3. A Glimpse into the Andhra Satavahanas and More

3. A Glimpse into the Andhra Satavahanas The year was 1982. Headlines of several newspapers screamed that N.T.Rama Rao (NTR) and Ramakrishna Hegde had formed non-Congress governments in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka respectively. Soon I was accosted by a few friends in the Hindu College canteen, where I was then a student. As a ‘Madrasi’, I was expected to enlighten them on developments in the two southern states. These incidents were noteworthy on two accounts; most denizens of northern part of India were unaware of southern states other than Tamil Nadu, Second, in the pre-globalisation era and before the advent of Google anyone from south of the Vindhyas was a ‘Madrasi’. In the alcoves of my memory bank names like Pallavas, Cholas and Cheras resounded, but I was clueless about the Satavahana dynasty. Indians by and large are ignorant about their culture and resplendent history and pay scant respect to it. Delving into my history books I discovered an interesting and glorious history. Governance in the Satavahana kingdom was organised on classical conformist lines. There are references to the kingdom in various Ashokan scriptures and also by the ancient Greek traveller Megasthenes. The Aitareya Brahamana classifies Satavahana beyond the pale of Aryanism. While the Nasik Prasasti lays claim to Gautami as a brahman who perhaps founded the dynasty. There is faint numismatic evidence that the Satavahana dynasty spanned present day Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Epigraphic evidence also attribute Andhra is the tribal name; Satavahana, the dynastic one and Satkarni, the patronymic. Other historians claim the Satavahanas were of Naga origin. As one sifts through the history of the Satavahanas, shrouded as it is by several foggy analyses, there are some robust literary sources which provide an insight into this kingdom. The Puranas mention thirty kings, Gunadhaya’s Brihatkatha and the literary text Leelavati refer to the majestic military exploits of a certain King Hala. The Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela refers to Gautami Balasari as the first ruler, a fact accepted at a few inscriptions in Sanchi too. After Gautami, there were astute kings in Simuka, Krishna and Satakarni, who administered the kingdom. Subsequently, principal kings like Raja Raja, Swamin and Pulamavai acquired power and the Satavahanas flourished. It became a naval power and established capital centres at Vaijayanti and Amravati. The kingdom was divided into janapadas, which were further segregated into aharas. Each ahara was under the vicelike grip of an Amatya. It is worthwhile to mention the basic unit of ahara was the grama, with the village headman, who was called gamika. The central piece of their administration was that the empire connected the northern parts of India with the southern parts, providing a valuable channel for transfer of ideas and commerce. It is quite riveting that centuries later, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana continue to play pivotal roles in modern day Indian governments, be it National Front, UPA and NDA. I wonder how many people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would be aware of the glorious history of the Satavahana dynasty. It is perhaps our pedagogy which deprives students of awareness of this precious chapter in our glorious history. Only those who pursue history or archaeology as subjects or opt for history in the Civil Services examination are exposed to these incidents of ancient Indian history. There would be several such clans and dynasties in India about which we have little information. 4. The Story of the Telugu Language “Language comes first. It’s not that language grows out of consciousness, if you haven’t got language, you can’t be conscious,” writes the fabled British author Alan Moore. One can perhaps say prior to the onset of liberalisation and Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao occupying the exalted position of Prime Minister, every one living south of the Vindhyas was a ‘Madrasi’. I reckon even today, one would only sporadically be aware that Telugu is a vowel ending language, and is among the four Dravidian languages. This language has been acclaimed as the “Latin of East” for its mellifluous quality and is the second largest spoken language in India after Hindi. Very few know that Telugu literature has produced two Jnanpith awardees. These are Viswanatha Satyanarayana, who was decorated with the award for his traditional Kavya, Ramayana Kalpavriksham in 1970 and Dr C. Narayana Reddy for creating a lengthy poem in free verse, Viswambhara in the year 1988. These are precious nuggets which ought to be cherished by the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other Telugu speaking people in the country. Telugu literature or sahityam is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It comprises of poems, novels, short stories, dramas, ghazals and puranas. The embellished and ornate corpus of Telugu literature has its roots going to the early 10th century period. The Prabandha Ratnavali written in 1918 describes graphically the existence of Jain-Telugu literature during 850 BC–1000BC. In the nascent phase, it was in inscriptions that the language took literary shape. Telugu has been appropriately accorded classical status along with Sanskrit, Tamil and Kannada by the Government of India. As per myths and tradition the first Telugu author was Kannaiah, who lived at the court of Andhiraya. During the reign of that king, Sanskrit was said to have been introduced in the Telugu country and Kannaiah had apparently dealt with Telugu grammar after the methods of Sanskrit philologists. Alas his works are lost in the sands of time. Three of the earliest prominent writers of Telugu language were Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana. They had translated Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharata into Telugu. This work was commenced by Nannaya at the behest of the Chalukya king, Rajaraja Narendra. Nannaya wrote two and half parvas, thereafter Tikkana was to write from the fourth parva till the end and Errana accomplished the onerous task of translating the Aranaya portion. The troika are thus referred to as Kavitraya. Thus, the Mahabharata is the first comprehensive literary text written in Telugu way back in 1053 AD. One stumbles into the history of the language while studying the trajectory of its growth. The primary genre from the 11th century to 18th century was essentially – Itihasam, Puranam and Kavyam. Itihasam revolves around the ballads of kings and the myths of Gods and Goddesses. This literature pivots around the quintessential questions of truth and dharma. Puranams focussed on the narrative of the universal creator and his myriad forms, the stories of avatars, with an intention to inspire devotion and give rise to spiritual pursuit. Kavya is an amalgam of myth and fiction. The pleasing style, the syntax and grammar was to make it popular among the masses. Apart from the above three were the Sataka, Yakshagana and Padakavita, literary performing arts. The inspirational troika were to fire the imagination of 12th century poets like Palkuriki Somanatha and Nannechoda and the 14th century prodigious writers like Nachana and Srinatha and Pothana during the next century. It would be pertinent to mention that the contribution of the troika whetted the appetite of several woman poets to pen their thoughts; these included Tallapaka, Timmakka, Molla, Rangajamma, Muddu Palani, Ramabhadramba and Tharigonda Vengamamba. Meanwhile Hindu mainstream thoughts and practices were dominated by strands of thoughts emanating from Vaishnavism and Shaivism. These movements influenced the estimable corpus of Telugu literature. Miles away at Chitrakoot, Goswami Tulsidas, author of the venerable Ramcharitra Manas was deeply anguished about the rivalry and the resultant bloodshed between the proponents of Vaishnavism and Shaivism. So much so, he beseeched his Ishta Devata, Lord Ram to pay obeisance to Shiva (for peace to prevail). This finds mention in his text through the importance of the religious place Rameswaram. But people, I reckon are ignorant that Tikkana, one of the prominent members of the troika responded to a similar unabated rivalry by declaring his religion as Hariharadwaita (a combination of Shiva and Vishnu). How history is recorded, written and portrayed indeed shapes our thoughts and vision. It is a quirk of fate that folklore regales us with numerous Akbar- Birbal encounters; history does not provide the aperture for Krishnadevaraya – Tenali Ramakrishna repartees. This was the golden period of Telugu literature. The Ashtadiggajas (the eight great poets) in Telugu exemplified variety, creativity and diversity in the language. Krishnadevaraya, synonymous with Vijanagara Empire, was himself a scholar of immense repute. During his reign, not only did he patronise art forms but over saw the flourishing genres like Kavya, Prabandha, Purana, Yakshagana and prose genre. The prodigious works of Vemana in the 18th century ushered in satire into Telugu literature. The story of Telugu literature would be incomplete if Annamacharya’s writings (Padakavita or renditions in praise of Lord Venkateswara, Hanuman and the Narasimha Avatar), Saint Tyagaraja’s Kritis and contribution towards Kuchipudi dance and Saint Ram Dasa’s Dasarathi Satakam and Surabhi theatre are not mentioned. Life is synodic and Telugu literature went into decline for some time. It was revved up with the Bengal Renaissance, the advent of printing press and growth of English education and literature. Around this time Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu emerged as a profound thinker and a colossus of Telugu literature through novels, one-act plays, essays, columns, biographies and autobiography. Alongside emerged Kanyasulkam Gurazada Apparao to write modern plays. Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats inspired the Romantic Movement in Telugu literature, where there was unalloyed focus on pristine love, dignity of women, spirituality, sentiment where lyricism was the bedrock of all writing and from the penumbra emerged writers like Rayaprolu Subbarao, Devualpally Krishna Shastry, Nayani and Nanduri Subba Rao and Gurram B Joshua. Krishna Paksham by Krishna Shastry is a monumental work of this period. The ever evolving story of Telugu literature wound its way through the nationalist, progressive, revolutionary, feminist and Dalit movements where several writers emerged. “Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts,” writes the famous author Patrick Rothfuss. 5. History of Verdant Godavari “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” is a captivating sentence in the Rudyard Kipling poem ‘The Ballad of East and West’. Never the Twain Shall Meet is also the title of two prominent Hollywood blockbusters, including a 1925s silent movie. Dhowleswaram is a prominent place in the Godavari delta. It is here that the majestic River Godavari assumes the shape of the geometrical figure of a triangle. The Vasishta River which is on the west delta forms the boundary between the two districts of East and West Godavari. The landscape west of Vasishta is West Godavari and locales east of it fall under the jurisdiction of East Godavari. The twain indeed do not meet, just a physical contiguity. The prepossessing Konaseema is the area between Vasishta and Gouthami rivers. This is the verdant and alluring triangle. Konaseema is an integral of East Godavari. Konaseema lies south of Gouthami and east of Vasishta. West Godavari district or Paschima Godavari Jilla is one of the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative headquarters of the district is the viridescent town of Eluru. The town is sandwiched by Krishna district on the west, East Godavari (on the east), the gargantuan Bay of Bengal on the south and the newly carved state of Telangana to the north. History The Chalukyas were once the potentates of coastal Andhra (700 AD-1200 AD), with Vengi as their capital. Historical evidences of the empire have been discovered in the villages of Pedavegi and Guntupalli (Jilakarragudem). It is noteworthy to mention that Eluru was then to become part of the Kalinga Empire until 1471. Later it fell under the Gajapathi dynasty. In 1515 Sri Krishna Deva Raya overran Eluru and subsequently when the Vijayanagara kingdom capitulated to the Sultan of Golkonda, Kutub Shah, the town exchanged hands once again. In modern times during the reign of the Britishers, West Godavari District was formed with Eluru as the headquarters and all the district offices and regional offices were set up at Eluru. West Godavari district was hived from the existing Godavari District in the year 1925. The erstwhile Godavari district was renamed East Godavari district and the new district was named as West Godavari district. West Godavari has a flat terrain and generally the rivers in the district move from western to eastern direction. Three rivers cut across the district, namely Godavari, Yerrakaluva and Tammileru. Paddy, banana, sugarcane, and coconut are the principal agricultural products of the district apart from the buoyant fisheries and prawn cultivation. Further, cashew nut, mango and tobacco have received impetus over the years, making them significant products from the district. Some Important Towns Bhimavaram or ‘The Gift of Bhima’, named after the celebrated Pandava is a prominent township. Legends mention that around 890 AD –918 AD, an Eastern Chalukya king named Chalukya Bheema built a famous Shiva Temple here. The town was originally called ‘Bhimapuram’ but was subsequently changed to ‘Bhimavaram’. Some important temples dotting the landscape of Bhimavaram and nearby towns are the Sri Someswara Temple, the Amararama Temple in Amaravathi, the Kumararama Temple in Samalkota and the Ksheera Rama Temple in Palakollu. The Shiva lingam at the Sri Someswara Temple is known for its unique properties. It is believed that the lingam had been installed by Lord Chandra. The colour of the linga assumes alterations as per the penetration of the lunar rays. During full moon days it dramatically transforms into shimmering white while on the day of Amavasya (no moon) it metamorphoses into black. Sri Adikesava Embermannar Swamy Temple at Narsapur is of similar architecture and design as the renowned Sriperumbudur Temple in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly this is the only temple where Goddess Lakshmi has a name attributed to a devotee of the lord; the Goddess of fortune or ‘Varaprasadi’, the one who bestows all wishes. The Aasanam (altar) of Sri Emberumanar Swamy is called Bhadravedi or Thrivedi, exemplar of authority in the triad of Sruthis namely Bheda, Abheda, and Ghataka. The Jagan Mohini Kesava Swamy temple is renowned at the township of Rayali. The exquisite idol, made of black stone depicts Maha Vishnu and Mohini on the anterior and rear respectively. The surrealistic idol is a marvel of sculptural dexterity. As per popular folklore once a flower from the plait of Mohini fell on the ground during a squabble over sharing of the Holy Divine Nectar (Amrit) and thus the town acquired the name Rayali (‘to fall’ in Telugu language). It is widely believed that unmarried girls discover a suitor by performing 108 Pradakshinams (circumambulations) on seven continuous Tuesdays, paying obeisance at the Maddi Anjaneya Swamy temple at Gurvaigudem. Worshipping the Lord unflinchingly on Saturdays diminishes the malefic effects on the devotee from demonic forces and unfavourable planetary configurations. Scenically situated at the banks of River Godavari, Rajahmundry is often described as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh. There are twenty-nine important temples in Rajahmundry and it is among the major Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. The bustling city is also popular for the duo decennial congregations of Pushkaralu. Rajahmundry witnesses a spectacular festival where millions of devotees throng its soil. There is the famous Kotilingeswara Temple, a prominent religious site which was built in the 10th century. This temple has bathing ghats all around it. The loftily constructed temple attracts thousands of pilgrims. The Draksharamam Temple, Mahalaxmi Gudi, Markandeya Temple, Iskcon Temple, Somalamma Temple are other significant places of worship in Rajahmundry. Only by travelling across the swathes of East and West Godavari can a tourist appreciate the pristine fragrance and unalloyed culture of the place, populated by people who are by nature highly emotive. “Whether we like it or not, we all come from someplace. And at some point in our lives, we have to make peace with that place”, writes the author Jeffrey Stepakoff. 6. Resplendent Rayalseema: Temples and More The year was 2004. It was the first day of November when I alighted from a train at Guntakal in the Rayalseema area of the undivided Andhra Pradesh to take charge as the Senior Divisional Operations Manager at Guntakal Division. Guntakal is a bijou town known primarily for its railway establishment. The Divisional headquarters provides preeminent connectivity from Chennai towards Mumbai, Howrah and Bengaluru. The region is endued with high-priced minerals and metals like dolomite, bauxite, quartz, limestone, and iron ore. There are important cement factories that dot the landscape. My brief in operations was to enhance iron ore exports to China (the country was building stadia across its landscape) by ensuring efficient loading from a host of terminals spanning from Bellary to Guntakal West. Apart from mineral deposits, there is the Rayalseema Thermal Power Plant at Muddanur that generates power to illuminate the area; Temples of Modern India, to quote Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Rayalseema is an arid and sun-baked region by day and as the sun sinks into the western skies, an unexpected chill sets in and a cool breeze wafts across the desiccated landscape. I distinctly recall that potable water was in short supply and the railway establishment imported cans of water from Nandaluru, another nanoscopic almost vest-pocket size town in the region. I hurriedly freshened up and reached my new office. However my personal secretary had other ideas. He declared in a rather supplicant manner, “Saar, you have to pay obeisance to Lord Hanuman who had wrecked havoc over the diabolical and demonic Ravana.” Thus pell-mell we made our way to the Sri Nettikanti Anjaneya Swami Temple, the famous Lord Hanuman temple in Kasapuram, barely 4km from the railway station. Little did I know that our religious sojourn would not terminate there. In quick succession I was chaperoned to the Buggasangala Sivalayam, Jambudweepachakra at Konakondla, Sri Venkateswara Temple and eventually to the Sri Guntakallappa Temple (the presiding deity of Guntakal). I well nigh wondered whether such a delay would be viewed in proper spirit by my new boss. However the effervescent Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. Carmelius parried my doubts. Waving his hands affectionately, he mentioned that he too had undertaken a parikrama of these holy shrines upon joining the coveted post. Later I realised, it was almost an unwritten ukase for all railwaymen joining Guntakal Division. Officers of all faiths, castes and creeds undertake this peregrination to ward off the baleful eye. I was quintessentially impressed with the plurality and facileness of the denizens of Guntakal. The Rayalseema is a geographic entity in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It includes the southern districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur, an area of 67,526 km2. Although Rayalseema is a piffling region compared to the rest of Telugu-speaking areas, its contribution to Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Urdu arts, culture and literature is unparalleled. The well-known suzerain of the Rayalseema region was Sri Krishnadevaraya. It was also the original home of the Eastern Chalukyas, who gradually expanded their sway over Karnataka under pressure from the Chola kings. During the British era, the Nizam of Hyderabad ceded this area to the British, and the area came to be known as the ‘Ceded Districts’. Around the time of the freedom movement, the area was renamed as Rayalseema; an amalgamation of the words ‘Rayala’ (from the title ‘Raya’ or ‘Rayalu’ used by the Vijayanagara kings) and ‘seema’, which was an administrative unit of the Vijayanagara Empire. Rayalseema is larger than several states in India and borders Tamil Nadu to the south, Karnataka to the west and Telangana to the north. The region contributes 52 assembly segments to Andhra Pradesh state legislature and 8 parliamentary constituencies. These Telugu-speaking districts were part of the Madras Presidency until 1953, when Telugu-speaking districts of the Presidency were carved out to form Andhra State. From 1953 to 1956, the region was part of Andhra State. In 1956, the Telangana region too was merged with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh State. Earlier, Bellary district too was part of Rayalseema. With the formation of states based on languages, Bellary was joined to Karnataka though the city continues to have large numbers of Kannada and Telugu speaking people. It would be singular to mention that signs and symbols play a role in all the world’s religions as objects on which thoughts and prayers can be focussed. Spiritual and religious symbols point a way through the numinous world of religious belief, acting as badges of faith, teaching tools and aids on the pilgrimage towards appreciating complex philosophies. The landscape of Rayalseema is dotted with a humungous number of temples and pilgrimage spots which provide sanctuary to the faithful. The most prominent is the Lord Venkateswara Temple, the Lord of Seven Hills at Tirumala. There are several others too. Important among these is the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjana Swami temple at Srisailam, the only temple in India revered as a Jyotirlinga and Shaktipeeth. The fabled Khadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Kadri and Tallapaka the birthplace of the legendary Annamayacharya are significant spots. In modern times the devout make a beeline to the Raghavendra Swami Mutt at Mantralayam on the banks of Tungabhadra River. Raghavendra Swami is believed to be in a state of live samadhi over here. At Puttaparthi is Prashanti Nillayam, where Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba lived and cast his mortal self. The abode of Jiddu Krishnamurthy, erudite scholar and philosopher is located at Madanapalle near Horsley Hills. The region of Rayalseema is replete with history, historical places, ancient historical sites like the Belum caves and an array of temples. It is a must visit area for agnostics, theists and atheists alike. “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you all,” wrote Khalil Gibran. The inhabitants of Rayalseema adhere to this principle in letter and spirit. 7. Vijayanagara- The Many Splendoured Empire Bahubali, the talismanic film captured the imagination of cinemagoers across India and the globe for its sheer grandeur, majestic sets, scintillating music and riveting storyline. Meanwhile, one hears the news that the epic, Mahabharata, embellished with some of the finest troupers of the Indian film firmament is being currently filmed and is slated for a 2020 release. The geometry and the architecture of Bahubali and the epic Mahabharata-in-the-making force my mind to delve into the planning and construction of Vijayanagara republic. The domain, span and politics of the period is merely one aspect of the empire, but what is noteworthy and even more spectacular is the administrative policies and contribution to art, architecture, literature and in particular poetry. The state was bifurcated into several provinces to facilitate administration. There were apparently 200 in number and superintended by viceroys called Nayaks. At the bottom of the pyramid was the village administrative units called agraharas. While working on Guntakal Division of South Central Railway, I would tear away to the Tungabhadra Dam and also to Hampi, where some of the most resplendent and transcendental temples have been constructed from single cut rock pieces. I was transfixed, in absolute awe as my travel guide used his dexterous fingers to generate the notes of classical Indian music from stone pillars. Anyone would be transported to an ethereal world, listening to the seven swaras (notes) – Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa- emanating from the pillars of the temple. The figurative drama was embellished in stone. I was in tranquillity as I embraced a few moments of symphony in my cacophonous mind. The Vijayanagara Empire was an offspring of the latitude and ideology of the resurgent populace of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka regions, who usurped power from the decadent Sultanate confederation. There were waves of uprisings and mutinies triggered and fashioned by the King of Kampili across present day Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, circa 1327. The year 1334 was momentous. It was a triumphant victory when the Sultanate was overthrown by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka. The progenitors of Sangama of the Hoysala dynasty, the brothers were deployed by Mohammed bin Tughlaq to vanquish the Sultanate. It is believed they briefly turned apostates and were converted to Islam and subsequently were proselytised to Hinduism. The high noon of the kingdom was maritime connectivity with Europe. The republic of Vijayanagara was endowed with several rulers, but singular in expanding the frontiers and stamping its authority across the Tungabhadra basin and peninsular India was the talismanic sovereign, Krishnadevaraya. Krishnadevaraya was a precocious poet who wrote in Telugu and Sanskrit. It is a travesty that only two of his works (Amuktama in Telugu and Jamvati Kalyanam, a Sanskrit drama) are extant. Tragically, the remaining works have been lost in sands of time. Nevertheless historians akin the period to the Augustan age of Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Sanskrit literature. Vijayanagara art, despite its Dravidian roots had a distinctive characteristic. It was a period of renaissance where ceremonial observances were pronounced by anthropomorphic attributes of the presiding deity. The opulent classes were known to live a life of reverie and indulgence. Polygamy was practised widely. However, there were prominent women such as Ganga Devi and Tirumalamba Devi who authored Madhura Vijayam and Varadambika Parinayam in Telugu. Reams can be written about this fascinating chapter of medieval South Indian history. Without doubt it was a dramatic phase in the history of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Youngsters today should not only watch Bahubali, but pore over this glorious chapter to enhance their vistas.