Encroachments demolished amid high drama

Encroachments demolished amid high drama:

• SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM, January 26, 2016

Authorities accused of not giving ample time to vacate, while civic chief says they are going by the book

Acting tough:MCR staff demolishing shops in the cellars at Danavaipeta in Rajahmundry on Monday. — PHOTO: S. RAMBABU

It has become a cat and mouse game between traders and the Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry (MCR) ever since the later served notice for demolition of the shops came up illegally in the cellars meant to be used as parking lot. There has been a stiff resistance from Rajamahendravaram Chamber of Commerce (RCC) and traders on the Municipal Commissioner’s decision to go ahead on a demolition spree that began on Monday.

On Monday, the MCR authorities cracked down on the cellar encroachments, adding to the growing discontent among traders. The new Municipal Commissioner, V. Viajayrama Raju, who worked as the Sub-Collector till the first week of December last year, started the demolition drive to provide breathing space to citizens and for the beautification of the city.

Unfazed by the tremendous political pressures against the move, the MCR authorities served two types of notices on 58 people who were running shops from the cellars at different important junctions in the city. City Planner Saibaba, Assistant City planners N. Srinivasa Rao and B. Ranga Prasad, three Town Planning Supervisors and two Building Inspectors arrived at the Surya Hotel in Danavaipeta area at 8.30 a.m to demolish the encroachments. They received a stiff resistance from the representatives of RCC and the hotel management.

Town planning authorities made them clear that they would demolish the cellar. Meanwhile, Central Zone DSP Kulasekhar pressed police forces into action and brought the situation under control. The authorities demolished the cellars at Surya hotel, Gandhi Surgicals, apart from readymade shops and hangings on the road.

According to Mr. Saibaba, notice number 452 was served for 58 cellars of multi-storied building out of the 120 identified illegal and again notice number 636 was served for the cellar owners and three days were given to vacate the place. The management of Surya Hotel filed a case in the High Court which was rejected.

Meanwhile, the shop owners whose shops in the cellars were demolished blamed the officials for not giving ample time to vacate. Venkateswara Rao, owner of the Gandhi Surgicals said: “I have received the notice 29 days back and I have informed my building owner who said that he will take care of the issue. I have asked time up to January 28 when I received the second notice. Suddenly, municipal authorities arrived this morning and demolished my shop without even giving me time to vacate it.”

Speaking to The Hindu , the Municipal Commissioner made it clear that cellar encroachments would not be spared. He explained that the High Court has directed the government to go ahead with the procedures. He maintained that the MCR has taken up the operation as per the rules, added that ample time was given for the cellars owners to vacate

‘Life is an education, learn it’

‘Life is an education, learn it’:

Binki Da Maharaj of Thakur Anukul Chand Satsang of Jharkhand addressing a gathering at Rajamahendravaram on Monday.— Photo: S. Rambabu

Binki Da Maharaj of Thakur Anukul Chand Satsang of Jharkhand has advised the youth to learn from their own experiences in life and practice positive thinking at every stage.

He came to Rajamahendravaram to open a branch of Satsang- a spiritual organisation that spreads the message of transforming individuals for positive development. During his message to his disciples on Monday at a layout donated by auditor V. Bhaskarram in DVB Raju Layout, Swami Binki Da Maharaj said that the spiritual movement `Satsang’ and Sri Mandirs which was started in 1946 at Deoghar in Jharkhand by his grandfather Sri Sri Acharyadev has about 10 crore disciples and the organisation is taking up social service activities across in the country. He asked the local people to construct the same Satsang in Rajamahendravaram and take up social service for well being of the mankind.

Income Tax Assistant Commissioner Arun Kumar Das, City Satsangh Vihar incharge Kesavarao Manzal, Manorajan Bihari from Vizag, Amit Bhattacharya from Eluru, Ashok Gidwani from Hyderabad, Auditors of Rajamahendravaram V. Seshagiri Varaprasad and V. Bhaskarram, PVS Krishna Rao, Diabetic specialist Dr. Kandula Sai and others participated in the programme.

Mokshagna to make a debut

Mokshagna to make a debut:

• SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Actor and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna being offered a cake by senior TDP leader Ganni Krishna at Nara Lokesh’s birthday party at Rajamahendravaram on Saturday.—PHOTO: S. RAMBABU

Here is good news for fans of Nandamuri Balakrishna. His son Mokshagna is all set to take forward the Nandamuri legacy on the silver screen soon.

The announcement to this effect was made by Mr. Balakrishna himself on Saturday when he came to Rajamahendravaram as part of the success tour of his recent film, Dictator .

Incidentally, Saturday was Nara Lokesh’s birthday too.

Speaking to the media at Mr. Lokesh’s birthday party, Mr. Balakrishna said that his family members took a decision to introduce Mokshagna in films.

“He is being trained in all aspects,” he said, and added that acting was in the genes of the Nandamuri clan.

When asked about his campaign for the GHMC elections, he said he would abide by the party’s decision.

Mr. Balakrishna expressed happiness over the success of his film and added that he wanted to do a film for every Sankranti.

Rajamahendravaram MP and actor M. Muralimohan, TDP MLAs Gorantla Butchaiah Choudary and Pendurthi Venkatesh, Mayor Pantam Rajani Sesha Sai, film’s director Srivas, actors Pridhvi and Sitharam, and script writer Sridhar Seepana were present on the occasion

National workshop on neo-Hindi writers begins

National workshop on neo-Hindi writers begins:

• SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

GAIL (India) Limited General Manager M.V. Iyer, along with Gandhari Pangathi, Assistant Director, Central Hindi Directorate, New Delhi, lighting a lamp marking the inauguration of workshop in Rajamahendravaram on Thursday.— PHOTO: S. RAMBABU

The eight-day national workshop on neo-Hindi writers sponsored by the Central Hindi Directorate, Ministry of Human Resources Development, New Delhi was inaugurated at Sri Kinjarapu Yerram Naidu Hindi Teachers’ Training College on Thursday.

The workshop was inaugurated by M.V. Iyer, General Manager, GAIL (India) Limited along with Gandhari Pangathi, Assistant Director, Central Hindi Directorate, New Delhi, Prof. Ramchandra Roy, Hindi Scholar from Shantiniketan, Prof. Ajay Patnaik, Bhuvaneswar, Prof. Yendluri Sudhakar, Sri Pottisriramulu Telugu University , Prof. HMS Kameswara Rao, retired Principal of Government Degree College and others. Writers, poets, scholars from Assam, Maharastra, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana participated.

Mr. Iyer said such workshops should carry a message in spreading the importance of Hindi. Ms. Gandhari said the Directorate brought many reforms including extension programmes for the benefit of post-graduates, teacher-trainers and teaching faculties for the development of Hindi language. She said that her office was supporting the printing of magazines, buying books, encouraging textbooks in Hindi for academics

Tradition takes a back seat

Tradition takes a back seat:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
• 

  GenX is losing taste for Sankranti sweets. This Russian girl seems to be an exception. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
  For East and West Godavari districts, touted as the rice bowl of the State, kick-start the three-day harvest festival, Pongal, with Bhogi. The first day is dedicated to Lord Indra, who is the god of rain. He is worshiped for abundance of harvest, which brings prosperity.

  Lighting a bonfire is the hallmark of Bhogi. However, the tradition is disappearing in most villages.

  “In olden days, youth used to make a bonfire of tree trunks (Bhogi mantalu) in one corner of the street in the early hours of the day,” recalls Tirumal Rao, a villager of Arthamuru.

  Preparation of traditional sweets at houses is also part of the festival. But due to availability of “pure home-made” sweets in the market round the year, traditional preparations are going out of fashion.

  Polisetty Mallibabu, owner of Suruchi Foods that dishes out the popular Tapeswaram Kaja, says: “Bulk booking of dishes such as ariselu, kajjikayalu, paakundalu, gorumitteelu, muripeelu, jantikalu, chegodilu, challa guttulu, pootharekulu, sunnundalu, and bobbatlu has come down drastically.”

  “The present generation has forgotten about jeellu, which has a long history. They were once in huge demand, particularly during village festivals (tirunallu),” Mr. Mallibabu says.

  Connecting on

  social media

  Peddinti Seetharamaih Bhargav, an octogenarian medical practitioner Korukonda, says that his children and grandchildren, who have come from Hyderabad and the U.S. to the village, are busy connecting with their friends on the social media. “My granddaughter says that she knows about Sankranti as she has read postings about the festival on the Facebook,” Dr. Bhargav says. Says Vedic scholar ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’ Sri Viswanatha Gopalakrishna: “On Bhogi day, people clean their homes, collect unwanted goods, and make a bonfire of them. The day is meant for undertaking such domestic activities. The tradition of placing pumpkin flowers set in cow dung balls among rangoli patterns has disappeared, thanks to cement roads and apartment culture. Freshly harvested rice, turmeric, and sugarcane are not seen anywhere.”

‘Prabhalu’ add to the festive spirit

‘Prabhalu’ add to the festive spirit:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
• 

  People participating in Prabhala Utsavam at Jaganna Thota in East Godavari district on Saturday. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
  A 450-year old tradition, protected and religiously followed by residents of about 250 villages in the Amalapuram revenue division, for some strange reason, has failed to grab the attention of the government.

  The Prabhala Theertham, or Prabhala pandugain local parlance, is all about taking out Prabhalu(flowery replica of religious idols built with bamboo frames decorated with colour papers and lights)in a procession that adds beauty to the Konaseema region during Sankranti festival. These decorated bamboo arches with Lord Siva’s images on them, are taken around in a huge procession from 150 villages in Konaseema area. The practice is said to be in vogue from the time of Pithapuram Rajahs. A few archives in Rajamahendravaram Gowthami Regional library indicate that the Pithapuram king’s advisor Vittal Jakkanna started the tradition of Prabhalu to bring unity among all sections of people.

  These decorated pieces emerge from different Agraharams, villages and colonies and merge at places like Jaganna Thota, once called Vittal Jakkanna thota, Gangalakurru, Mosallapalli, Vakkalanka, K. Pedapudi, Irusumanda, Nedunuru, Mukkamala, Palagummi, Kulletikurru, Gangalakurru Agraharam and Vyaghreswaram.

  On Kanuma day every year, many NRIs join their local friends to watch the traditional procession.

  The height of a prabha is the main attraction. The revellers burst crackers throughout the way. This year’s tallest prabha in Kondaseema was a 50-ft high Tondavaram Todeswaraswami Prabham next only to a 45-ft high prabha brought from Vakalagruvu village.

Saraswathi temple coming up on Godavari banks

Saraswathi temple coming up on Godavari banks:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

Gnana Saraswathi temple is coming up on the banks of the Godavari in Rajamahendravaram. It is being constructed by Sri Gnana Saraswathi Peetham Charitable Trust.

Neerabh Kumar, Principal Secretary, AP Tourism, who was here last week, said that as part of the spiritual tourism, the government, while concentrating mostly on the temples in Rayalaseema areas, is also considering the proposals to include some of the historic temples and new temples in coastal areas.

“Basar Saraswathi temple is most popular and it attracts students from different parts of the combined Andhra Pradesh. After bifurcation, the Andhra Pradesh government is contemplating having such temple in the State. When some of the trust members approached Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the Godavari Pushkarams, he directed us to look into the matter.”

Sri Gnana Saraswathi Peetham Charitable Trust has already started construction of the temple beside the AP Tourism office on the banks of the Godavari at VVIP ghat, which is now called as Saraswathi Ghat. Its unique feature is that Gnana Saraswathi idol is being carved with most precious green crystal.

“It is being made in Tamil Nadu-Kerala border by a sculptor,” said Thota Subbarao, managing trustee of the temple. ‘Thrisakthi peetam’ – idols Mahakali, Mahasaraswathi, and Mahalakshmi -- which will be installed on the first floor by swamijis like Bharathi Theertha and Vedic pandits along with Srichakra Meruvu, Sri Rajarajeswai and Vasudharinidevi on both sides on the ground floor for children’s ‘Akshrabyasam’ every day, Ganeshini idol in front of Srichakram will be installed.

The main temple will be constructed with 56 pillars with single stone granite to resemble 56 alphabets in Telugu language.