HYDERABAD: Not many Telugus know Palkuriki Somanatha, one of the torch-bearing writers of the 12th or 13th century in Telugu and Kannada languages, was from Telangana.
Likewise, several Telugu language lovers are not aware of the fact that noted poet Ponniganti Thelagana, who produced first poetic work with indigenous Telugu words (without Sanskrit words), was from Patancheru in Medak. Another ancient poet Madiki Singana, whose Sakala Neethi Sammatham, a peotic work written to teach morals to people, is considered as a classic by scholars, hailed from Ramagiri in Peddapalli district.
This was all disclosed by none other than Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in state Assembly on Friday while issuing a statement on holding ‘World Telugu Conference’ in Hyderabad from Dec 15 to Dec 19. KCR, who holds masters degree in Telugu literature, tried to explain to the House how Telangana had played a key role in shaping the history of Telugu language.
The Chief Minister, who enthralled the audience by reciting ancient Telugu poems, during the civic reception organised for Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu recently, said, “Since times immemorial, Telangana has been a fertile ground for the Telugu literary treasure trove. Historical evidences prove that Telugu language has been in vogue in Telangana for the past 2,000 years. One can witness the basic Telugu word usages in King Haala’s Gadha Sapthasathi belonging to the first century itself.”
According to Rao, another epigraphical evidence could be found in the Jina Vallabha inscription of Bommalagutta in Kurikyala of Karimnagar district wherein the inscription contains Kanda Padyas, a prosodic form, extremely popular form of Telugu poetry. “Based on this, it is evident that Telangana, by 947 AD itself, had seen grammar-based literature.
Telangana is also the birth place of highly native experimental songs like Dwipada, two-liners,” Rao explained.The Chief Minister alleged that darkness had engulfed the literary tradition of Telangana in the erstwhile united state. Only a partial interpretation of the literary history of Telangana was in circulation in united state, he said.