Sri Naga Ambatipudi chronicles several milestones in telugu literature and its literary evolution. He regrets that the Telugu language inspite of being one of the oldest Indian languages with rich influence of Sanskrit interspersed within, has not been given its due.

Inspite of more than 2000 years of its existence and being one of the largest spoken (2^nd to Hindi in India) languages, it has been denied its preeminence and has always been relegated to playing second fiddle to other classical languages.

Telugu evolved as poetry, prose, drama, novels and various other artistic forms and encompassed the very essence and ethos of Hindu epics.

Somanatha, nannaiah, tikkanna, yerrapragada, pothana, srinatha, gona Buddha reddy and many others contributed immensely to the evolution of the language. The writer mentions some of the literary works such as Mahabharatamu, Ranganatha Ramayanamu, Basavapuranamu, Srungaranaishadamu and Bhagavathamu.

Bhakthi and Vedanta being the center of the lyrical forms, were the foundation of many of the Telugu musical legendries’ such as Annamacharya, Thyagaraja, and Ramadasu.

One wonders how it was possible to encrypt the simplest poetic presentation of Hindu morals in as many as 65000 moral couplets by vemana, sumati, bhaskara and dasarathi!! This could only be done due to the flexibility of Telugu.

Social reformists took to drama and enacted master plays and novels such as kanyasulkam (by Gurazada Apparao) and Rajasekhara Charitra (by kandukuri veeresalingam pantulu) and Social oppression was also openly opposed through literature by great poets like Gurram Joshua.

Telugu also enriched cinema and vice versa. Be it story, dialogues, songs, screenplay there has been nationwide imprint of Telugu in Indian cinema especially in mythological and period dramas.

There have been three Jnanapitha award winners in telugu.

The literary extravaganza “Avadhanam” as a multitasking and memory teasing fete involving one presenter and eight or hundred or maybe even a thousand quizzers is a unique and exclusive spectacle to participate and enjoy in Telugu. Tirupathi venkatakavilu, Madugula Nagaphani Sarma, Garikapati, Rallabandi and Medasani Mohan are some of the most revered Avadhanis in Telugu.

Sri Sri is a poet of “extreme” independence who gave a new meaning to revolutionary narration and narratives. One finds lyrical value in any language when an agriculture worker sings in the fields and a lullaby is sung to a baby and in folktales rendered by rural artists. Telugu also found its inspiration in such day to day existence.

From early Telugu newspapers such as Andhra Patrika published by D. Nageswara Rao Pantulu and fast forward today to Eenadu Publications owned by Ramoji Rao, it has been a long journey in the field of news media.

Shri Naga Ambatipudi laments that such a rich and varied language with extensive grammar and fondly called "italian of the east" is being neglected and no efforts being made to preserve its traditions and heritage.

By Naga Ambatipudi