Vikruthi Naama Ugadi Subhakankshulu - 2010

History

The early Telugu migrants were brought in by British company to work in their coconut, Coco and
rubber plantations. The current generations of the existing telugus are the descendents of the
dedicated early telugu farmers.

But according to some records in the National Archives, libraries, museums and other individual
sources, Telugu emigrants first arrived in Malaya as agriculture workers for private enterprise from
Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean. The laborers were originally to be sent to Malaysia but were
taken to Mauritius instead, much to their disappointment! They were sent to work in the sugar cane
plantations there, and this was in the year 1835.Original registers if immigrant labour exhibited for
public information at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial hall in Mauritius have been preserved at our
national Archives in Malaysia. However Malaysian Telugus migrated from the coastal Andhra
Pradesh (India) about 150 years ago to the shores of Malaya. Another story that the early Telugu
migrants were brought in by British company to work in their coconut, Coco and rubber plantations.
The current generations of the existing Telugus are the descendents of the dedicated early telugu
farmers.

Telugu people have great and famous history and rich culture and heritage. Telugu language is the
sweetest languages of India also known “Italian of East”.

Descendent of this great Telugu heritage had migrated to different corners of the world in-search of
prosperity. Great populations of Telugu people migrated to South East Asian, African and American
countries.

Culture

Folk dances of their native places.

These folk arts bring joy and happiness and closeness among the community while relieving their
body from pain and sufferings of the day.
Chiruthalu (kolagtam) dhaatu bhajana gobbiillu saamu garidi chekka bajana etc are the some of gthe
folk dances perform till today.

Ramabhajans, folk songs are performed at the places of worship under the moon light. Along with the
folk dances and songs, the great kuchi pudi dance form is one of the surviving arts that solely belong
to people of Telugu land.

It is the responsibility of the current generation to preserve and propagate these great folk arts and
delivered to their next generation..

Burrakadha

Now a day’s Mass media in the form of radio TV and electronic media and news papers plays an
important role in delivering the information to the people.
However the ancient days before invention of electricity information are delivered through folk artists.
Harikatha, burrakadha are the common folk arts used to desciminate information to the people in the
ancient days these arts still survive in the rural Andhra Pradesh.
Dressing

Dressing is part and parcel of cultural heritage of community; similarly the Telugu community inherits
a unique costume.

Man: with dhothi (kattu panche, thalapaaga, (Andhra turbon) kanduvaaa (silk emboded and colour ful
shoulder piece along with silky and loose long shirts. (Jubba).

Woman: Women are more represented culturally by costume they wear from child hood to oldage.

The young girls ware a two piece dress calld Langaa Vooni. They come in different colours and
patterns. Their hare is gracefully plated in za single or a double lenth and adorned with colour full
flowers of the season.

Elderly women wares rthe colour full sarry which flows over their left or right shoulders.
Traditionally women prefer cotton saries during their daily life. And silk sariies for important functions.

WEDDING:

Telugu wedding ceremonies are begins 3 days before the wedding day. The First day all the ladies
ground the turmeric by singing songs. Second day they do the nalungu to the bride and the
bridegroom. And the wedding day the bride does the gouri pooja and goes to the kalyana mandapam.
The wedding starts with the kanyadhanam, we keep the curtain in between the bride and bridegroom
and follows the the wedding customs. In the right muhurtham time the bride and bridegroom puts the
grounded jeera and garrey on the heads. The meaning of putting the jagery and jeera is the jeera and
jaggry mix well with each other and made a strong binding..as like jeera and jaggary the couples also
mix well with love and affection…for life time…after that the mangalya dharan will follows that time all
the guest put the yellow rice on the heads of the newly wedded couple to give the blessings. Now
days in Malaysia there is great shortage of Telugu pujaris. So the wedding tradition is mixed with
other Indian culture.

FOOD:

Our Telugu food items are very very spicya and tasty. .In ordinary days we cook Rasam, Dhal, Dhal
rasam, brinjal, gongura, oma rasam..like that..in festival times and occasion times..we cook
Adhirasam, Burelu, Thipi garelu, Pongadalu, Chinni pokalu, Pala munjelu, and so on….and our
Telugu people are famous for cooking Pesarattu, Pappurotte, minaparotte, vamu rasam, avakaya,
like some Telugu special dishes. These cooking methods are done by our grandparents until now we
are following that golden tradition. Our dishes are not only tasty but healthy also.

LANGUAGE:

The British employers also built Telugu schools for telugu immigrant children along with basic
facilities. In areas where no Telugu schools the village leaders organised the teacher from the
neighbouring esates to teach the children in evenings. Those who studied in that schools until 6th
standard they become teachers for the next generation..And they are the key persons to form the
Telugu Association. And to the records in the year 1949 the education ministry declared 23 Tamil and
Telugu school and 14 Telugu schools..In 60s and 70s there were about 60 Telugu schools.

In 1980 the number of telugu schools decreased because of rural estate base Telugu schools were
unable to function in full capacities because of mass migration of younger generation to urban areas.
Thou the number of telugu schools decreased in number, the enthusiasum and love for Telugu
language and culture did not decreased. There is reflected by more Telugu association branches be
informed in this new areas. This becoming the centres for the Telugu classes.
The dynamic vision of our present President and commitee the enthusiasum to leran telugu and to
know its roots has increased among telugu people. Today we proudly inform that there are 3500
students learning read and write telugu every year…through POL classes, Moral camps, balavika
classes, and adult classes.
Our association every year conducts Telugu moral camps where Telugu is thought in easy method to
read and write in very short period.

ANDHRA (TELUGU) ASSOCAITON

1956 was the mile stone year in our Malaysian Telugu history. ‘Malaya Andhra Sanghamu’was
formed in that year. It is believe that it all started with for 7th standard Telugu students forming football
club and later forming Andhra Association. Some of founder leadears like Madhini Sominaidu, Netheti
Durgaiah and Kendal Siddhayya garu and many others.Later in 1963 it changed and registered into
Malaysia Andhra Sanghamu.
And it was in 1982, amended to as Telugu Association of Malaysia till to date.
From the beginning the Association was established as to promote, preserve and safeguard the
Telugu Language, safeguard the linguistic, educational, economic, social, cultural, spiritual and
religious interests of the members.
To create a sense of solidarity and fraternity amongst the members of the Telugu Community as well
as other communities in Malaysia. With the efforts of KV, Swami Bheesetti Nukayyagaru, Aadari
Appala naidu, Poli Setty Subramanyam and many others association members. In the year 1981
Andhra Association of Malaysia had the pride of conducting World telugu conference and Silver
Jubilee

TEMPLES;

You are all wellknown that Telugu people are not only honest and hardworking but also more and
good in spiritual activites. In those days thou their earning are very less but they used to spend some
money for spiritual purposes..like constructing temples and arranging spiritual gatherings at their
estates. In this junction they hae constructed so many vishnava temples like Sri Ramalayam , and the
great Lord Vekateswara temple in Bagan dato..Currently all these temples are manged by the Telugu
community with the support of telugu assocaiton of Malaysia. Those days the temples are the main
gathering places after hard working in estates. Here they do bhajans, and do the cultural programes
in week ends.

FETIVALS;

Like other communites Telugu people also celebrate the festivals very grandly and culturally. Among
all the festivals like Sankaranthi [pongal] Deepavali, Ugadi is the main festival for Telugu people.
Ugadi is the Telugu New year day.It comes on Chaithra Siuddha Padyami day every year. This day is
very aspisious day for us. On this day everyone wear new clothes and goes to temples and take
wishes from the elders. Ugadhi pacchadi is one of the important dish that will prepare by using 6
types of tastes [shadruchulu] The main purpose of eating the Ugadi pacchdi is to understand the life
cycle. That means life is a mix of sweet and sour hard and tender movements.