‘Annamaiah Pataku Pattabhishekam’ was a musical tribute to the saint-poet Tallapaka Annamacharya organised by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
The programme, taken up on an ambitious scale by the TTD and its propagation arms Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC) and Sri Venkateswara Recording Project (SVRP), was designed by renowned film director K. Raghavendra Rao, who is currently a member of the TTD trust board. Music director M.M. Keeravani added grandeur to the programme through his vital inputs.
While the programme will be aired live on the channel from May 20, an overview was given at Mahati auditorium in Tirupati last week in the form of a devotional musical night, where the amateur artistes got a rare opportunity to rub shoulders with the titans of the field.
Raghavendra Rao said the melodious rendition of Sankirtans by TTD Annamacharya Project artistes had inspired him to make his movie ‘Annamayya’. Keeravani attributed the film’s success to the contributions of lyricist Late Veturi Sundararama Murthy and playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.
It was a pleasure to watch him and the young artistes sing the famous number ‘ Telugu Padaniki Janmadinam…. Annamayya Jananam ’.The event began with students of TTD’s Balamandir and ‘Sravanam’, the TTD-run homes for destitute and aurally-challenged children respectively, lit the traditional lamp.It also marked the felicitation of the stalwarts associated with the TTD’s Annamacharya movement since its formative years. Former Executive Officer P.V.R.K. Prasad, who was instrumental in launching the Annamacharya Project, hailed the commendable services of scholars Sadhu Subrahmanya Sastri, Rallapalle Anantakrishna Sarma, Veturi Prabhakara Sastry, Janumaddi Hanumacchastri, Ramasubba Sharma in bringing out the Annamayya Sankirtanas to light. TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao called it the right platform to encourage young talent.
He felicitated Dr. Prasad, Annamacharya Project former Directors Kamisetty Srinivasulu and Medasani Mohan, leading vocalists Sobha Raju, G. Balakrishna Prasad, P. Nageswara Rao and P. Ranganath, who lent their voice to hundreds of Annamayya compositions.
TTD Joint Executive Officers K.S. Sreenivasa Raju and P. Bhaskar, trust board members Suchitra Ella and P. Hariprasad, Special Officer (All projects) N. Muktheswara Rao participated. The programme was presented by noted anchor Jhansi, while SVBC Chief Executive Officer Narasimha Rao supervised the arrangements.
