AP vexillologist makes Tricolour fly high

Kambhampati Sanjeeva Rao, a 61-year-old vexillologist from Thiruvuru, Krishna district, has become one of India’s most renowned flag makers, with his work adorning key landmarks across the country.

VIJAYAWADA: In a country where the tricolour, designed by Andhra Pradesh’s freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya, stirs every Indian’s soul, Kambhampati Sanjeeva Rao, a 61-year-old vexillologist from Thiruvuru, Krishna district, has become one of India’s most renowned flag makers, with his work adorning key landmarks across the country.

Starting his passion at the age of 35, Rao, raised in Khammam, now settled in Hyderabad, has crafted some of the largest national flags in India, including a 32x48-foot flag on a 165-foot pole in Kurnool, a 20x30-foot flagon a 100-foot pole at the AP DGP office.

Rao’s journey into vexillology, the study of flags, began with his keen interest in collecting flags, stamps, currencies, and coins from over 200 countries. When certain flags were unavailable, he sewed them himself, a skill passed down from his mother. “My mother, Sarojini, taught me to sew, and that skill brought me fame. My father, Swamydas, encouraged independent thinking,” Rao shared with TNIE.

My mother, Sarojini, taught me to sew, and that skill brought me fame. I want this gallery to be a hub of knowledge for students, a place where the legacy of our flags can be cherished - Kambhampati Sanjeeva Rao, vexillologist

His breakthrough came in 2016 when he was tasked with sewing a 72x108-foot national flag on a 291-foot pole, weighing 80 kg, for Telangana’s State Formation Day, which he completed in just 13 days. The then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao envisioned hoisting the largest national flag in Hyderabad’s Sanjeevaiah Park. This achievement marked his ascent as one of India’s top flag makers, now recognized as the fourth-largest in the country.

Rao’s family plays an integral role in his flag-making business. His wife, Padmavati, and his sons, Srikanth and Gowtham, and daughters-in-law Snigdha and Ramyavani, are all involved in the operations of their company, Flags and Poles.

“Each flag carries a piece of our hearts,” says Padmavati, who plays a key role and oversees operations.

The company has installed 23 flag poles across four States and supplies flags to 18 States. One of their notable achievements was crafting a 122x183-foot Indian National Flag weighing 250 kg, unveiled by Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan in 2018. Later they produced a 100 x 160 feet LGBTQ flag for Deloitte, Hyderabad.

Rao’s contributions extend beyond India. As the president of the Indian Vexillological Association, he has represented India at the International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) since 2005 and will attend the upcoming conference in China this August 11 to 23. He is also working towards hosting the 32nd ICV in India in 2028.

Rao has ambitious plans to establish the world’s largest flag gallery in the Telugu States on a two-acre site to display his extensive collections. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 25 crore, and Rao hopes for government support to make it a reality. “I want this gallery to be a hub of knowledge for students, a place where the legacy of our flags can be cherished,” he told TNIE.