The rich tribal history extensively chronicled by eminent scholars and several places of historic importance are little known to the present generation.
Nandapuram, now in Koraput, was once the capital of the ancestors of erstwhile Jeypore Raja Vikram Deo Varma, with their reign stretching up to Rekapalli in East Godavari, according to P. Sivaramakrishna, Director of Search for Action and Knowledge of Tribal Initiative (Sakti), working on tribal issues for the past three decades.
The focus is generally being confined to ethnography and the Fifth Schedule on tribal rights but the rich history dating back to medieval times that has significant tourist interest is not known to many, he says.
Recognising the difference “rajyas” (kingdoms) and “ganarajyas” of Girijans with the former relating to treasury and rule of law and the latter to barter and customary resolution of conflict and distinctive marital traditions, Scheduled Area was formed in the region by the British in the 19th century, after the Ganjam-Gumsur rebellion, he points out.
The Jeypore Raja Vikram Deo Varma himself was a poet and philanthropist and donated liberally to Andhra University and the university college of science is named after him. Hawa Mahal was his palace.
To commemorate the stretching of his ancestors’ reign up to Rekapalli, he donated for Vikram Hall at Rajamahendravaram, Dr. Sivaramakrisha recalls.
“To mark the history of tribal people in Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari, Nallamala and Warangal districts, Sakti has plans to upload 500 historical and cultural landmarks in tribal areas onto Google Maps in a year and about 50 of them relate to Visakhapatnam,” Dr. Sivaramakrishna told The Hindu .
Rare photographs
Photographs of the Siva temple at Pata Paderu, upland capital of erstwhile Matsya kings, Modamamba Padalu at Minimuluru, V Madugula fort, Virata Parvatam at Punyagiri have already been uploaded.
Incidentally, the annual Modamamba festival began on Sunday.
The Matsya kings were defeated by Reddy kings of Rajahmahendravaram at Lotugedda in 15th century. They constructed a temple of Veeerabhadra there and issued an edict with the insignia of Surya, Chandra and Varaha at the temple, says Dr. Sivaramakrishna. It also has been uploaded.
Such details of history dating back to centuries are hardly known to the general public. For every 20, 30 km in the Agency area there are a number of places of tourist interest which can be explored with little support, says Dr. Sivaramakrisha, who has a doctorate in tribal knowledge systems to his credit.
In East Godavari district, Rampachodavaram region, Korukonda, where the first sculpture of mythical Chenchulakshmi was found; the restoration of Kakatiya kingdom in Warangal by Koya king Sitapati Raju in the 16th century; and Gondwana history of Utnur will also form part of the project, says Dr. Sivaramakrishna.
Simultaneously, the entries will be supported by main text and Wikipedia entries and connected to Sakti’s website.
