‘An inspiration to many writers’

A file photo of Dasaradhi Rangacharya having a word with Chitrakavi Atreya, then president of literary organisation Sahridaya Sahiti, and Shekarmantri Prabhakara Rao, its member.

With the passing away of Dasaradhi Rangacharya, Indian literature has lost a great humanist, says writer Chintakindi Srinivas. “As a writer, Dasaradhi was a man of the people and his writings had a distinctive style and rich content that held a universal appeal. He was a source of inspiration to many writers,” he told The Hindu. “As a writer who tries to reach out to my audience in the local language, I grieve his loss,” Dr. Srinivas said.

Writer and former professor of Telugu, Vedula Subrahmanya Sastry, said Dasaradhi made a great contribution to Telugu literature with his efforts to make the Vedas, Ramayana and a number of Sanskrit literary works like Abhignana Shakuntalam accessible to the common man.

Shekarmantri Prabhakara Rao, secretary of Sahridaya Sahiti, recalled that the organisation felicitated Dasaradhi Rangacharya way back in 1998 and conferred on him the Gurajada Award. “His death is an immeasurable loss to the literary world,” he said.

A number of literary organisations in Vizag expressed their condolences at the passing away of the literary giant. The passing away of Dasaradhi has left a vacuum in Telugu literature, V. Shyamsundar, general secretary of Visakha Sanskrutika Samakhya, said in a release.