A brief intro to Telugu Literature

by correspondent

Telugu literature is the literature of the Telugu people, an ethnic group based in southern India.
Early history
Telugu literature prior to Nannayya Bhattarakudu’s Andhra Mahabharatamu was not preserved,
except royal grants and decrees. So, Nannayya is known as Aadi Kavi (the first poet). The advanced and
well-developed language used by Nannayya suggests that this may not be the beginning of Telugu literature.
Andhra Mahabharatamu was later furthered by Tikanna Somayaji (1205–1288) , to be finally
completed by Yerrapragada (fourteenth century). Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the
Kavitraya or the three great poets of Telugu for this mammoth effort. Other such translations like
Marana’s Markandeya Puranam, Ketana’s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada’s
Harivamsam followed.
It was almost the end of the eleventh century by the time the original Telugu literature came to exist. Some of
the early landmarks are Srinathudu’s Sringara Naishadham, Potana’s Dasamaskandham,
Jakkana’s Vikramarka Charitra and Talapaka Timmakka’s Subhadra Kalyanam. Literary
activities flourished, during the rule of Vijayanagara dynasty. Krishnadevaraya’ s time (sixteenth
century) is considered the golden age in the history of Telugu literature. The king, a poet himself, introduced
the Prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Telugu literature with his Amukta Malyada. His court had the
Ashtadiggajas (literally "eight elephants") who were the known to be the greatest of poets of that time.
Some critics dismiss the following period, dominated by prabandhas, as a decadent age. Of the dozens of
works of the eighteenth to mid nineteenth century, Kankanti Paparaju’s Uttara Ramayana in campu
style and the play Vishnumayavilasa stand out. Other genres bloomed at the same time. Innumerable
Yakshaganas or indigenous dramas of song and prose works were also produced. Tyagaraja
(1767–1847) of Tanjore composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire
of Carnatic music.
Modern history
Charles Philip Brown (1798-1884), was an employee of East India Company whose quest to understand the
basic structure of Telugu language made him embark upon an exploration of Telugu literature. His pursuit is
said to be the only present day source of the many classics in Telugu literature.
Although the first printed Telugu book was out in 1796, it was a while before the modern period in Telugu
literature set in. Young men acquainted with English literature were influenced by Shelly, Keats and
Wordsworth, and a new type of romantic poetry called the Bhavakavithwam was born.
Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848-1919) wrote the first novel in Telugu, Rajashekharacharitramu. Next came
the vyavaharika bhasha vadam or using colloquial langauage in script. Gurajada Apparao with his close
associates such as Gidugu Rammurty were primarily responsible for the beginnings of this. His 1910 work
Mutyala saralu along with Kattamanchi Ramalingareddy's musalamma maranam (1898), and Rayaprolu
Subbarao’s Trunakankatam (1913) form the earliest works heralding a break with traditional poetry.
This is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kankadurga. According to the legend, Maharaja Parikshit (the
grandson of Arjun) performed "Sarpa Yagya" to rid himself of a curse. When Garuda, the eagle, was
transporting the snakes their blood is said to have fallen in seven places, which became streams. All of them
meet here to form river Manjeera. This picturesque spot marks the confluence of seven rivulets into Manjeera
River and hence the name Edupailu. In Telugu 'Edu' stands for the number 7 and
'payalu' for streams.
Various forms
* Prabandham * Kavyam o padya kavyam o gadya kavyam * Kavitha * Satakam *
Avadhanam * Navala * Katha * Natakam
Popular authors and works
* Kaloji Narayan Rao-"Naa Godava", "Idee Naa Godava"-autobiography * Aarudhra - Samagraandhra
Saahithyamu (The Complete Telugu Literature) * Abburi Varada Rajeswararao (1923-1993) -
Varadakaalam * Adavi Baapiraaju - Gona Gannareddy, Naarayanarao, Thuphaanu (The storm) * Ajanta
(born 1922) * Allasani Peddana - Manu charithra (The History of Swarochisha Manu) * Atukuri Molla -
Molla Ramayanam * Bammera Pothana - Bhagavatham * Buchchibabu - Chivaraku migilaedhi? (The
remnant?) * Balivada Kantha Rao-(1927-2000) - (Winner of the Kendriya Sahitya Academy Award) * C.
Narayanareddy - Vishwambhara * Cha So (1915-1993) * Chaemakoori Venkatakavi Vijayavilaasamu *
Chalam - Chithraangi, Maidhaanam, Saavithri * Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham - Gayopaakhyaanam
* Daasaradhi - Timiramu lo samaramu (Fighting in the darkness) * Devarakonda Balagangadhara Tilak -
Tilak Kathalu; Amritam Kurisina Raatri * Dhurjati - Srikaalahasteesvara Satakam * Duvvoori Raamireddy
- Paanasaala * Devulapalli Krishnasastri - Krishna pakshamu (The Brightening Fortnight) * Gadiyaaram
Venkataseshasastri - Sivabhaaratham * Gonabuddhareddy - Ranganaatha Raamaayanamu * Gurajada
Apparao - Kanyaasulkamu * Gurram Jashuva - Gabbilamu (The bat), Phiradousi * Kaethana -
Dasakumaara charithra * Kandukuri Veeresalingam - Andhrakavula Charithra (The history of Andhra
Poets), Raajasekhara Charithra (The history of Rajasekhara) * Kasula Purushottama Kavi - Andhranayaka
Satakamu * Kavitrayam (Nannayya, Tikkana, Yerrapragada) - Andhra Mahaabhaarathamu (The great
Mahabharatha in Telugu) * Kethu Viswanathareddy - Kethu Viswanathareddy Kathalu * Ko Ku -
Chaduvu * Kotikalapudi Seetamma - Ahalyabai, Sadhuraksha Satakamu, Bhaktimargamu, Satidharmamu
* Koochimanchi Timmana - Rukmini parinayamu (Rukmini's wedding) * Korlapati Sriraamamurthy -
Sreenaadhudu (The poet Srinadha) * Leelavati - Leelavati Ganithamu * Maarana - Maarkandaeya
puraanamu * Muddupalani - Radhika Santvanamu * Mullapudi Venkata Ramana - Budugu *
Ranganayakamma - Raamayana vishavrksham * Nandoori Subbarao - Yenki paatalu * Nanne Choadudu -
Kumaara Sambhavamu * Nidumolu Prasuna - Saaketa Saarvabhouma (Telugu translation of Tulasidasa
Ramayana) * Palagummi Padmaraju - Bathikina collegee * Palkuriki Somanaathudu - Basava
puraanamu * Panuganti Lakshmi Narasimham - Saakshi (The witness) * Paravasthu Chinnayasuri -
Baalavyaakaranamu * Pingali Soorana - Kalaa poornodhayamu * Rachakonda Viswanathasastri -
Alpajeevi (The miserable) * Ramaraaja Bhooshanudu - Vasu charithra * Rangajamma - Mannaru
Dasavilasamau * Ravuri Bharadwaja - Paakudu raallu * Raayaprolu Subbarao - Jada kuchchulu,
Ramyaaloakam * Sankaramanchi Satyam - Amaravati Kathalu (The stories from Amaravati) * Sri Krishna
Deva Raya - Aamukta Maalyadha * Sri Siddappa Varakavi * Sripaada Subrahmanyasastri - Anubhavaalu
J~naapakaalu * Sri Sri - Mahaaprasthaanamu * Srinatha - Haravilaasamu, Kaasikhandamu, Palnaati
veeracharithra, Srngaara naishadhamu * Suravaram Pratapareddy - Aandhrula Saanghika Charithra *
Tallapaka Annamacharya (1424?-1503) - Annamacharya keertanalu * Tallapaka Timmakka -
Subhadrakalyanam * Tarigonda Venkamamba - Venkatachala Mahatmyamu, Vasista Ramamyanamu,
Rajayogasaramu, Bhagavatamu, Krishnamanjari * Tenali Raamakrisha - Paanduranga maahaatmyamu *
Thummala Seetaraamamoorthy - Baapu aathmakadha, Rashtra gaanamu * Tikkana - Nirvachanoththara
Raamayanamu - * Timmana - Paarijaathaapaharanamu * Tirupati Venkata Kavulu - Paandavodyoga
vijayamulu, Devi bhaagavatham * Tirumalamba - Varadambica parinayamu * Tripuranaeni Gopichand -
Merupula Marakalu * Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Choudhury - Suthapuranamu,Karempudi
kadanam,Kurukshetra sangramam,Kuppuswamy satakam, Sambhukavadha, Suthashrama geethalu',
Dhoorta manava, Khooni, Bhagavadgita, Rana Pratap, Kondaveeti pathanam * Unnava Lakshminaarayana -
Maala pilla * Viswanatha Satyanarayana - Cheliyalikatta, Kalpavrukshamu, Kinnerasaani Paatalu, ,
Srimadraamaayana kalpavrkshamu, Swargaaniki Nichchenalu, Vaeyipadagalu, Aekaveera * Vemana -
Vemana Satakam * Yerrapragada - Harivansamu, Nrusimhapuranam

A brief intro to Telugu Literature by correspondent