SIDDIPET: A palpable sense of loss enveloped Rebarthi village in Maddur Mandal of Siddipet district, the native home of renowned poet and writer Ande Sri, as soon as the news of his death from a heart attack spread on Monday.
Ande Sri, who penned the iconic Telangana State Song, Jaya Jaya He Telangana, had earned widespread acclaim for his literary contributions. Hearing the news, villagers began converging on the house where he spent his childhood.
Elderly residents and youth gathered to recall their association with Ande Sri. Ponnam Raju, who is related to the late poet as a son-in-law, said Ande Sri worked hard from a young age, starting his life as a shepherd and later working in agricultural fields. Raju added that the song Ande Sri sang in his childhood, Palle Neeku Vandanam (Salutations to you, village), still resonates in the hearts of the villagers.
Ramaiah, a childhood friend of Ande Sri, spoke about how they worked together during their younger days. He said the poet not only sang songs about the village’s toddy and date palm trees but also about the hardships of rural life. He shared that Ande Sri learnt his first letters (O-naa-maalu) from the village priest, Mallayya, and his wife, and had worked for a farmer named Shankaranarayana as a young boy.
From shepherd to state icon
Villagers confirmed that Ande Sri (original name Ande Yellayya) was born to Boddayya and Yellavva on July 17, 1961, in Rebarthi village, which was then part of the combined Warangal district but came under Siddipet district after the reorganisation of districts. Many recalled their memories with him.
Residents expressed immense pride that Ande Sri, who began his life as a shepherd in their village and later worked as a construction labourer after moving to Hyderabad around 30 years ago, had risen to a stature recognised not only in the Telugu states but across the nation.
As the news of the poet’s demise spread in the morning, students and teachers at the village school observed a two-minute silence and prayed for his soul to rest in peace.
Congress working president T Jayaprakash Reddy conveyed his condolences on the passing of Ande Sri. Jagga Reddy said the poet had ignited public consciousness with his songs during the Telangana movement and noted that the song he wrote is today the State Song of Telangana. He described Ande Sri’s death as an irreparable loss not only to the state but also to the literary world.
Ande Sri’s journey from a shepherd to a celebrated voice of Telangana remains a lasting inspiration for many in his native village and beyond.