VIZIANAGARAM: Mahakavi Gurajada Appa Rao’s death centenary was observed Sunday by recalling his contributions to Telugu literature and the nation. With the State government’s directions to organise the death centenary programmes of Gurajada, the district administration is conducting programmes for two days in the home town of Gurajada.
The programmes kick-started at Gurajada’s house in the morning with Housing minister K Mrunalini and collector MM Naik paying rich tributes to the Maha Kavi. The house was declared a heritage site and the government issued orders to hand over the same to the Archaeology Department.
On the occasion, the minister said that Gurajada was not only a poet, but ushered in several changes in society by curbing social evils. His legendary drama ‘Kanyasulkam’ and several other writings created massive awareness on several social evils like child marriages and restrictions on women, the minister said.
The collector said that Gurajada was the father of modern Telugu literature. In order to create awareness among the present generation, the government is organising several programmes on the occasion of the death centenary of the Maha Kavi, he added. On the occasion, the collector reminisced various popular poems and drams penned by Gurajada Appa Rao.
On the occasion, Maha Sahasravadhani Garikapati Narasimham exhorted the parents to mould their children by taking inspiration from Gurajada Appa Rao’s writings. He stressed the need to conserve the Telugu traditions and customs as western lifestyle was dominating the present era. The district administration organised a photo exhibition of heirlooms of Gurajada Appa Rao. Later, several cultural programmes were organised at Ananda Gajapathi auditorium.