Venkateshwara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Tyagaraja, also known as Tyāgayya, was a renowned composer of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. He was prolific and highly influential in the development of India's classical music tradition. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries, Shyama Shastri and Muthuswami Dikshitar, are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in Telugu and in praise of Lord Rama, many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Kritis, which are often sung in programs in his honour.
Ghantasala Venkateswararao, known mononymously as Ghantasala, was an Indian film composer, Playback Singer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema and Kannada cinema and also in Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu and Hindi language films. In 1970, he received the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema. According to The Hindu and The Indian Express, Ghantasala was "Such a divine talent and with his songs he could move the hearts of the people." "Ghantasala's blending of classical improvisations to the art of light music combined with his virtuosity and sensitivity puts him a class apart, above all others in the field of playback singing"." "Gifted with what Indian Film Historian V. A. K. Ranga Rao called "the most majestic voice", Ghantasala helped Telugu film music develop its own distinct character which remains unparalleled". He is referred to as the "Gaana Gandharva" for his mesmerising voice and musical skills.
Kuchipudi is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originated in a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Purandara Dasa was a Haridasa philosopher-saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-proponents of Carnatic music. In honor of his significant contributions to Carnatic music, he is widely referred to as the Pitamaha of Carnatic music.
The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna and Srimati Radhika and the gopis of Vrindavana.
Sri Raghavendra Tirtha was a Hindu scholar, theologian and saint. He was also known as Sudha Parimalacharya. His diverse oeuvre include commentaries on the works of Madhva, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha, interpretation of the Principal Upanishads from the standpoint of Dvaita and a treatise on Purva Mimamsa. He served as the pontiff of matha at Kumbakonam from 1624 to 1671. Sri Raghavendra swamy was also an accomplished player of the Veena and he composed several songs under the name of Venu Gopala. His shrine at Mantralayam attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Tyagaraja Aradhana is an annual aradhana of Telugu saint composer Tyagaraja. The music festival is observed in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, primarily in Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu, the place where Tyagaraja attained Samadhi. The aradhana is observed on Pushya Bahula Panchami day when the saint attained samadhi, where the musicians will render the saint's Pancharatna Kritis.
Telugu literature is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It consists of poems, short stories, novels, plays, and song lyrics, among others. There is some indication that Telugu literature dates at least to the middle of the first millennium, the first extant works are from the 11th century when the Mahabharata was first translated to Telugu from Sanskrit by Nannaya. The language experienced a golden age under the patronage of the Vijayanagara king-poet Krishnadevaraya.
Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, in southern India, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka. The place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram. It is built on rocky hills, known as Yadugiri, Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa, overlooking the Cauvery valley. Melukote is about 51 km from Mysore and 133 km (83 mi) from Bangalore.
Oothukkaadu Venkata Kavi or Oottukkaadu Venkata Subbaiar was one of the pioneering composers in Indian classical Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkaadu Venkatasubramaniya Iyer, he composed hundreds of compositions in Sanskrit, Tamil and Marathi of which over 500 are available. These were handed down from generation to generation by the descendants of the composer's brother's family.
Sri Narayana Teertha was a great saint, devotee of Sri Krishna and sang many songs on him.
Aniruddha or Aniruddh, meaning "unrestrained", "without obstacles" or "unstoppable" was the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati and the grandson of Krishna and Rukmini. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a Jana avatar, the avatar of Vishnu. The four are considered to be Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu's plenary expansions. It has been also used as one of the names of Lord Shiva.
Shakatapuram, also known by the name Bhandigadi, is a religious place for Hindus located in the Koppa taluk of the state of Karnataka, India. It is located near Sringeri and is situated on the banks of river Tunga. It is famous for a Hindu Math called Shri Vidya Peetam which is present at this place. The Kumbhabhishekam event held at this place attracts a number of devotees.
Poonthanam Nambudiri (1547–1640AD) was a famous poet and a devotee of Guruvayurappan, who lived in Keezhattoor in what is now Malappuram district, Kerala, India. He is remembered for his masterpiece, Jnanappana which means "the song of divine wisdom" in Malayalam. His other chief poems in Malayalam are Bhasha Karnamritam and Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam Pana. His other works include Raghaviyam, Vishnuvilasam and Sitaraghavam in Sanskrit and Vishnugeeta and Panchatantram in modern Malayalam.
The Ras lila or Ras dance or Krishna Tandava, is part of the traditional story of Krishna described in Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana and literature such as the Gita Govinda, where he dances with Radha and her sakhis (gopis). The Indian classical dance of Kathak evolved from the 'Raslila of Braj and Manipuri Classical Dance' (Vrindavana) also known as Natwari Nritya, which was revived in 1960s by the Kathak dancer, Uma Sharma.
The culture of Andhra Pradesh state in India has many aspects.
Šrī Krishnakarṇāmrutam is a work in Sanskrit by the poet Shree Bilvamangala Swami variously known as Vilvamangalam Swami, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Bilwamangala Thakura and Līlāśuka. The word karṇāmruta means 'nectar to the ears'. Līlāśuka compares that [Pronoun needs to be clarified] to a bouquet of glory of Krishna.
Raga Tarangini or just Tarangini is the most prominent musical compositions of Narayana Teertha, the 17th century Carnatic music composer and the author of a Sanskrit opera called Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini. Tharangams of the Krishna Leela Tharangini to which, it is believed, Lord Krishna danced. Tarangini is an opera highly suitable for dance drama and it has been very well utilized by Kuchipudi dancers over the last two centuries.
Malladi Suribabu is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and musician from Vijayawada, India. He was conferred with Kala Ratna, a civilian honor by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in 2013 and TTK Award by Madras Music Academy in 2014. He is a disciple of Voleti Venkateshwarulu, Sripada Pinakapani and Nedunuri Krishnamurthy.
