Sheik Rabbani has restored 20 temples and constructed 15 new ones

Amid growing tension between the majority and minority communities, here is an example of perfect communal harmony with a 32-year-old Muslim man from Guntur embarking on the task of restoring historical and dilapidated Hindu temples in Telangana as well as Andhra Pradesh.

With a team of 40 workers, all of them Muslims, Sheik Rabbani of Turkapalem in Guntur is credited with restoring 20 historical temples in both the States and constructing 15 finest new rock-built temples. All this has been accomplished by Mr. Rabbani in the last 10 years.

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Rabbani said his great grand parents had learnt the art from some Tamil sculptors probably in the late 19th century.

“I grew up seeing my grandfather and father having mastered the art of sculpting rocks and stones and turning them into marvellous structures. All this was done to earn their livelihood. As my parents were not in a position to support my education, I dropped out of school in Class VII and started helping my father,” he said.

To hone his skills, Mr. Rabbani took the guidance of Murthy, a noted artisan of Guntur. Having learnt the finer aspects of sculpting, he started working in close association with the Archaeology Department to restore temples from 2003.

His work includes laying steps to the Bhongir Fort, restoration of Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple, Palem, Sivalayam at Gudivada village, restoration of the boundary wall of Chaya Someswara Swamy temple, Panagal (all are located in Nalgonda), Madugula Sivalayam belonging to the Kakatiya dynasty and Boothpur Sivalayam (both are located in Mahabubnagar), a temple on Hemavathi fort in Anantapur, and Pushpagiri temple in Kadapa.

Monumental effort

Mr. Rabbani said he cherishes the construction of the Sri Kanyakaparameswari rock temple in Nagarkurnool as his best work among the 15 new temples he has built. “I always feel proud that I have also constructed the main arch of the High Court in Hyderabad and also worked on the Qutub Shahi tombs,” he said.

He says as both the Centre and the State government are keen on restoring heritage structures, he wants to undertake more works. “I will not only get recognition but also be able to provide employment to others,” he remarked. Technical Assistant at the Panagal Museum P. Nagaraju said Mr. Rabbani’s work was flawless.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by T. Karnakar Reddy / Nalgonda – December 14th, 2014

Central Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardee and Kadapa writer Vempalli Gangadhar has been chosen for Vasireddy Sitadevi Memorial National Story Award 2014.

A.P. High Court Judge Grandhi Bhavani Prasad will present the award to Dr. Gangadhar in a function at Hyderabad on December 14. Former Vice-Chancellor of Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University Avula Manjulatha, Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel CEO Palakurthi Madhusudana Rao and writer Olga would participate, Yuva Kala Vahini founder-president Y.K. Nageswara Rao said in a statement.

Dr. Gangadhar, who received the Central Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for “Molakala Punnami”, a compilation of stories, was a distinguished guest of President Pranab Mukherjee for a fortnight in the “In Residence” programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Kadapa – December 10th, 2014

Doyen of Carnatic Classical music Nedunuri Krishna Murthy, who passed away here on Monday, was a relentless champion of impeccable classicism and a stickler for tradition.

He firmly believed that music ought to be learnt through direct interaction in Guru-Sishya mode. His style combined the art and science of music in a robust measure. Imaginative exploration of ragas laden with succinct and succulent gamakas formed the hallmark of his rendition. While his swarakalpanas spoke of his mastery over rhythm, his flawless articulation carried the lyrical import in its varied emotive shades.

He set tunes to an array of the compositions of Annamayya and Bhadrachala Ramadas and compiled those works with notations in his books on Bhakta Ramadas and Annamayya. A man of genial disposition, off the stage, he was never seen talking about anything other than music and it was always rewarding to hear him elucidate the nuances of different styles of maestros.

Born in 1927 at Pithapuram in East Godavari district, he had grown up in an ambience conducive to classical music — his mother Vijayalakshmi, who was knowledgeable in classical music, nurtured his flair for music in his formative years. In 1940, he joined Maharaja College of Music and Dance at Vizianagaram for a diploma in violin. His Guru Dwaram Narasinga Rao Naidu told him to pursue vocal instead of violin and that put Nedunuri in his element. Later, he learnt Carnatic vocal under the tutelage of ry Sripada Pinakapani.

Krishna Murthy held various faculty positions in music colleges and music institutions. He worked as Principal of S.V. College of Music and Dance, Tirupati; M.R. Government College of Music and Dance, Vizianagaram; Government College of Music and Dance, Secunderabad; and retired as Principal of G.V.R Government College of Music and Dance, Vijayawada, in 1985. He was Dean of Faculty of the Fine Arts and Chairman of Board of Studies in Music of Sri Venkateswara University and Nagarjuna University. He was instrumental in opening the department of music in Andhra University. He was a recipient of string of prestigious awards including coveted Sangeetha Kalanidhi. He served as Asthana Vidwan for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

In his demise, the Caranatic classical music lost a doyen and the city of Visakhaptnam a leading light on its cultural front.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Velcheti Subrahmanyam / Visakhapatnam – December 09th, 2014