All set for Annamayya Jayanti

In reverence: TTD Executive Officer K.V. Ramanachary garlanding the statue of saint-poetess Tarigonda Vengamamba in Tirupati on Saturday on the occasion of her 278th birth anniversary celebrations.

TIRUPATI: With two days to go for the 600th birth anniversary celebrations of the saint poet Annamacharya at Tallapaka, in Kadapa district, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) top-brass on Saturday held a meeting to discuss the arrangements for the gala event.

Briefing presspersons after the meeting , TTD Trust Board Chairman, B. Karunakara Reddy and Executive Officer, K.V. Ramanachari said that the TTD was already observing the year as the ‘Annamayya year’ and is implementing an ambitious programme to perpetuate his memory and also the popularise his compositions both on and off the Indian shores.

Karunakar Reddy cited in this connection the Annamacharya music concerts conducted in the recent times in USA, UK, Singapore and Dubai by the TTD in collaboration with the local cultural organisations and Telugu Associations.

Further, as part of the celebration, Tallapaka was being given a face lift and all its temples were being renovated, he added.

The highlight of the event would be the unveiling of the 108 ft statue of Annamacharya at Tallapaka by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on May 22, the concluding day of the four-day festival.

The celebrations would begin on May19 at 7 a.m. with a ‘sankeerthana pada yathra’ from Rajampet to Tallapaka in which a huge contingent of musicians would participate. It would be followed by a group-rendition of Annamayya kritis on the lines of the ‘Pancharathna keerthanas’ of Saint Thyagaraja.

Tribute to the poetess:

Meanwhile the executive officer, K.V. Ramanachary offered floral tribute to the statue of Tarigonda Vengamamba, erected at the MR Palle junction here, in connection with 278th birth anniversary of the saint poetess, thereby setting in motion the two-day programme drawn-up for the festival. TTD’s Special Officer, A.V. Dharma Reddy, The Director of ‘Tarigonda’ and SVETA Projects, Bhuman and others participated.