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Overview of AP |
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The Cultural Heritage of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is called as Trilingadesam and is a
land of rich Cultural Heritage, always upholding the great values for which
India stood for centuries. The state can be divided into three regions Coastal,
Telangana and Rayalseema. The coastal region is Saraswati, Rayalaseema is
Parvati, Telangana is Lakshmi. The land of Trilinga encompassed
by Daaksharama,
Srisailam and Kaleswaram is the present Andhra Pradesh.
The circars area
Telangana and Rayalseema, the Principle region of Andhra Pradesh have been on
the path of progress. With the fertile green belts running all over, it is also
called the "Grenery of South India". As the splendors of a thousand
lotuses blooming 'in a lake', as the million rays radiated by the Sun of
Culture, Telugu, the mother tongue of its people is praised as "the Italian
of the East" by eminent linguists all over the World, owing to its sweet
composition, for over centuries by great Art forms.
The state is an abode of many holy temples presided
over by Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala, Sri Mallikarjuna at Srisailam, Sri Rama at Badrachalam and
Kanakadurga at Vijayawada. It is a land of great rivers like the Krishna, the
Godavari, the Tungabhadra, and Penna that made the soils rich in life and
fertility. We are alluded to the Vedas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Andhra valour and intrepidity, affluence and well-being of two millennia age,
reflected in the writings of the Greek historian, Megasthenes, are to this day a
source of inspiration. It is know by the records of the Venetian traveller,
Marco Polo, who visited the Telugu Country during the time of Kakatiya Rudrama
Devi and was fascinated.
Famous scholars and philologists like Dr. Carvey, Dr.
Campbell, Dr. Caldwell, Henry Morris and the great intellectual and scientist
J.B.S. Haaldane, were all enchanted by the beauty and grace of the Telugu
Language. Telugu verses are found in the inscriptions belonging to an era of fine
literary composition. In the beginning of the twelfth century another handloom
piece of writing, Kumara Sambhavam was written by Nannechoda. It may be counted
as the first Prabandha in Telugu. After Nannechoda came Mallikarjuni
Panditarudhyulu. In the fourteenth century the great poet Tikkanna translated
fifteen cantos of the Mahabharata commencing from the fourth. He could not
complete part of the third canto which was completed by Nannaya. Another good
literary composition of 14th century is Nachana Somanatha's Uttara Harivamsam.
With Srinatha honoured with the title Kavi Sarvabhouma (the emperor of poets) introduced the
Kavya epoch to the history of Telugu literature. Our first twin poets were Nandi
Mallaya and Ganta Singana of the 15th century. In the beginning of the 16th
century with the advent of Andhra Bhoja Sri Krishnadevaraya into the pleasant
gardens of Telugu literature, Prabandhas rose to the level of gentle breezes.
Later emerged Kshetrayya and Tyagayya. They
provided Music and Literature in equal measure and are the pride of the Telugus.
The great Vemana of the eighteenth century has bequeathed to us verses in the
homely ataveladi poetic style. His maxims and home truths, were simple and tense. The gigantic projects like the Nagarjuna Sagar and Vamsadhara
are the
called the temples of modern times.
Andhra Pradesh is also a land of splendid
historical cities like Warangal, Rajahmundry, Tirupathi and Hyderabad with
historical monuments such as Kakatiya Gate at Warangal, Golconda, Charminar and
Mecca Masjid at Hyderabad. Hyderabad is a great centre of not only cultural efflorescence but
also is a symbol of national integration.
In the vicinity of the present
Nagarjunakonda there was Vijayapuri with all its eminence and affluence. Nagarjuna
Konda is the symbol of the fine culture of the Telugus inter twined with the
history of Ikaswakus. At that time it was a great Buddhist pilgrim centre.
Inestimable is the art of the Nagarjunakonda sthupa. The sculptural art of the
Telugu of the time was applauded as the best in India. The motif of the
sculpture of those times was 16th depiction of the life story of Buddha. Over
and above, the sculptures mired Andhra contemporary life. Our history and
culture of that period is reflected in those Sculptures.
Throughout the year, the people of Andhra Pradesh
lead life in joyous abundance celebrating their traditional and national
festivals with music, dance, drama and other performing arts including folk art
form.
Classical Dance
Spontaneity and the joy of life are
the soul of dance and Music and the quest of every artist. Its endeavour is to
search for the ultimate in perfection of body and mind through these art forms.
India offers not one, but several well defined classical dance forms. Each
represents an entire Culture, the ebony of people and personalized artistic
signature. Chief among them and at present the most popular classical
styles of dance seen on the stage are Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam,
Kathak, oddisi, Kathakali and Manupuri.
Indian dance is based upon the concepts on Nritya. Nritya of raga, tala of hastas, nayaka-nayika bhava, and of the guru
shishya parampara. The common foundation of all the major forms rest on the
authority of ancient and revered texts.
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi, one of the four classical dance forms of natya shastra, owes its name and existence to a small village on the Krishna
belt in Andhra Pradesh called Kuchipudi. It is a consequent result of the Bhakti
Andolan during the 6th century. In the 7th century, Siddhendra Yogi, one of the
Kuchipudi's original exponents, took a group of village boys and trained them, to
present a dance-drama and purposely elevated this dance-drama performance which became
a tradition.
The exponents of this dance need to be well versed in dance,
mime, music and song. Apart from being a good dancer and an actor, he/she needs to have
fine knowledge of the languages like Sanskrit and Telugu.
Kuchipudi is played under the night sky on makeshift ramps.
The main role played in these dance dramas is the choreographer who keeps the whole show
under a tight grip and infuses a continuity by his showmanship. Its fast paced nature has
propelled this dance form into renowned art drama.
The popularity of this dance form was on a wane because of a
false allegation that Kuchipudi tended to be folklorish. Wiping away such allegations is
the world renowned choreographer, Vempatti 'chinna' Satyam, who with his life long
dedication brought this dance form out of the village's boundaries and gave it it's
rightful place in the world of dance.
Andhra Natyam
Andhra Natyam is an ancient lasya dance tradition
performed by female dance artistes of Andhra Pradesh for the last two thousand
years in Bouddha Aaramas, Temples, Courts of Maharajahs and in public places for
the common people. This art is the spiritual expression of the Telugu people and
another unique dance form of this state. Nava Janaardana Parijatam is an episode from the
divine life of Lord Krishna, the Blue God and his spouse Satyabhama.
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