RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The city marked the 'Sahasrabdi' (1000 years) of Andhra Mahabharatam that was penned by Nannaya Bhattaraka, the first poet in Telugu. The historic city also celebrated the millenary of the establishment of the historic city and King Rajaraja Narendra's coronation. The event was held at Thyagaraja Narayanadasa Hall on Saturday.
Literary bigwigs and Telugu language lovers joined the 'Palliki Seva' for Nannaya Bhattaraka. The statues of Rajaraja Narendra and poet Nannaya were garlanded. Nannaya is also known as Adikavi, meaning the first poet.
Retired Telugu Professor from Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Mahamahopadhyaya Salaka Raghunatha Sarma inaugurated the event and said Nannaya was one of the greatest Telugu poets of 11th century AD.
'He is father of ancient Telugu poetry'
Adikavi wrote Mahabharatam in 1022 AD, which is considered a landmark in the history of Telugu literature.“Nannaya wrote this literary work at the behest of King Rajaraja Narendra, who was his patron. He wrote the first treatise on Telugu grammar, Andhra Shabda Chintamani, in Sanskrit.
Nannaya translated about 142 verses of Aadi, Sabha and Aranya chapters of the Sanskrit Mahabharata and made several alterations to the original version. "He penned his own version of Andhra Mahabharatam," Mahamahopadhya Salaka Raghunatha Sarma explained.
The professor added that while Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu, also from Rajamahendravaram, can be referred as the father of modern literature, Nannaya was the father of ancient Telugu poetry.
Telugu legendary writers Nadupalli Sriramaraju, Dr Rankireddy Ram Mohana Rao, Dr Kesapragada Satyanarayana, Dr Moganti Sudhamai, Dr KVND Vara Prasad and Dr K Suhasini Anand were also present.