which drew into its fold such famous journalists as Khasa Subba Rao, G.V.Krupanidhi and K.Iswara Dutt. K.Ramakotiswara Rau’s Triveni, Iswara Dutt’s Twentieth Century and Khasa Subba Rau’s Swatantra were widely read and nationally acclaimed for their quality, objectivity and spirit of independence. M.Chalapathi Rau, the famous Editor of National Herald was also a columnist of Shankar’s Weekly. Narla Venkateswara Rao, the well known editor, brought to Telugu journalism a refreshingly new direction with his leadership and writings.

Pathfinders Pioneers and Legends...

Jiddu Krishnamurthi... 1895-1986 one of the great minds of modern times, Jiddu Krishnamurthi was an internationally renowned philosopher whose teachings continue to guide and inspire millions all over the world.

Born in Madanapalli in Chittoor district Krishnamurthi went to Madras with his father who took up a small job in the Theosophical Society. In the fourteen year old Krishnamurthi Annie Besant and Leadbeater of the Theosophical Society saw the new Messiah, and declared him as ‘World Teacher’ to head The Order of the Star in the East, set up in 1911, with a message for humankind. Sent to England for higher studies Krishnamurthi was just fifteen when he authored the book At the Feet of the Master which was translated into 27 languages and came out in 40 editions. Breaking away from the organization Order of the Star in the East set up by Annie Besant, J.K. as he came to be called, lectured all over the world and published hundreds of books and articles. His philosophy stood for rejection of organized religion and the attainment of self-realization by introspection. His charming personality, scintillating intellect and stimulating oratory held in thrall the huge audiences he addressed all over the world. He once put three simple questions to teachers: Why are you teaching? What are you teaching? How are you teaching? “Clarity is not the result of verbal assertion, but of intense self-awareness and right thinking. Right thinking comes with self-knowledge,” he explained in one of his lectures. Another gem from the ‘world teacher’ “Where love is, there is transformation. Without love, revolution has no meaning, for then revolution is merely destruction, decay, a greater and greater ever-mounting misery. Where there is love, there is revolution because love is transformation from moment to moment.” At 90, he addressed the United Nations on Peace and Awareness. J.K. was honoured with the UN Peace Medal.

The Krishnamurti Foundation India (KFI), recognized as a religious, charitable and educational institution, was set up in 1928.

It is one of the four Krishnamurti Foundations in the world, the others being located in England, USA and Latin America. KFI is engaged in educational and humanitarian work in the light of the teachings. KFI runs seven schools in India.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Dr. Yellapragada Subba Row “A great scientist with a quarter century of achievements in phosphate compounds, vitamins, antibiotics. Aueromycin, the mother of tertacyclines, is Dr Subba Row’s gift to modern medicine.

Antibiotics and vitamins Dr Row and his team developed continue to benefit millions of people all over the world.”

Padma Bhushan

C.K. Nayudu India’s first test captain in Cricket was also the Founder-President of Andhra Cricket Association.

At the age of 58 he led the first Andhra Cricket team in Ranji Trophy in 1953 and made 58 including a six against Mysore.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Prasanthi Nilayam Abode of Peace is visited by hundreds of people everyday. Serving the people through top class medical aid, value - based education and supply of drinking water are among the numerous welfare programmes of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Millions of people all over the world, including Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens, are devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and they look up to him for solace. His message is : “Help as much as you can, As efficiently as you can, As silently as you can, As lovingly as you can, Leave the rest to God, Who gave you the chance to serve.”

The Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (Superspeciality Hospital) at Prasanthigram, provides free state-of-the-art medical and surgical services to the poor and the needy. A similar hospital is also there in Bangalore.

Gora and his wife Saraswati

Ayyagari Ramamurti... Andhra Scientific Company, the first instrument manufacturing company in south India was founded by Ayyagari Ramamurti, in 1926 at Masulipatam. Training local workers into skilled employees the founder with the help of his colleagues raised it into a reputed industry providing employment to over a thousand persons.

Ramamurti was hailed as ‘a noble genius’ by Dr C.R.Reddy and his statue was unveiled by Dr S.Radhakrishnan, the then Vice President of India, four years after the founder’s death in 1953. The then Governor of Madras Presidency Sir Archibald Nye and the Mahaswami of Kanchi were among those who commended the Founder’s vision and work during their visit to the company which was taken over by the Government of India. It is now a part of Bharat Electronics Ltd.

Gora (Goparaju Ramachandra Rao)... 1902-1975, a social reformer and crusader for casteless society and human values he shed his surname and name and took the acronym Gora to propagate scientific spirit and rational outlook in society. After obtaining a Master’s Degree in science Gora worked as lecturer at Masulipatam, Hyderabad and in Sri Lanka. Leading a life of simplicity and austerity and supported ably by his wife Mrs Saraswati he set up the Atheist Centre at Vijayawada.

Gora described himself as a positive atheist and inspired his family members to renounce caste and denounce superstition.

His worthy sons and daughters and their spouses have held aloft the torch lit by the Gora couple by marrying outside caste and without any ritual and religious function. An ardent believer in Gandhian values Gora strove for the emancipation of women and the weaker sections and eradication of the evils of untouchability and liquor consumption.

Promotion of Gandhian ideals has been a major activity of the Atheist Centre. Philosophically positive and socially constructive Gora has left behind a bold and inspiring legacy.

Raghupati Venkataratnam Nayudu...

Swami Ramananda Tirtha... 1903-1972, Venkatesh

1862-1939, Born on October 1, 1862 Raghupati Venkataratnam Nayudu obtained the Master’s degree from the Madras University.

Bhawanrao Khedgikar, a selfless freedom fighter, took up Sanyas under the name Ramananda Tirtha and became one of the great liberators of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.

He became a lecturer and taught at Masulipatam and Kakinada and for many years Principal of the PR College Kakinada. One of the founders of Brahmo Samaj in Andhra Venkataratnam Nayudu became a doughty champion of the rights of women and the weaker sections, an emancipator of Dalits in particular, providing them with the facility of free education in the college of which he was the Principal.. He rose to become the Vice-Chancellor of the Madras University.

Savant, reformer, social activist Ramananda Tirtha became a prominent leader of Hyderabad state when he launched a movement against the Nizam’s rule and the feudal social system. He championed the cause of the weaker sections, the Dalits in particular. Renouncing pomp and pleasure he took up sanyas and social reconstruction work. Former Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao was among the many whose political careers were moulded by Ramananda Tirtha. He inspired several young political leaders to take up social reconstruction work. He took an active part in the Bhoodan movement and as a Member of Lok Sabha Ramananda Tirtha pleaded for land reforms. Quitting politics in 1962 he devoted his time and energy for Gandhian programmes.

His life and work continue to guide and inspire many in the state.

Venkataratnam Nayudu was a pioneer in the field of social reform and education.

Pathfinders Pioneers and Legends...

The National Flag designed by Pingali Venkayya in 1921 following Gandhiji’s suggestion and approval at Bezwada.

Kathanilayam... Srikakulam Famous short story writer Dr Kalipatnam Rama Rao established in Srikakulam Kathanilayam ( Storyhouse) a reference library of Telugu short story, the first of its kind in the country, if not the world, is a repository of Telugu short story and allied literature. Preservation of manuscripts, photographs and voices of short story writers is a feature of this unique storehouse of short story.

Kalipatnam Rama Rao well known writer who won the Sahitya Akademi award for his story ‘Yagnam’

Pingali Venkayya... 1876-1963, the Andhra who designed the national flag. Upset by the sight of the British flag being hoisted at the 1906 Congress session at Calcutta, Pingali Venkayya consulted the stalwart leaders of those times and published in 1916 a book titled A National Flag for India. Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to Bezwada (Vijayawada) on March 31,1921 to attend the AICC session asked Venkayya to design the national flag. Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour flag which later became our national flag.

The selfless Congress worker who plunged into the freedom struggle in 1906 lived in obscurity and poverty till he breathed his last on July 4,1963 at the age of 87. As per his last wish his body was covered with the national flag before it was consigned to the flames.

Like him his children and grandchildren also lived in chill penury though Venkayya’s spirit like the flag he designed always fluttered high.

Hyderabad...

The dream city of Md.Quli

“Best situated in India” “a city that for sweetness of air,convenience of water and fertility of soil, is accounted as the best situated in India, not to speak of the King’s Palace, which for bigness and sumptuousness, in the judgement of such as have travelled India, exceeds all belonging to the Moghul or any other Prince”.

William Methwold, the English factor at the Sultanate’s seaport of Masulipatam, wrote thus on Hyderabad in 1619.

(William Dalrymple, White Mughals, P 110)

Firishta the historian (1570-1623) wrote that there was no city as grand and as impressive as Hyderabad in the whole country. According to Firishta, Quli had ordered that the city should be ‘a replica of paradise itself’.

(Narendra Luther)

The foundation for Mecca Masjid was laid in 1614 by Qutb Shahi but the construction work was completed in 1687 by Aurangzeb. At this huge place of worship 10,000 people can pray at a time. Bricks brought from Mecca were used in the construction of the Masjid.

The 174 feet high Church at Medak built in 1914 where 5000 people can pray at a time

Charminar built by Md. Quli Qutbshah in the heart of the walled city in 1592, is ‘a perfect square’.

Each side is 18-26 metres in length with the minarets rising to a height of 180 feet. Roads in four directions were also laid including one leading to Masulipatnam on the east coast. 146 steps lead to the top.

Char Minar was built of plaster. There is one arch, 7.3 metres high, on each of its four sides. Char Minar cost 9,00,000 rupees to build.

In 1824 the plastering of the entire building was got done at a cost of 1,00,000 rupees. In 1866 iron railings were fixed around the monument with a gate on the northern side.

a magnificent monument with a symbol of the city.

Salarjung Museum

“Salar Jung museum is the fantasy of an art visionary come to life�

a few pieces of the Nizam’s fabulous jewellery

SALAR JUNG MUSEUM The famous museum named after its chief architect Salar Jung III ( Nawab Mir Yusuf Ali Khan) the legendary prime minister under the Asaf Jahi rulers houses 43,000 art exhibits and 50,000 books collected from all over the world.

After Independence when the erstwhile Hyderabad state was merged in the Indian Union Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the Salar Jung Museum on December 16,1951. Every year a million people visit the museum where, among the many exhibits are seen Aurangzeb’s sword, daggers belonging to Jehangir,Noor Jehan, Shah Jehan and turbans and chair of Tippu Sultan along with Persian carpets, Japanese lacquer ware and rich jewellery including rare diamonds worth over Rs 15,000 crore—a remarkable blend of antiquity and modernity and cultural diversity and artistic elegance indeed!

The famous statue of veiled Rebecca, her lovely face visible through a marble but gossamer veil!

Veiled Rebecca

National Academy of Construction

Gachhibowli Stadium

A Modern Construction for IT Hub

Visakhapatnam T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

the City of Destiny is flanked by the hill range - symbol of tradition and permanence -on one side and the sea, roaring and dynamic symbolising change & adventure -- on the other. “Freedom seems to rejoice here between the roar of the sea and the echo of the valley�.

- Ramanand Chatterjee

T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

VISAKHAPATNAM ...

Visakhapatnam, known for centuries as a fishermen’s village, is situated midway between Chennai and Kolkatta on the Coromandel coast “the only place on the east coast where the eastern ghats and the sea meet” . The name Visakha is derived from the Vaisakhi temple built by an ancient ruler according to popular belief. But till the twenties of the twentieth century Visakhapatnam had no particular identity of its own. Places hundred kilometers away from here in and around Srikakulam in north Andhra were historically prominent while in modern times neighbouring Vizianagaram became the hub of Andhra renaissance.

It was only in the third decade of the 20th century that the heralds of the dawn came to be noticed. Endowed with abundant natural splendour the quiet town of Visakhapatnam made its presence felt when the Andhra University was located here and the port, with a natural harbour, became operational. C.R.Reddy the foundation-vice chancellor of Andhra University and a brilliant orator and master of the English language is said to have described the fishermen’s village, indeed most appropriately, as the City of Destiny. There has been no looking back since then. Only a year ago Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh called Visakhapatnam ‘ a jewel on the Coromandel Coast.’

Nature has blessed the place with beauty and serenity while man has nurtured it with care, embellishing it with imagination and creative effort. P.V. Rajamannar, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and a scholar of repute, said that intellectually a dialectical process was taking place in Visakhapatnam between the still and silent hill-range on one side and the restless and roaring sea on the other, the former representing tradition and values and the latter adventure and change. Around that time a new dimension to Vizag’s destiny began to unfold. The port started growing in its operations and the foundation stone was laid for the shipyard by Shri Rajendra Prasad who later became the President of India. Jawaharlal Nehru came to Visakha in 1948 and launched Jala Usha the first vessel built by the Shipyard. The oil refinery set up in the fifties raised the importance of the city on the industrial map and major industries in both public and private sector were set up in the years that followed.

A new chapter began in the history of the city and state of Andhra Pradesh when the foundation stone was laid for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in 1971 which became operational twenty years later. The emergence of the VSP as a world class steel manufacturing industry with its commitment to excellence and contribution for welfare and service activities is a matter of pride to the people of the city and the state. The VSP has also facilitated the growth of several ancillary industries besides providing employment to over 17000 people. Visakhapatnam district has 49 large scale industries with a total investment of Rs 11,518.79 crores providing employment to 44,349 persons and 38, 342 units in the medium and small scale sectors employing 3,56, 762 persons with a total investment of Rs 167.52 crores. Visakhapatnam is today a city of industries, different from what was envisioned when it was called the City of Destiny. It is a city of the future. Its strength lies mainly in its culture. People here are known for the catholicity of their outlook and capacity for tolerance and assimilation. Visakhapatnam is India in microcosm with its commingling of cultures. People of different faiths and from different parts of the country live in harmony and happiness. It is the city of hope that holds out a message for the entire country living up to the ideal set for the nation by Jawaharlal Nehru: “ Let us all become partners in the common enterprise of building a new India.”

Visakhapatnam T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

Sunrise at Visakhapatnam ...'Visakhapatnam will be a jewel on the Coromandel Coast' - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

Visakhapatnam T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

“Visakhapatnam is the most important base on the eastern coast of India” - Jawaharlal Nehru

“in the forefront of our February 12, 2006 was a red letter day in the annals of the ENC when for the first time the President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam reviewed the Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam

Eastern Naval Command ‘Safeguarding the maritime security and assets’ the sentinel of the East Coast had a humble beginning when the British government set up a small naval base on December 12,1939.

In 1942 it was given the name His Majesty’s Indian Ship Circars. After Independence it became INS Circars which trained the men in white till the Eastern Naval Command came into being on March 1,1968. The ENC has since grown in strength and stature … its role in India’s victory in the 1971 war has been acclaimed and the Victory Tower on the Visakhapatnam beach road bears testimony to it.

The spectacular exercises of the ENC on Navy Day, December 4, every year draw huge crowds...

maritime consciousness�

Visakhapatnam T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

The Visakhapatnam Port, one of India’s leading ports, is famous for its natural harbour. Its growth since the 1930s and record-breaking performance during the last few decades, facilitated Vizag’s rapid industrial development.

Visakhapatnam Port Among all the major ports of India, the Visakhapatnam Port is the only Indian port having three international accreditations ISO 9001 ISO 1400 OHSAS 18001.

Achieved record cargo throughput of 64.60 MMT and the highest annual railway traffic among the major ports 35.5 MMT during 2007-2008. VPT has also the record of achieving the highest import of coking coal among the major ports. On June 8,2008 a record quantity of 16116 tonnes rock phosphate in bulk was discharged. During the last five year VPT has registered an increase of 35% in traffic handling, from 47.74 MT during 2003-04 to 64.6 MT during 2007-08 and an increase of 43% in overseas traffic handling.

The capacity of VPT which stood at at 49.15 MT during 2003-04 has been enhanced to 61.15MT in 2005, registering an increase of 24% The numbers of TEUs handled during 2007-08 were 71120 as against 20441 TEUs in 2003-04 — a growth of 248%. The net surplus has gone up from Rs 77.82 crores during 2003-04 to Rs110.81 crores during 2007-08.

the brightest Jewel

Visakhapatnam Railway Station - Waltair Railway Division Visakhapatnam was put on the rail map of India in 1893 when a railway track was laid between Madras and Waltair under the jurisdiction of the Madras Southern Maratha Railway(MSM) and the first rail route between Madras and Visakhapatnam was laid in 1901 on which trains were run by the MSM. The Waltair Division was formed under the state-owned East Coast Railway which also came into being in 1893. A railway track was laid between Cuttack and Vijayawada between 1893 and 1896 covering a distance of 1280km by the East Coast Railway.

With the formation of the Bengal Nagpur Railway, popularly known as BNR, Waltair Division came under the jurisdiction of BNR which was merged with the Eastern Railway formed on April 14,1952. On Sepetmber 1,1955 emerged the South Eastern Railway which has become East Coast Railway recently. The present Visakhapatnam Station was called Waltair station while the station in the old town area was called Vizagpatam Town station The old station was made almost dysfunctional and in 1961 it was closed down. Waltair Division was formed in 1962 covering 10 districts.

The Waltair station became the Visakhapatnam station and the Division also became Visakhapatnam division. During 2007-2008 the division earned Rs 2400 crores in freight and Rs 200 crores from passenger fare. It serves three states covering 10 districts. Everyday, on average 120 train services are operated in the division and 68 trains pass through Visakhapatnam station.

The train to Araku coming out of one of the tunnels... heading for Similiguda, the highest broadgauge railway station in Asia situated at a height of 3272 feet above msl.

In the midst of the enchanting beauty of Araku Valley...

Visakhapatnam T h e C i t y o f D e s t i n y. . .

Borra Caves... The million year old Borra caves offer a beautiful natural spectacle in the Borra village near Anantagiri, 35 km from the Araku hill station. The limestone caves were formed by the Gosthani river flowing over the limestone area. The pressure of the ever flowing river water on the mineral deposits resulted in the limestone getting dissolved gradually leading to the formation of the caves. With loss of pressure, the dissolved drops of limestone saturated with calcium carbonate on the floor of the cave solidified to form stalagmites while some of the water drops from the roof solidified to form stalactites.

Over a period of time the calcium carbonate deposits of stalagmites and stalactites took different shapes, growing upwards and downwards respectively adding in the process to the breathtaking beauty of the caves.

Discovered in 1807 the caves are located in an area inhabited by tribal people who built a temple for Lord Shiva worshipped by them on Shivaratri every year.

Connected by rail and road the Borra caves have become a major tourist attraction.

Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. Walchand Hirachand... established the Shipyard in 1941. The foundation stone of the shipyard was laid on June 22, 1941 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad who later became the first President of India. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, launched the first vessel, ‘Jala Usha’ built by HSL in 1948.

Today, HSL is a fully owned Government of India Undertaking under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping, Roads and Highways.

Memorable words of Jawaharlal Nehru while launching Jala Usha at Visakhapatnam on March 14, 1948.

‘In launching this ship many thoughts come to me, because this is the first ship of such size to be built and launched in India in many centuries. Inevitably one thinks of the ages when ship-building was one of the premier industries of India…Somehow the launching of a ship brings to mind the analogy of the ship of State which was also launched a few months ago in India and which has gone through stormy weather…. As I was watching this good ship Jala-Usha launched into the sea, I thought of the ship of State entering the sea. Let the sea be a symbol for us in the future. Let us send the ship of State, that is India, into the sea with a stout heart and in that way not only develop India but enhance her stature and enable her co-operate with other nations.” (Selected Speeches, Vol I p 118)

The ‘fishermen’s village’ may have been transformed into a modern city but its coastline continues to bustle with fishing activity. Along the Vizag coast there are 62 fishermen’s villages with a marine fishermen population of 1,10,000 of whom 28, 464 are active fishermen.

There is a large fleet of vessels in operation ranging from the modern well equipped vessels to the old country boats with 701 mechanized boats, 982 motorized boats and 251 traditional craft. During 2007-2008 Vizag recorded a total catch of 55,907 tonnes of which 49,448 were fish and 6459 prawns. Among the institutional facilities provided are 35 fish lending centers 71 fishermen cooperative societies and 29 fisherwomen cooperative societies. AP Fisheries Development Corporation oversees the fishing operations with the Marine Product Development Authority promoting exports. With Visakhapatnam as the main player Andhra Pradesh accounts for Rs 2500 crores of the Rs 7000 crores worth exports of marine products from India.

From Visakhapatnam 35095 metric tonnes of marine products worth Rs 1007.7 crores were exported to 47 countries during 2007-08. Of this 29317.5 metric tonnes of shrimp worth Rs 975.96 crores and 4765.8 metric tonnes of frozen fish were the main exports. Among the countries that receive the marine products from Vizag are the USA, South Africa, China Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.

Andhra Medical College... Started as the Medical College, Vizagpatam in July 1923, the premier institution was rechristened as Andhra Medical College in March 1940 by Dr CR Reddy, the then Vice Chancellor of Andhra University. Its emblem was designed by its first Principal Dr F.J.Anderson.

From 32 students in the year of its inception the strength of the AMC has grown to 750 undergraduate and 320 postgraduate students now. The hospital opened and named as King George Hospital by the Chief Minister of Madras the Raja of Panagl in July 1923 had a bed strength of 192 in the year of its inception which today stands at 1200.

Prema Samajam... the abode of love founded in 1930, as Bhajana Samajam by a group of good Samaritans led by Maredla Satyanarayana Prema Samajam has grown into a home for the orphans, the destitutes, and patients of leprosy.

Among the 500 inmates who live here are school children coming out of pathetic childhood to a secure future and ageing elders in need of care and shelter. 150 patients of leprosy are also taken care of by Prema Samajam. Cremating unclaimed dead bodies and poor feeding are among the noble activities of the Abode of Love, hailed as the Soul of Visakha.

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is the sixth and the last integrated steel plant set up in the public sector. It is the first shore-based steel plant in the country. The rationale for setting up of VSP near the sea shore was to facilitate import of high quality raw materials and export of finished products through the port. VSP is the producer of steel products in the longs category like wire rods, re-bars, angles, sections, channels, etc.

The plant turned around in the year 2002-03 by achieving for the first time a net profit of Rs.521 Crs. RINL achieved a net profit of over Rs.2008 Crs during fiscal 2004-05 and this improved performance saw RINL emerge as a Zerodebt company in September 2006 and has become a ‘Net Positive Company’ in February 2007 by wiping out all the accumulated losses.

RINL has emerged as a Jewel in the crown of Indian Steel industry by setting news standards on various technoeconomic fronts with sustained improved performance on various fronts. Twice proud winner of the coveted Prime Minister’s Trophy as the best integrated steel plant, RINL was accorded the prestigious status of Mini Ratna.

RINL has been striving to make steel available, as part of “RURAL INITIATIVE” in small towns, under the ‘District Level Dealership Scheme’.

With the main objectives of addressing concerns of its periphery and as a responsible Corporate Entity, RINL through its ‘CSR policy’ takes care of ‘Socio-Economic, Environmental and Cultural up-liftment activities.

RINL’s focus is on sustained development and inclusive growth of surrounding community. As a part of its ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, RINL/VSP has undertaken various ‘Health related activities’ and ‘Education related activities’, benefiting a lakh of people. With a firm resolve to emerge as a force to reckon with in India, RINL has chalked up an ambitious expansion plan to raise its capacity in phased manner to 16 million tons by 2020. Several National and International awards embellish RINL’s cap of glory in its journey towards Excellence. The RINL collective has proved its mettle and is all set to take up new challenges and scale greater heights to emerge as a world class company.

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant ‘the pride of Andhra Pradesh’ its emergence as a world class steel manufacturing industry with its commitment to human welfare and environmental protection augurs well for the future of Andhra Pradesh and India.

My salad days when I was green in judgement!.

- Shakespeare

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!

- Wordsworth

"All I seek the heaven above And the road below me" - R . L. Stevenson

Tree and Cycle man's best friends and true symbols of clean and healthy environment

The woods are indeed lovely, long and deep!

Township's Soothing Ambience

The parks and gardens in Ukkunagram are spread over 225 acres. In Ukkunagaram apart from the main 11 parks several mini parks are also there at the road dividers, junctions and in front of the office buildings.

parks, playing fields and pathways...

...provide an enchanting ambience for young and old alike

Under the green cover

Over 40% of VSP township is covered with lush green blanket.

All the vicious and toxic wastes generated, during the hectic activities of Steel production, have been successfully tamed.

VSP workforce enjoys that rare and precious pure air that no other Steel Plant employee can dream of.

Striking a perfect balance between environment and development‌.

serenity of the blue sea

enchanting gardens

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant's

spiritual garden

Each religious place is allotted half an acre of land. Altogether there are 8 Temples, 2 Churches and a Mosque within the township radiating peace and tranquility all over the township.

'a syncretic faith'

"Jagannath represents a syncretic faith combining all the major strands of Hindu religious heritage. The Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra triad represents a grand synthesis of the Shaiva, Shakta and Viashnava faiths."

- Subas Pani

Cultural pluralism and religious diversity embodying unity in diversity and the oneness of humanity

VSP ... the bud

and ...the blossom

beauty f o g n i " th . i r s A e a joy for ev " - Keats

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Acknowledgements... grateful thanks to‌ Shri P.K.Bishnoi Chairman cum Managing Director RINL Visakhapatnam Steel Plant for inviting me to do the work Admiral Sureesh Mehta, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of Naval Staff for presenting in September 2006, on the eve of his departure to Delhi, The Eastern Shield a pictorial volume brought out by Eastern Naval Command.

Vice Admiral R.P. Suthan, AVSM, VSM, the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command for according permission to use the pictures in the volume.

Shri C.Anjaneya Reddy IPS (Retd), Former Chairman, APTDC Chairman, Vemana Foundation and Vice-Chairman, Ananda Buddha Vihara.

Shri V. Seetharamaiah (Visakhapatnam) Prof. C. Somasundara Rao (A.U. Retd.), Prof. P.Vijaya Prakash (Registrar, Andhra University), Prof. M.S. Rama Murty (Retd. Prof. of English, AU), Prof. K.Suryanarayana (Head of the Dept. of History, AU), Prof. I. Dosagiri Rao (Director, AU PG Centre, Kakinada), Prof. B.S.R. Anjaneyulu (A.U. Retd.), Prof. T. Ramamohana Rao (A.U. Retd.)

Prof. Y. Sudersana Rao (Warangal) , Prof. K. Malayavasini (Visakhapatnam), Prof. M. Vijaya Lakshmi (GIFT) Shri B.S Krishnamurthi (Guntur), Shri. Pithani Suryanarayana (Palakole), Shri R.V. Gopala Rao (Visakhapatnam), Dr. S. Vijayakumar, (CMD, Vijay Nirman), Shri M. Varahalu Chetty, Shri G. Krishna Reddy, Mr. Ravi Shankar Patnaik (Dept., of Fine Arts AU), Dr. A. Aswini Kumar, Shri Srimanth Prasad, Shri Y. Krishnakumar, Dr. J. Radhakrishna (Masulipatam), Shri Dusi Dharma Rao (Srikakulam), Shri P. Seshagiri Rao, Shri V. Rama Rao, Shri M.N. Patrudu, Dr. C.V Acharya (T.T.D) Artists and craftsmen of Ponduru, Budithi, Etikoppaka, Peddapuram, Kondapalli, Pedana, Kuchipudi, Masulipatam and other places for sparing their precious time and for their courteous response Mr. J Nagireddy of Designmouse for designing the format Shri M.K.Kumar and his able assistant Mrs. S. Kiranmayi of Satyam Offset Imprints for providing necessary support for initial designing of the format