ADILABAD: In a remarkable cultural achievement, Thodasam Kailas, a government school teacher from Adilabad, has translated the sacred Sundarakanda into the Gondi language, titled Shobath Kadi, using the Telugu script.
The translation, composed as a collection of 37 songs, was completed in just 45 days. The book was officially released by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma during a grand event organised by the Vanvasi Kalyani Parishad in Mahbubnagar district on Sunday.
The event, which included 111 mass marriages (Samuhika Pellilu), saw the participation of distinguished guests, including former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, alongside Governor Varma, who jointly inaugurated the book. The programme highlighted the significance of preserving indigenous languages and cultural heritage.
Kailas, an avid pianist, drew inspiration for Shobath Kadi from his daily routine of playing the piano after morning prayers. He was deeply influenced by MS Rama Rao’s rendition of Sundarakanda, particularly the song “Pushpakamanu Maha Vimanadi,” performed in the Hindola raga.
After discovering Rao’s work on YouTube, Kailas felt compelled to create similar devotional songs in the Gondi language. “I thought it would be wonderful to have such songs in our language,” he said, reflecting on the spark that led to this project. Kailas recently completed a Gondi translation of the Mahabharata in four months and plans to translate the entire Ramayana soon.