Category Archives: Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Memorial for Prakasam Pantulu long overdue

Tanguturi Gopalakrishna paying tributes at the statue of his grandfather Prakasam Pantulu on his birth anniversary, in Ongole on Friday. Ministers B. Srinivasa Reddy and A. Suresh are seen.
Tanguturi Gopalakrishna paying tributes at the statue of his grandfather Prakasam Pantulu on his birth anniversary, in Ongole on Friday. Ministers B. Srinivasa Reddy and A. Suresh are seen.

His island villa in Ongole, house in Vinodarayunipalem and Vijayotsavam Stupa paint a picture of neglect

Statesman Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu’s island villa in Ongole, his house in Vinodarayunipalem and the Salt Satyagraha site near Devarampadu are forgotten for most of the year except on the great man’s birth and death anniversaries.

Little has been done to convert these structures into memorials except for the occassional lip service twice a year on his birth and death anniversaries. His admirers feel that building the memorials would be a fitting tribute to the great freedom fighter and politician who earned the epithet of ‘Andhra Kesari’ for his opposition to British rule.

The ‘Vijayotsavam Stupa’ in Devarampadu village, built in 1935 to mark the launch of Prakasam Pantulu’s Salt Satyagraha and unveiled by Babu Rajendra Prasad, also cries for attention with the road leading to it in an urgent need of repair.

Several times in the past, VIPs had skipped visiting this site on important occasions like Independence Day, Republic Day and Prakasam Pantulu’s birth and death anniversaries. A library which has a good collection of books on the freedom struggle is also in a dilapidated condition, lament villagers.

“We have been pleading successive governments to develop the site into a tourist spot by building a park. But our efforts have not borne fruit so far,” they said.

Assurances

Taking note of the poorly maintained road in the midst of lush green fields, Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who experienced a bumpy ride on Friday, said that the Government would lay a cement road to the historic site so that the youth could draw inspiration from the life of the great man, who had become the Prime Minister of Madras Presidency as well as the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when it was formed in 1953.

The Education Department would soon construct a new building for the library at the site where Prakasam Pantulu had spent his last days in a mango orchard, Education Minister A. Suresh promised.

Vinodarayunipalem, where Prakasam Pantulu was born, too lacked a befitting memorial, as also the island villa in Ongole from where he had led the freedom struggle and ran his ‘Swarajya’ newspaper. Today, a private college occupies most of the space. Even now, a memorial could be built on the vacant land available on the premises, felt Andhra Kesari Prakasam Seva Samiti leader P. Venkateswarlu.

Prakasam Pantulu’s grandson T. Gopalakrishna said the YSRCP government could draw lessons from the way Prakasam Pantalu administered the State and grapple with bifurcation blues.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Ongole – August 24th, 2019

Oldest Waltair railway division will now be history

Waltair will now be history as the division was bifurcated and part of it was merged with Vijayawada division and rest will be a new railway division.

Visakhaptanam :

Announcement of South Coastal Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday brought cheers to the people of the Port City. However, in the process, one of the oldest divisions in the country, Waltair, will now be history as the division was bifurcated and part of it was merged with Vijayawada division and rest will be a new railway division with Rayagada (Odisha) as headquarters.

Uttarandhra Charcha Vedika convener Konathala Ramakrishna said, “We have mooted the idea of creating a  zone with Odisha areas to facilitate new zone in Visakhapatnam. However, the merger of part of Waltair division with Vijayawada was unwarranted. It will have bearing on employment opportunities for the local youth.” He said Kolkata has two divisions and in SCR zone there are two divisions. Maybe this is for the first time that a zone without a division, he said,  adding that the BJP government at the Centre had to concede to the demand in view of growing resentment among the people.

Waltair Divisional Railway Manager MS Mathur said South Coastal Zone, created with  Visakhapatnam as headquarters, will have three divisions — Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal — and it has a fair chance to become a premiere zone in the country. Addition of Visakhapatnam into Vijayawada division will add up to its revenue and will become one of the top divisions in the country.

 WaltairZoneANDHRA01stmar2019He said the zone can start functioning immediately with minimum disruption as the city has all necessary infrastructure facilities and employees. Modalities and geographical jurisdiction are being worked out and will be announced in a day or two, he said. Waltair division has 1106 km and it is bifurcated between Rayagada and Visakhapatnam. The new zone will facilitate redressal of the employees grievances and passenger-related issues which were hitherto looked after by zones in the neighbhouring States. Stating that holy places Tirupati and Tirumala will be under the new zone, he said new trains are likely to be introduced on the route.

Railway Zone Sadhana Samiti convener JV Satyanarayana Murthy said the BJP, at last, announced the zone, but there is a big question mark over jurisdiction of north Andhra areas — will they come under the new zone or East Coast Railway?

He said there is little to cheer for the people from the region and emphasised the need to merge the entire Waltair division leaving Odisha areas in the new zone by retaining Waltair division.

Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika convener SS Shiva Sankar said the KK line, which is now under a single section, will face operational problems, if bifurcated. The control of two different zonal railways on a single section will result in administrative problems. So, Waltair division should not have been bifurcated while creating the new zone.

BJP MP Haribabu said the BJP government gave the zone though technical committee felt that the zone is not feasible. “The BJP had to convince its alliance partners and took a political decision, for which it took four years. All is well that ends well,”  Haribabu said, summing up the mood of the BJP cadre.

The move will be a morale booster for the BJP rank and file ahead of the general elections and it will help the party get a foothold in the coastal areas.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by G. Janardhana Rao / Express News Service / February 28th, 2019

Uyyalawada’s death anniversary observed

The 172nd death anniversary of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, one of the early freedom fighters, was observed in Bapatla on Friday.

Rajamahendravaram  :

The 172nd death anniversary of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, one of the early freedom fighters, was observed in Bapatla on Friday.

Organised by Forum for Better Bapatla, Zilla Parishad  chief executive officer (CEO) P Surya Prakash was the chief guest on the occasion.

Narasimha Reddy was at the heart of a  rebellion against the British East India Company in 1846, when thousands protested changes to the traditional agrarian system.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 23rd, 2019

Bandar’s sure-shot connection with military history

Visitors from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam displaying cannonballs in Bandarkota. | Photo Credit: T. Appalanaidu
Visitors from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam displaying cannonballs in Bandarkota. | Photo Credit: T. Appalanaidu

Cannonball relics from a Dutch armoury unearthed in Machilipatnam turn treasures

Most people are highly possessive of artefacts unearthed in their backyard, but residents of Machilipatnam’s Bandarkota area treasure something unusual: cannonballs. These solid metal shots from a past era of warfare have been turning up periodically in housing sites in the old parts of the town when they are excavated for construction.

Many households preserve the cannonballs, although a few simply dispose of them as scrap, unaware of their heritage value. “Unearthing old, used cannonballs is common in our area. I have one, and it is an echo of military history,” says local resident P. Hanumath Rao.

Machilipatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, houses an old armoury dating back to the Dutch era, which is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Famine and storm

Part of the structure collapsed in heavy rain in 2016. The fortunes of Bandarkota changed decisively after a storm in the 19th century. Tracing the history of the fort, the Manual of Kistna District by Gordon Mackenzie says: “The pestilence that followed on the famine of 1832-3 induced the authorities to station no more European troops at Bandar and the storm wave of 1864 caused the withdrawal of the last sepoy regiment and ended the history of Masulipatam as a military station.”

ASI monument assistant at the Dutch fort Subba Rao said his team had collected a cannonball from the local residents and put it on display.

A cannon was also kept on display at the entrance to the District Police grounds, after it was shifted from the railway station area.

“Until the 1960s, a cannon was operated by the local authorities without the use of cannonballs to avoid any untoward incident, producing just a deafening sound,” a local resident Mohammad Silar said.

Many families do not disclose their cannonball find, fearing that the ASI might recover them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Bandarkota – February 18th, 2019

An enthralling voyage back in time

Visitors taking a look at an exhibit at the Kalingandhra Utsavam in Srikakulam on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT
Visitors taking a look at an exhibit at the Kalingandhra Utsavam in Srikakulam on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT

Replicas of structures from motley periods displayed at Kalingandhra Utsavam

The Kalingandhra Utsavam from February 8 to 14 is depicting history of Srikakulam in the form of replicas of temples and artefacts at the K.R. Stadium.

As many as 1.2 lakh people, including youngsters and schoolchildren, were enthralled by replicated inscriptions and rock edicts of the Kalingandhra history that goes as far as the 4th Century BC, said the festival in-charge and Sithampet Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer L. Shiva Sankar.

Srikakulam was part of the Kalinga dynasty, which was conquered by Mauryan king Ashoka in 261 B.C. Exhibits from the Salihundam and the Dantapuri heritage sites near Srikakulam shows the Buddhist influence on the region.

Other replicas include that of the Sri Kurmam temple, built in 7th Century A.D. by King Chola Ganga, and the Someswara Alayam, the Madhukeshwara Alayam and the Bhimeswara Alayam temples constructed between 7th and 9th centuries AD. The famous sun temple at Arasavalli, said to be built by Devendra Varma of the Kalinga dynasty in 7th Century A.D., is also on display, as is the Umarudra Koteswara temple of Srikakulam, constructed in 1774 and the Radhaswamy temple near Meliyaputti, constructed in 1810.

Religious tourism

“The State government is keen on promoting religious tourism in the district. That is why we have displayed replicas of the temples in the exhibition,” Mr. Sankar said.

According to him, the Mandasa fort, built in 1779, had been attracting a number of visitors.

From the modern era, a Dutch building, built on the banks of the Nagavali river in the 18th Century, is on display.

The exhibition features structures like the Nagavali Bridge, constructed in 1854, and the Srikakulam Municipal Office, which started functioning in 1856. A replica of the Dusi Railway, built in 1921, is also displayed.

A replica of the Gotta barrage, which irrigates more than 1 lakh acres and was built across the Vamsadhara river in 1979, has been attracting youngsters. History of personalities such as Kodi Ramamurthy, Garimella Satyanarayana, Adibhatla Kailasam, and Vempatapu China Satyam has been depicted.

“It is difficult to take history lessons for students. Moreover, local history is not part of our syllabus. Therefore, the festival has helped students know the history of Srikakulam, its culture and heritage,” said P.Srikanth, correspondent of the New Central School.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K. Srinivasa Rao / Srikakulam – February 14th, 2019

Cars turn canvas at Cartist Yatra

Youngsters taking pictures with a vintage car at the second edition of the Cartist Yatra-2019 at Rajiv Smruti Bhavan in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
Youngsters taking pictures with a vintage car at the second edition of the Cartist Yatra-2019 at Rajiv Smruti Bhavan in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Vintage cars, some dating back to 1929, are on show at the exhibition

Art and automobile come together to create stunning masterpieces at the Cartist Yatra-2019, where cars, some as old as 1929, serve as a canvas for masterful artwork.

The second edition of the Cartist Yatra is under way in the city, and is based on the theme of ‘Automobile History of India’. Exhibits include an array of locally built cars such as the earliest models of the Maruti 800, the much-loved Fiat 1100D (popularly known as the Premier Padmini), Hindustan Ambassador, and the showpiece of them all – a 1929 Chevrolet convertible.

All the 10 cars are parked near the Rajiv Smruti Bhavan and will be there till Sunday.

Long journey

“In its second year, Cartist Yatra is traveling to 21 cities, 12 States and 2 union territories with pit stops at 10 prime locations, covering a distance of 8,100 km in a span of 80 days to unite over a thousand artists from different cultures and backgrounds,” said Himanshu Jangid of Cartist Yatra.

“The journey began on January 9 in Jaipur, and so far the yatra has covered Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka. Our next stop will be in Bhubaneswar,” Mr. Jangid said.

“Normally, we see artists depicting their work on canvas or other mediums. At Cartist Yatra, a car or an automobile is the medium. Showcase your creativity on an automobile and it can be a scooter, bike or auto-rickshaw, said Mr. Jangid.

“Cartist Yatra is an art event aimed at unifying people belonging to the art fraternity, as well as bridging the gap between society and artists,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – February 09th, 2019

Action plan to bring back lost glory of Rajamahendravaram

Rajamahendravaram known as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its old traditions, culture and practices.

RajamahendravaramANDHRA07feb2019

Rajamahendravaram :

Rajamahendravaram known as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its old traditions, culture and practices. The Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (RMC) is taking steps to restore the past glory of the city and develop it as a tourist destination.

The civic body has prepared a plan with an estimated amount of `40 crore to protect Rajamahendravarm’s cultural heritage.  of the historical town, named after Raja Raja Narendra around 1,000 years ago. They planned to develop the old municipal corporation building as a monument and museum. This building was constructed during the British period. In this process, Kambala cheruvu and Dr AB Nageswara Rao parks have been developed by providing infrastructure facilities like walking track, play area for children and gymnasium among others.

As per the information provided by municipal authorities, Kotipalli area, visited by Mahatma Gandhi on April 6 in 1921, and Devi Chowk which was called as Lantern street. People used lanterns to decorate the street to welcome Vizianagara Kings and hence the name for the area.

Havelock Bridge

The construction of this bridge started on November 11, 1897 and opened for traffic on August 30 in 1900. The bridge was named after Sir AE Havelock, the then Governor of Madras. As it  passed more than 100 years, this bridge named was decommissioned in 1997. This bridge was being converted as a walking track across Godavari river

Town Hall

This is a cultural centre of yesteryears built by great social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam in 1891. He fought for widow remarriage and education for women. He was considered as the father of renaissance in Andhra. The Town Hall is now in bad condition and the District Collector has sanctioned `65 lakh for renovation so that it can be used to hold cultural events. These apart, there are many places worth a visit, including Kotilingala Ghat, ISKCON temple, Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery, Rallabandi Subbarao Museum, Pushkar Ghat and the like.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 06th, 2019

Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival from February 9

The Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival would be held in a traditional manner at Kondaveedu Fort on February 9 and 10.

Ancient Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple on the hill top of Kondaveedu Fort of Guntur district
Ancient Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple on the hill top of Kondaveedu Fort of Guntur district

Guntur :

The Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival would be held in a traditional manner at Kondaveedu Fort on February 9 and 10. Construction of the ghat road to Kondaveedu Fort was recently completed to help people visit the fort. Modernisation and repair works will be carried out in the fort soon. Helicopter ride, paragliding, hot air balloons, trekking and food courts will be on offer to visitors during the two-day festival. Dance and music shows reflecting the rich heritage of Kondaveedu dynasty would be showcased in the fort.

Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee convener K Siva Reddy said the State government has sanctioned Rs 3 crore to conduct the festival at Kondaveedu Fort and Rs 4 crore for lighting on the hilltop. He said the 5.1-km-long ghat road (with 17 ‘U’ turns) has been completed.

Reddy said the fort would be renovated with Rs 12 crore and a road would be laid to reach entrance of the fort at a cost of Rs 11.70 crore. The ancient damaged Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple would be renovated at an estimated Rs 75 lakh, while Rs 2 crore has been allocated for construction of a children’s park and for developing the small ponds on the hilltop, he added.

Forest Minister Sidda Raghava Rao and Civil Supplies Minister P Pulla Rao said, “The government was developing the Kondaveedu Fort at an estimated cost of Rs 87 crore; we are making efforts to complete it (the task) before deadline as per Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s directions.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 05th, 2019

ASI faces flak as encroachments creep up around ancient Dutch Armoury

A cattle shed that has been built on the prohibited area of the Dutch Armoury at Bandarkota in Machilipatnam in Krishna district.
A cattle shed that has been built on the prohibited area of the Dutch Armoury at Bandarkota in Machilipatnam in Krishna district.

Excavation, construction activities in full swing on Nizam Hospital premises

Uninterrupted excavations being conducted by locals in the prohibited areas around the ancient Dutch Armoury here are posing a grave risk to the safety of the protected monument, with the Archaeological Survey of India reportedly remaining a mute spectator.

Earlier, locals bulldozed a brick wall of the old building (known locally as Nizam Hospital, according to ASI) located within the prohibited area of 100 metres from the armoury.

Illegal structures

Since last December, a cattle shed was built in the prohibited area by taking up excavation work and erecting iron poles. Plans were afoot to bulldoze another wall of the roof-less building by erecting wooden poles to build another structure.

Attempt by locals to demolish a wall in the protected area was stopped after the police intervened in 2016.

Speaking to The Hindu, ASI (Amaravati circle) Conservation Assistant Venkata Satyanarayana Murthy said, “The activities of excavation and construction of the shed have been taken up by a private party within a distance of 50 metres from the existing Dutch armoury which is under our conservation. The family that engaged in disturbing the area and the old building (Nizam hospital) did not seek permission from ASI to take up any such activity in the protected area.”

“No person, other than an archaeological officer, shall carry out any construction in any prohibited area (100 metres from the border of the protected monument,” says The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.

Communication gap

Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy said that the Machilipatnam civic body has been instructed to stop the work in the protected area.

However, when contacted by The Hindu, Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner P.J. Sampath Kumar confirmed that he did not receive any such communication from the ASI regarding the issue till Saturday (January 12).

A three-acre site on the campus of the old building (Nizam Hospital) has been cleared by the locals for construction activity within the prohibited area in the absence of the conservation measures by the ASI.

The Monument Assistants deployed at the Dutch armoury have reportedly been threatened by the private party, restricting them from entering the premises of the protected area when they tried to stop the excavation work, they said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh /  by Appala Naidu Tippana / Bandarkota(Krishna) – January 13th, 2019

Historic Masonic Temple celebrates 110th anniversary in New Year

Newly-elected body decides to allow people to have glimpse of antiques on the premises

Lodge Nicopolis No.81, which is generally known as Vizianagaram IV Masonic Temple, is going to get special attention in the New Year, thanks to the initiatives of newly-elected body for the preservation of its rich heritage and culture.

The Nicopolis No.81 constructed in 1909 by the then Maharaja of Vizianagaram Princely State Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV will celebrate its 110th anniversary in the New Year. The programmes have been planned throughout the year to create awareness about the greatness of the temple which was founded on October 1, 1909.

Poly clinic

As part of the celebration, the new team of the Masonic Temple decided to allow common people to have glimpse of antiques on the premises. An exclusive room for the display of antiques is being created, according to the Worshipful Master of the temple Motamarry Srinivas. The temple also decided to take up service activities such as running poly clinic to ensure medical assistance to poor people at very nominal charges. “Our temple was instrumental in establishment of Polytechnic College in Vizianagaram. It has allocated its prime land for the construction of APSRTC complex, adjacent to the building. We will continue to take more activities in the year 2019-20,” he added.

According to him, the then Raja Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV insisted for the service activities after he was inspired by the activities of such Lodge located in Kolkata. The members of such Lodges were called as brothers. The head of the Lodge is called as Worshipful Master. After serving as a ‘brother’ in Kolkata Lodge, he bought a few acres of prime land from Thotapalem Zamindars. He obtained permission from Scotland for its establishment in Vizianagaram. After serving one year, Mr. Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju relinquished the post and allowed local dignitary C. Mangayya Naidu to take charge Worshipful Master. Only four members of Raja’s family headed the institution.

Former Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju served as Master in the year 1973 and year 2009 on the eve of centenary celebrations.

According to Past Master D.S. Raju, free masonry is directly descended from associations of operative masons who travelled through Europe, employing secrets and skills of their crafts. The cathedral builders of the Middle Ages started to accept others ‘entry into their profession and it led to establishment of Grand Lodges across the world. Masonic Lodge is the basic unit of all Grand Lodges.

“Although the movement started with different reasons, now its primary objective is to serve the society. Honesty in business, fairness in work, love for one another and reverence for the God are promoted through the temple. All these objectives are being fulfilled by Vizianagaram Masonic Temple,” Dr. Raju said. Another Past Master G. Shiva Kumar said that the temple was offering its premises for functions, marriages and other programmes at nominal charges as part of the serving the society.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Srinivasa Rao / Vizianagaram – January 01st, 2019