The Telangana Thalli (lit. 'Mother Telangana') statue, was unveiled on December 9, 2024, by Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy in the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat, representing the cultural identity, self-respect, and aspirations of the people of Telangana. Designed as a tribute to the state's heritage and struggles for statehood, it reflects the everyday woman of Telangana and serves as a unifying symbol of pride for the youngest state in India. [1]
The concept of Telangana Thalli emerged during the Telangana statehood movement as a counterpart to "Telugu Thalli" in united Andhra Pradesh. It was intended to become a rallying symbol for statehood aspirations. Since then, the Telangana Thalli statue has gone through various changes over a period of time by various political factions of Telangana statehood movement.
Before 2014, under BRS (then TRS) party's leadership a statue was unveiled by changing the Telugu Thalli statue, by replacing Purnakalasham with Bathukamma pot. However, it was not officially notified nor universally accepted due to resemblance with Telugu Thalli and feudal charactaristics of the statue. Different political parties had given different imagery to the Mother Telangana concept. [2]
After the Congress government assumed leadership of the Telangana Government on December 7 2023, the new Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy envisaged the idea of having an official Telangana Thalli statue, that represents the wishes of revolutionaries and martyrs of separate Telangana statehood movement. He began public and political consultations towards the process of unveiling the statue on December 9, a significant date in the history of the state, as it was announced by then Home Minister P. Chidambaram, on this date that a separate Telangana state would be created by the Government of India. [3] [4]
The statue of Telangana Thalli portrays a woman dressed in a green saree, symbolizing prosperity and the agricultural abundance of Telangana. She is shown holding a sheaf of harvested crops on one hand, representing the state’s agrarian roots and fertile lands, while her posture exudes confidence and hope. She shows Abhaya Mudra with another hand, blessing the state's people with prosperity. Her saree is tied near the waist reflecting a woman adjusting her saree to get ready to work or fight. Adorned with traditional jewelry, the Telangana Thalli statue reflects the rich cultural heritage of Telangana, and emphasizes the nurturing identity of a mother figure. [5]
Designed to reflect the appearance of a woman, a mother from Telangana, the statue stands 20 feet tall and embodies the state’s cultural essence. The government emphasized that the statue’s design aims to preserve and celebrate Telangana’s cultural heritage.
Further, the statue represents:
The statue was sculpted by Architect Ramana Reddy and conceptualised by CM Revanth Reddy and Professor Gangadhar, JNAFAU.
The Telangana government issued orders (GO Ms. No. 1946) recognizing Telangana Thalli statue as official symbol of Telangana, establishing the following:
Telugu Thalli is the personification of the Telugu people and their culture, depicted as a goddess symbolizing prosperity, tradition, and the importance of the Telugu language. Represented holding a harvest in her left hand to signify the region's agricultural abundance and prosperity, she carries a kalasam in her right hand, symbolizing the blessings and good fortune she brings to her people. Adorned in traditional Telugu attire, Telugu Talli embodies the cultural heritage and linguistic pride of the Telugu-speaking community, underscoring the foundational role of language in society.
Kadiyam Srihari is an Indian politician is currently the MLA from the Ghanpur Station Assembly constituency. He also served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana and Minister for Education of Telangana from 2014 to 2018. He was also an MLC in the Telangana Legislative Council. He was a member of the Lok Sabha, representing the Warangal constituency from 2014-2015.
Thummala Nageswara Rao is a Congress politician who has been a minister in the Government of Andhra Pradesh and, later, in the Government of Telangana. In main portfolios he is from the Khammam district.
Kunduru Jana Reddy is an Indian politician. He was the leader of opposition in first Telangana Assembly and served as the Minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Water Supply in the State of Andhra Pradesh during its term from 2009 to 2014. He was among the most prominent cabinet ministers of the ruling Indian National Congress (INC) and served as Minister for Home, Jails, Fire Service, Sainik Welfare, Printing & Stationery in the government led by the late former Chief Minister Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy from 2004 to 2009. In 2009 elections he won with a margin of 6214 votes against industrialist turned politician of TDP Chinappa Reddy Tera. In 2014 he won with a margin of 16558 votes over Nomula Narsimaiah of BRS in the year where Congress lost the majority vote. He lost the 1994 elections to TDP candidate Gundeboina Rammoorthy Yadav.
Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, frequently known by his initials KCR, is an Indian politician currently representing the Gajwel Assembly constituency and serving as the leader of the opposition in the Telangana Legislative Assembly. He is the founder and leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, a state party in India. After heading the Telangana Movement, he was the first Chief Minister of Telangana and held the position for almost 10 years.
Duddilla Sridhar Babu is an Indian politician from Indian National Congress and is a member of the Telangana Assembly from Manthani Constituency, Peddapalli district which he won for the fifth time as MLA in December 2023. He is a senior Minister in the Telangana Government holding the crucial portfolios of Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, Industry & Commerce and Legislative Affairs. Sridhar Babu is one of the senior most leaders in the Telangana Congress Party, and was an AICC All India Congress Committee Secretary attached to the AICC General Secretary, in charge of Karnataka from July 2022 to August 2024. He was the Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology, and Legislative Affairs in the United Government of Andhra Pradesh prior to that state being divided.
Anumula Revanth Reddy is an Indian politician who is serving as the second and current Chief Minister of Telangana since 7 December 2023. As a member of the Indian National Congress, he is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kodangal.
Nalamada Uttam Kumar Reddy is a politician and former Indian Air Force pilot from the Indian state of Telangana. He is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nalgonda constituency. He served as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kodad between 1999 and 2009 and from Huzurnagar between 2009 and 2019. He served as the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee from February 2015 until June 2021. He served as the Minister of Housing, Weaker Selection Housing Programmes in N. Kiran Kumar Reddy's ministry.
The Government of Telangana also known as Telangana Government, is the governing authority of the state of Telangana in India. It consists of an executive, a judiciary and a legislative.
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee or (TPCC) is the state unit of the Indian National Congress (INC) in the state of Telangana, India. It is responsible for organizing and coordinating the party's activities and campaigns within the state, as well as selecting candidates for local, state, and national elections. The current president of the Telangana PCC is Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud. The committee has a long history of political influence in the united Andhra Pradesh state, however, it has however, it has historically faced challenges, including fluctuations in electoral support. However, following significant efforts in 2023, the TPCC regained political power in Telangana. With the INC in government in Telangana since December 2023 after the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, the committee is actively involved in governance and party affairs.
"Jaya Jaya Hē Telangāṇa" is the state song of the Indian state of Telangana. It was composed by Ande Sri. The song was adopted by many organisations and schools in Telangana during the Telangana movement, replacing "Maa Telugu Talliki". On 16 March 2021, in the Telangana State Assembly, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao clarified that Jaya Jaya He Telangana had not been officially adopted as the state song of Telangana. Jaya Jaya He Telangana was officially adopted as the state song of Telangana by the Revanth Reddy cabinet on 4 February 2024.
The Telangana State Excise Department is the law enforcement agency for excise in the Indian state of Telangana. The department enforces laws related to liquor, narcotics, psychotropics and medicines that contain alcohol and narcotics. The department was created when the state of Telangana was formed in 2014. The first minister to take charge of this department was T Padma Rao from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party. In December 2023, Jupally Krishna Rao was appointed as the Minister of Telangana Excise under the Revanth Reddy Ministry.
The 2015 cash-for-votes scam was a political scandal in India, the second scandal of its kind since the 2008 cash-for-votes scandal. The 2015 political scandal started off when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders of Telangana state were caught in a video footage, aired in the media, offering bribes to a nominated MLA, Elvis Stephenson, for his vote in the 2015 elections of the Telangana Legislative Council. The TDP MLA Revanth Reddy was arrested by the Telangana Police when he was offering Rs. 50 lakhs to Stephenson. Reddy was then presented before the court and was sent to jail. Similarly, with N. Chandrababu Naidu, the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, with Stephenson was aired in the news media.
Department of Education is a cabinet level ministerial post in the Government of Telangana. First held on 2 June 2014, this ministry has one of the important portfolios in the cabinet of the state. The incumbent Minister for the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation for the state of Telangana is Anumula Revanth Reddy.
Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy is an Indian politician and member of legislative assembly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who represents Kamareddy constituency in the Telangana Legislative Assembly. In 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election he created History as he defeated both the incumbent Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and the then to-be-elected Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He defeated his nearest rival, KCR, by 6741 votes.
The Revanth Reddy ministry represents the third cabinet of the Indian state of Telangana under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, who has been elected as the second Chief Minister of Telangana. The Indian National Congress (INC), led by Revanth Reddy, secured an absolute majority in the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, winning 64 out of the 119 seats in the state assembly.
The Telangana Council of Ministers is the executive wing of Government of Telangana and headed by Chief Minister of Telangana, who is the head of government and leader of the state cabinet. The term of every executive wing is for 5 years. The council of ministers are assisted by department secretaries attached to each ministry who are from IAS Telangana Cadre. The chief executive officer responsible for issuing orders on behalf of government is Chief Secretary to the state government.
Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy is an Indian politician, who currently serving as Member of Legislative Assembly from Gadwal Assembly constituency.