Vanaja Iyengar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Died | 2001 |
| Occupation(s) | Mathematician Educationist |
| Known for | Education |
| Spouse | Mohit Sen |
| Awards | Padma Shri Government of Andhra Pradesh Best Teacher Award Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Fellowship |
Vanaja Iyengar (died 2001) was an Indian mathematician, educationist [1] and the founder vice-chancellor of Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati, in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. [2] She was one of the founders of the Andhra Mahila Sabha School of Informatics. [3] The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987. [4]
Born in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, she completed her early education at Hyderabad [5] and obtained higher education in Mathematics from Cambridge University in 1950, after which she visited Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary as a part of student forums. [6] Her career started as a member of faculty at Osmania University and worked in two of the colleges affiliated to the university, University College for Women, Koti (Osmania Women's College) and Nizam College. [6]
During her tenure at Osmania, Iyengar secured a doctoral degree in mathematics from the University of Delhi in 1958. She served Osmania University as a reader, professor, head of the department of Mathematics department and the principal of the University College for Women, Koti [5] and held the post of the vice-chancellor for a while. [6] When Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, an all women university, was established in 1983, she was appointed as its vice-chancellor and continued at the post till 1986. [7] She was also one of the founder members of the Osmania University Teachers Association. [6] She was a life trustee of Andhra Mahila Sabha and she served organisation as its vice-president and the president, a post she held since 1994 till her death. [6] She is also credited with articles on the topic of education. [2] [8]
In 1987, the Government of India awarded Iyengar the civilian honour of Padma Shri. [4] She received the Best Teacher award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and was a fellow of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. [6] She died in 2001, survived by her husband, Mohit Sen, a known communist intellectual, who also died two years later. [9]
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is an independent government trust in India which manages various temples, including the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The trust oversees the operations and finances of the richest and the most visited religious center in the world. It is also involved in various social, religious, literary and educational activities. TTD is headquartered at Tirupati and employs about 16,000 people. Srivani trust was set up by TTD in 2019 to promote Sanātana Dharma by constructing temples in SC-ST-BC habitations, renovating ancient temples, and providing funds under Dhup-Deepa-Naivedyam Scheme to those temples facing financial difficulty. By January 2023, TTD has taken up construction of 2,068 temples in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry and Karnataka. TTD's main source of income is Srivani darshan tickets which were earning it Rs 1 crore per day in January 2024.
Rayalaseema is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comprises four southern districts of the State, from prior to the districts reorganisation in 2022, namely Kurnool, Anantapur, YSR, and Chittoor. Four new districts were created from these, namely Sri Sathya Sai, Nandyal, Annamayya, and Tirupati. As of 2011 census of India, the western four districts of the region had a population of 15,184,908 and cover an area of 77,424 km2 (29,894 sq mi).
Padmavati also known as Alamelu Manga, or Alarmel Mangai is a Hindu goddess and the consort of the deity Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu. She is described as a daughter of a local king and an avatar of goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu.
Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) is a public agricultural university with its headquarters at the village Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Sri Venkateswara University is a public state university located in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. The university is named after Lord Venkateswara, whose shrine is located in the city.
Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam is a women's university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established as a state university by the Andhra Pradesh legislature in 1983 to provide Higher Education in general & professional areas for women. It is named after the goddess Sri Padmavati, the consort of Lord Venkateswara. The university has approximately 5,000 students. It admits students from all regions of Andhra Pradesh.
Mohit Sen was a communist intellectual. He was general secretary of the United Communist Party of India at the time of his death.
Sobha Naidu was among the foremost Kuchipudi dancers of India and a disciple of the renowned master Vempati Chinna Satyam. She mastered the technique of Kuchipudi and began dancing lead roles in dance-dramas at a young age. She performed with her guru's troupe extensively, performing the roles of Satyabhama and Padmavati. Principal of Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad, Sobha Naidu imparted training to younger students over the past few years. In 2010, the school celebrated the completion of 30 years. She also choreographed several dance-dramas. She received the title of Nritya Choodamani from Krishna Gana Sabha, Madras. She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991 and the Padma Shri award by the Government of India in 2001.
Kothapalli Jayashankar, popularly known as Professor Jayashankar, was an Indian academic and social activist. He was a leading ideologue of the Telangana Movement. He fought for a separate state beginning in 1952. He often stated that unequal distribution of river water was the root cause of the separate Telangana movement. He was the former Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University and an activist in the Separate Telangana Movement.
K. Uma Rama Rao was an Indian Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, research scholar, author and dance teacher. She was also the Founder & Director of Lasya Priya Dance Academy, established in 1985 in Hyderabad, India.
Saraswati Vidyardhi is a Carnatic vocalist and composer from Andhra Pradesh, India. She has won critical acclaim for her intensive research in Anumandra sthai (octave). She is capable of singing notes below the mandra shadjam up to the anumandra shadjam, and has also unearthed rare Panchamantya ragas.
Vidyavati, former Vice-Chancellor, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telangana, India was born on 15 September 1939, in Goud community. She is President of Phycological Society of India. She was honored by Telangana State Government as Eminent Women on 8 March 2017, on the occasion of "International Women's Day" celebrations.
Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao was an Indian freedom fighter and the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh. He was born in Nandigama village, Krishna district, then in Madras Presidency, British India and now a part of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Kaleswara Rao market in Vijayawada was named in his honour.
Ananda Shankar Jayant is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, scholar and bureaucrat, known for her proficiency in the classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She is the first woman officer in the Indian Railway Traffic Service on South Central Railway and her 2009 TED talk is ranked among the top twelve Incredible TED talks on cancer. She is a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalaimamani Award of the Government of Tamil Nadu and Kala Ratna Award of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to arts.
Malathi Chendur was a popular Indian writer, novelist and columnist. She started her career as a novelist in 1949 and went on to write 26 novels in the Telugu language. She also translated more than 300 novels from other languages into Telugu. In 1992, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Hrudaya Netri. She wrote a weekly column, "Pramadaavanam", in the Andhra Prabha newspaper which appeared continuously for 47 years.
Tirupati district is one of the eight districts of Rayalaseema region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The district headquarters is located at Tirupati city. This district is known for its numerous historic temples, including the Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and Sri Kalahasteeswara temple. The district is also home to Satish Dhawan Space Centre, a rocket launch centre located in Sriharikota. The river Swarnamukhi flows through Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Naidupeta, Vakadu and join into the Bay of Bengal.
Gaddam Padmaja Reddy is an Indian Kuchipudi exponent and music teacher. She performs ballets on mythological themes and contemporary social issues. She choreographed Kakatiyam, a Kuchipudi visual dance form. She was conferred with Kala Ratna in 2006, India's highest art award–Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2015 and Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in the field of art for 2022.
