HYDERABAD : Sixty-seven-year-old Gaddam Sammaiah, who has been selected for Padma Shri honour this year for his Yakshaganam art form, felt that the Central and State governments should support the Chindu and other art forms.
Expressing happiness over the conferment of the Padma award, Sammaiah said that the governments were encouraging classical dance forms but were neglecting the Chindu and other traditional dance forms.
He said he had so far given 19,000 performances. But, the State government would give only Rs 10,000 per performance and Rs 5,000 per transportation. “This amount would not be sufficient even to meet makeup charges for 12 artists in the troupe,” he said and added that the government should give at least Rs 30,000 per performance.
He said that he learnt the art from his father and grandfather. He created awareness on HIV and several social evils through his performances across the state.
Another awardee Dasari Kondappa said that he was the only artist in the state to use Burra Veena. He sings ‘tattvalu’ on his Burra Veena. It was a tradition passed on from one generation to the next generation in his family. He sang a song ‘’ayyo Sivudaa yemaaye...” in ‘Balagam’ movie which became a superhit.
He narrates Ramayana and Bharatam in his songs. He had spent 11 days in Hyderabad for the ‘Balagam’ movie. He would use bamboo and bottle gourd to make his Burra Veena. He only makes his own Burra Veena. He has so far given performances at several places including Hyderabad and Guntur. He was felicitated by Narayanapet district officials at the Republic Day ceremony on Friday.
A Velu Ananda Chari, Sthapathi (architect) said that he had worked as an advisor in the endowments department till 2012. Chari, who comes from a poor family, said that he used to get Rs 40 as a stipend during his student life. Of his paltry amount, he used to send Rs 10 to his mother in the village. Facing several hardships, he did his MA and even got a gold medal. He said that he was happy to receive the Padma award and thanked the Central government for honouring him.
Kurella Vittalacharya, who got Padma Shri for literature and education, said that he would dedicate the award to his village Vellanki in Ramannapet mandal in Yadadri district. Eighty-six-year-old Vittalacharya was surprised when he came to know that he got the Padma Shri award and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that he started several schools in order to promote education. He started close to 38 organisations to promote education and literature. He established a library in his village with two lakh books. He also penned 22 books on poetry. Prime Minister Modi referred his services in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme in 2021.
Kethavath Somlal, a singer, lyricist, and writer in Banjara language has been selected for the conferment of the Padma Shri honour. He has dedicated his life to the promotion of Lambada culture. He translated the Bhagavad Gita into Banjara which was published by the Tirumalal Tirupati Devasthanams. He is also promoting Bhog Bandar, a unique cultural celebration of the community in every village and thanda.
Two Padma awardees from same village
A tiny village - Bollepalle - achieved a rare distinction, as it won two Padma Awards. Bollepalle located in Bhuavangiri mandal in Yadadri-Bhongiri district. Kethavath Somlal, who won Padma Shri award this year, hails from Bollepalle. Politician Ravi Narayana Reddy, of the same village, was honoured with Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) in 1992. With this, the village got two awards. Another Padma Shri awardee this year Kurella Vittalacharya also hails from Yadadri