Friday, June 24, 2016

Historic building at Tanuku on the brink

Historic building at Tanuku on the brink:

  • B.V.S. BHASKAR
  • Greats such as Gandhi and Kanchi Paramacharya had stayed there for a while

    Symbol of neglect:A view of the building that was constructed by Yerramilli Ramanatham. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
    Symbol of neglect:A view of the building that was constructed by Yerramilli Ramanatham. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
    : Sri Yerramilli Ramanatham building, which had virtually become a second home for freedom fighters during the struggle for independence, is on the verge of collapse. The building has become an outlet for drainage water of an adjacent building housing a bank. With people relieving themselves, it presents a revolting sight.
    Yerrammili Ramanatham, a follower of the Mahatma, had constructed the building with the intention of providing free meal to freedom fighters. When Gandhiji visited Tanuku on April 27, 1929, during a campaign to boycott foreign clothes and wear khadi ones only, Ramanatham urged him to stay in the building to which the latter readily agreed. During his visit, Gandhiji formally launched the common meal initiative. “The Mahatma again visited the building on December 26, 1933, and asked us to launch the Harijan movement,” said Konda Venkatappaiah, also a freedom fighter, in one of his books. Ramanatham, who was given the title of “karmayogi,” got an opportunity to provide accommodation to the Kanchi Paramacharya in 1938. The seer stayed for three days in the building with his entire “parivaram” and other paraphernalia, a devotee said.
    Freedom fighters from the Godavari districts and north Andhra, including Konda Venkatappaiah, Mangipudi Purushothama Sarma, Mudiganti Jagganna Sastry, Bandha Viyyanna, and Sanivarapu Subbarao, would regularly meet in the building and discuss strategies.
    But unfortunately, after the country gained Independence, the sacrifices made by Ramanatham and his family were forgotten.
    “Ramanatham’s son Narasimha Rao, a Sarvodaya worker, was asked to write a book on Alluri Seetharama Raju’s life and his wife Parameswari also undertook some research,” said Vadrevu Sundarrao, a lecturer at the SCIM Government Degree College here.
    He said it was unfortunate that successive governments had neglected such a great building.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Ghanapatis’ children in search of their roots

Ghanapatis’ children in search of their roots:

  • B.V.S. BHASKAR
  • Delta areas in East and West Godavari districts known for the rich Vedic tradition

    A view of Agraharam at Peruru in Amalapuram rural mandal.
    A view of Agraharam at Peruru in Amalapuram rural mandal.
    “Kramapati”, “Ghanapati”, “Somayaji” and “Vajapayee” are some of the highest degrees in Vedic education and those who have achieved them will be honoured by adding the tag to their name. Delta areas in East and West Godavari districts are not only popular for paddy production, but also for the rich Vedic tradition for more than 500 years.
    The Vedic scholars settled down mostly in Agraharams (specially designed lanes) like Peruru in Amalapuram rural mandal, Nandampudi, Vyaghreswaram, Vakkalanka, Gangalakurru and Tondavaram villages in Ambajipeta mandal of Konaseema region in East Godavari and the most popular village Iragavaram in West Godavari. Ganti Lakshmana Somayajulu, Ganti Purushothama Somayajulu, Nemani Somasekhara Avadhanulu and Nemani Jwala Narasimha Avadhanulu are popular in Peruru and Amabjipeta mandals.
    According to Nemani Sriramachandra Murthy, Head of HDFC Bank, Raichur, many of their families have settled in Nagpur, Mumbai and Chennai about two generations ago for livelihood, particularly in Railways, though they had learnt conducting Yagnas and Homams and were well-versed in Vedic sastras.
    This happened in the 1950s and then in my generation youngsters started going to Bengaluru and Chennai for software jobs as Vedic rituals would not earn bread and butter, he added.
    “But, there was a sea change since the last one decade as the youngsters started looking back to their roots. They are coming to Agraharams. Every year during the summer they are coming with families and spending almost a month here to learn daily rituals like ‘Sandhya Vandanam’ from their grandfathers,” Mr. Murthy added. Pidaparthi Sivarama Sarma of Sri Dattatreya Veda Vidya Gurukulam, Rajamahendravaram, said though the youth were getting attracted to Vedic culture and learning rituals, many scholars were not encouraging them to enter their own profession or learn the Vedas.
    Dr. Gullapalli Dattatreya Ghanapati, who had done research in Vedic literature and head of the Gurukulam, said once the number of institutions went up, the next generations would automatically carry the torch of the Vedas to the masses.
    Like Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi, the young generation of the Agraharams wants to preserve the Vedic culture in these districts, says Nukala Bapanna Somayajulu.
    Maha Mahopadhyaya and Vedic adviser to Sringeri Peetam Sri Sri Viswanatha Gopalakrishna said the East and West Godavari districts were the only places which would continue to produce hundreds and thousands of Vedic scholars.