HYDERABAD: The sincere attempts of Charles Philip Brown or C.P. Brown to strengthen and glorify Telugu language were immortalised at his 216th birth anniversary celebrations observed in Tirupati recently.
Brown came to the then Madras Presidency as an employee in the year 1817, learnt chaste Telugu at 19 and even excelled in its literary aspects. An Englishman, who, because of his contribution to the cause of Telugu language, is revered even now as ‘Telugu Suryudu’.
TTD trust board former chairman B. Karunakar Reddy highlighted how Brown strove in a scientific manner for the development of Telugu language over 200 years back. He hailed Brown for developing dictionaries and academic content for the masses at a time when the poetic and classical language ruled the roost.
Ramesh Nath Lingutla, coordinator of C.P. Brown Telugu Foundation, United Kingdom and the executive member of Telugu Association of London (TAL), narrated his experiences in the U.K since 2007 to protect the culture and language. Along with his fellow members Dr. Ramulu and G. Krishnamurthy, Dr. Ramesh Nath identified C.P. Brown’s tomb in Kensel Green in West London and brought it to light.
Litterateur ‘Sahasravadhani’ Medasani Mohan hailed Brown for having collected nearly 2000 palm leaf manuscripts in Telugu and Sanskrit, besides patronising Telugu pundits from his own funds. “ Panchatantra, Pothana Bhagavatam, Vasu Charitra, Manu Charitra , Vijayavilasam and Tarasasankam are available to us today only because of Brown,” he observed.
All India Radio Tirupati Station Director N. Venugopal, ARASAM state organising secretary Sakam Nagaraja, SV Medical College Principal M.S. Sridhar, Telugu Bhashodyama Samithi president G. Sridevi and Rotary Club of Tirupati president C. Balagurappa took part.
