The Hindu : National : Annamacharya’s 600th birth anniversary celebrated

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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Annamacharya’s 600th birth anniversary celebrated

M.V. Subramanyam

1,000 eminent singers render his keerthanas

— Photo: Special Arrangement

MUSICAL TRIBUTE: Eminent cultural artists performing during the 600th birth anniversary celebrations of saint-composer Annamacharya at his birth place of Tallapaka village in Kadapa district on Monday. The event was organised by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams.

Tallapaka (Kadapa district): Tallapaka Annamacharya, the first ‘vaggeyakara’ (singer-composer) who scripted 32,000 keerthanas in praise of Lord Venkateswara more than five centuries ago, was accorded a glorious tribute on his 600th jayanthi celebrations at his birth place, Tallapaka.

About 1,000 eminent singers, who volunteered from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and the country, rendered Annamacharya keerthanas in a ‘Sapthagiri Sangeetha Goshti Ganam’ to mark the birth anniversary of the first lyrical poet of Telugu who dedicated his life to the worship of Lord Balaji of Tirupati.

Rich contribution

Coupled with his works whose contribution to Telugu literature is considered immeasurable, the saint poet is reputed for his opposition to the economic and social inequalities as well as superstitions prevalent during his time (1408-1503).

The air was rent with the praise of Lord Venkateswara as a large number of violinists, mridangam and tabla artistes and hundreds of singers rendered keerthanas in the presence of a galaxy of peethadhipathis, film personalities, officials and devotees on a dais decorated with the temple of Tirumala as its backdrop. Artistes and members of Annamacharya Seva Samithis and Dasa Sahitya Project from various districts rendered devotional songs in praise of the ‘Lord of Seven Hills’ and his ardent disciple, Annamacharya, in mikes fitted to vehicles during a six-km ‘sankeertana yatra’ flagged off by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman B. Karunakar Reddy.

The 12th descendent of Annamacharya, Harinarayanacharyulu, showered flowers on the 108-foot statue of the saint poet, slated for inauguration by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on May 22, and the ‘utsava vigrahas’ of Lord Venkateswara from a helicopter.

Annamacharya keerthanas — ‘Bhavamulona Bhagyamulandu, Brahma Kadigina Paadamu, Enthamathramunna evvaru thalachina, Kodagantinayya Purushothama, Kondalalo Nelakonna Konetirayudu, Narayanate namo namo and Muddaugare Yashoda’ — were rendered with great precision enthralling the audience.

Eminent singers P.B. Srinivas, Shobha Raju, K. Jyothirmayee, mridangam exponent Yella Venkateswara Rao and others were among the 1,000 artistes who rendered the keerthans and Annamacharya Trust Director Medasani Mohan presided over the function. Later, Mr. Harinarayanacharyulu felicitated the peethadhipathis.

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