American Telugu Association
Andhra Cultural Association of Ottawa
Arizona Telugu Association
Bay Area Telugu Association
Colorado Telugu Association
Cyprus Telugu Association
Detroit Telugu Association (DTA)
Greater Washington Telugu Cultural Society (GWTCS)
Harrisburg Telugu Association
Japan Telugu Samakhya
Mauritius Andhra Maha Sabha
Pittsburgh Area Telugu Association
Singapore Telugu Samajam
Telangana Development Forum
Telugu Association of Australia Inc, Melbourne
Telugu Association of Central Ohio
Telugu Association of Connecticut
Telugu Association of Florida
Telugu Association of Greater Boston
Telugu Association of Greater Delaware Valley TAGDV
Telugu Association of Greater Greenville
Telugu Association of Greater Kansas City
Telugu Association of Greater Toronto
Telugu Association Inc. Sydney
Telugu Association of Malaysia (Kajang Branch)
Telugu Association of Metro Atlanta
Telugu Association of Minnesota
Telugu Association of North Texas
Telugu Association of North America
Telugu Association of San Antonio
Telugu Association of Scotland
Telugu Association of Southern California
Telugu Association of St. Louis
Telugu Cultural Association, Austin
Telugu Cultural Association, Houston, Texas
Telugu Cultural Association of Houston (TCAH)
Telugu Fine Arts Society
Telugu Kala Samithi, Kuwait
Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (NY, NJ, CT)
Telugu Sravanthi, UAE
Tri-State Telugu Association
World Telugu Federation (WTF)
San Diego Telugu Association
Telugu Association of South Carolina
Triangle Area Telugu Association
Miami-valley Area Telugu Association, Dayton, OH (MATA)
Telugu Association of Louisiana & Mississippi (TALM)
Washington Telugu Samithi(WATS)
Greater Portland Telugu Association (GPTA) of Portland, Oregon
Telugus at Hindu Samaj Temple (TAHST)-Mid-Hudson Valley area of up state New
York including White Plains, NY and Danbury, CT
Telugu Literary Foundations
Vanguri Foundation of America
Appajosyula-Vishnubhotla-Kandalam Foundation
Telugu Literary and Cultural Association
Virtual- Telugu Associations/groups online
Chandassu
Racchabanda Online
Telugus Abroad Yahoo Group
Online Telugu Vyasamulu
Andhra Bharati
Rachana
Suryakumrari Page
Telupu Website
Thulika Translations
The above list is prepared from the following resources-
(a) Personal Contacts
(b) Google Search
(c) First Telugu World Conference souvenir 1975 (conducted by International Telugu Institute- currently International Telugu Centre at Telugu
University)
(d) Ramappa, M. (ed.). 1984. Directory of Telugu Associations outside Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad: International Telugu Institute
Compilation by Mr. Sudershan Singh
(e) Various Telugu souvenirs/magazines etc.
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Publications
TAMA Scholarships to Students in AP
- by T.L.S. Bhaskar (Hyderabad)
My immediate reaction when I first saw the advertisement was just disbelief, that someone so far away from our village would ever give a scholarship to us, more so to students like us who have cleared their standard X in Telugu medium from a government school. My happiness knew no boundaries with the letter inviting me to Hyderabad to receive the scholarship. The journey was made with ambiguous thoughts so much so that I had to ask my self questions such as- What is TAMA? What made them to choose us when the world outside is just carried away by the aura of private school education? In fact, why should they give us, how are we all related, and so on. In the end, it was highly refreshing to visit the state capital, which I never thought I would ever visit. It was all Greek and Latin to us at the Teluguone office, but we are received by staff there with open hands and humble smiles. I am very happy, very elated, and its truly inspiring to receive such an award, and this makes me to feel a proud Telugu, by birth and by schooling…Thank you…. This is Mr. V. Amruta Rao from Vyra mandal, Khammam district
Life has taken several turn arounds for students like Mr. Amrutha Rao and many others who had to experience several difficulties as it happens with most government schools- lack of proper facilities but with committed teachers. TAMA scholarships to standard X students who passed in Telugu medium from government schools in 2005 comes at a time when we Telugus as a community are trying reinvent ourselves on the relevance of our language in academic curriculum. It's a encouraging that TAMA executive committee has taken a positive initiative towards this, and have decided to extend the scholarship to students at Intermediate level from this academic year. A new trend has set in by TAMA.
Telugus have been migrating and settling overseas for centuries, and wherever they did so, they have not forgotten their ancestral origins. As part of their social commitment, many have in due course have contributed their lot to the development of the places of their origin, and they have done at individual or community level. It is nothing new that Telugus in the US have been doing their part in this context, but the initiative TAMA finds importance for the kind of cause it has devoted to, felicitating those who have cleared their standard X exams in Telugu medium from government run schools. As a personal attendee to the function, and hearing to the students speak on occasion, I really cannot put it in words here the heartfelt feelings expressed by the achievers. A new idea has born from the corridors of TAMA, and a new relationship sprouted between TAMA and the students. I opine more and more Telugu associations in the US and else where should initiate concrete plans towards establishing long term relationships with students pursuing academics in Telugu medium, and render support and HOPE.
TAMA Executive Committee feels credit for this effort goes to all the sponsors who involved in this noble cause. The Committee is thankful to staff at Teluguone office, and other participants.
Click the link to read more at TAMA website
http://www.tama.org
http://www.tama.org/educational.htm
http://www.tama.org/2005/events/tama_scholorships/tama_scholorships/index.హతం*******************
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Telugu Association of Metro Atlanta (TAMA)
- by T.L.S. Bhaskar (Hyderabad) & Bala Indurti (Atlanta GA)
As TAMA celebrates its 24th anniversary and the silver jubilee next year, it only epitomizes the rich tradition of Telugus uniting together towards promoting our Telugudanamu. Since its formation in 1981 when it’s first president Dr. Jaganmohan Rao (ex-President of Hindu Temple of Atlanta) and the vice-president Dr. Jayachand Pallekonda took initiative in teaming together all the local Telugus to form an association for socio-cultural purposes, the TAMA has been actively involved in preserving and promoting our culture and tradition to successive generations acting as an integral part of local Indian community, and communities at large. It acts as an umbrella organisation for all the Telugus living in Atlanta and near by cities such as Macon, Augusta, Savannah, Columbia & Greenville (South Carolina), Chattanooga (Tennessee), Birmingham (Alabama) etc. TAMA’s mission is to provide a platform to the people of Telugu origin to come together and act on the items of importance to them.
The membership is open to all people of Telugu origin keen to participate in its activities, and there is an option for seeking a life membership too. Every year TAMA community celebrates major festivals like Sankranthi, Ugadi and Deepavali, and an outdoor function picnic. Nearly 600 enthusiastic Telugus gather at the festival actively celebrating our culture. These cultural programs attract around 180 children participating and presenting outstanding quality items inclusive of classical, folk and movie based items.
TAMA organised a VIP Fundraising lunch in 2004 as soon as the new committee took the office, seeking the community support. It is an innovative idea to raise funds and was never organised before, much to the efforts of its present vice-president Mr. Bala Indurti and the President Mr. Krishna Mohan Pinnamaneni.
Current executive committee members Mr. Ramesh Chaparala, Mr. Srikanth Gongalreddy & Mr. Phani Dokka feel that, TAMA has generated enough funds and it is financially stable condition in 24 year of TAMA history.
Every year, TAMA organizes literary meets, the Sahiti Sadassulu with at least 60 participants in each event. The present literary coordinator, Mr. Phani Dokka organizes the events during 2004-2005. Poetry (kavithalu) and Literature work is presented by writers and lovers of literature during these literary meets every quarter in a year. The participants are welcome to present their work, or attend and enjoy the sadassu. It is a great source of keeping your hobby alive or to get inspired and write a piece of poem or a short story. TAMA releases a literary magazine manavoori maata every quarter and a special Ugadi souvenir every year apart from the yearly TAMA calendar. Mr. Vishwanath Dasari sponsored the calendar for year 2005, and Mr. Bala Indurti and Mr. Vishwanath Dasari designed it. TAMA collaborates with TeluguOne in printing the same and distributing it during the Sankranti festival celebrations. Phani Dokka, Dr. Seshu Sarma, Mr. Chari Kandala and Mr. Venu Dasigi are key contributors for literary side.
To TAMA’s credit, Dr. Aruna Prasad Kancharla and his team organized TANA event in Atlanta in the year 1991. Again in the year 2000 Dr. Murthy Komanduri and his team organized ATA event in Atlanta. Nearly 6000 Telugus from all over the US participated in both the events. Dr. Murthy Konaduri was instrumental in preparing TAMA’s constitution.
Mr. Syam Yellamraju is known for non-stop 3-hour play of a Hindi version of Ramayana, one of its kind in the US with nearly 80 participating artists, and a rigorous practice for over three years. He organised one such show in Atlanta to raise funds for Indian American Cultural Association’s temple.
TAMA organizes Mana Badi, classes for children of 4 years and above. Telugu lessons, literature, heritage and culture are held as a curriculum. Classes are conducted by experience teachers and coordinated by prominent Telugu Community leaders. Presently Dr. Pudipeddi Seshu Sarma, Ms. Tadavarthi Malathi, Ms. Syamala Cherukuimlli and Ms. Hemamalini Bhattaar and Ms. Bhanurekha Yendapally teach at the school and Ms. Sreedevi Dadithota coordinates the initiative for year 2005. The primary objectives of the school are to- teach our youngsters to communicate, read and write in Telugu, help our youngsters develop a greater understanding of our Telugu culture, help our youngsters develop an understanding of Hindu religion & mythology, and expose our youngsters to Carnatic music and help them develop an ear for the South Indian classical music.
While most of the Telugus in Atlanta are in the software field, still many others are into medical, business, hotel industry, movie distribution etc. A local Telugu can always spend time eating Telugu delicacies at Andy’s Indian Grill, Minerva, Sri Krishna Vilas and Swapna (Amrutha) owned by Telugus, and watch Telugu movies which is arranged by people like Harish Sajja, Satish Musunoori, Balarami Reddy and Kodanda Rami Reddy who run Telugu movies in Atlanta as a secondary occupation and interest. While movies were played on 16mm projectors for a long time, the first Telugu movie played in a theatre was in 1994 (“Alibaba, ara dazanu dongalu”). This was brought under the presidentship of Syam Yellamraju. Four new coordinators roles for managing Movies, Mana Badi, Cultural and Sahiti Sadassu were started in 1996 under the leadership of Mr. Jayaram Maddireddy & Dr. Prasad Chalasani. These committees were formalized through a revision to the constitution by subsequent teams of Dr. Rajeshwar Tekmal and Mr. Ramakanth Rallapalli. Sudhakar Vallurupalli & Rajesh Mallela screened several telugu movies as coordinators.
More children involvement in TAMA cultural activities took place during 2001 and 2002 years. Ms. Padmalatha Ayala is instrumental for this change. Approximately 180 child participation is taking place in TAMA cultural activities. Anil Chintalapati, Phani Dokka, Venkat Chennubhotla, Smitha Yellam Raju, Lakshmi Vedala, Venu Dasigi and Dr. Mano Naidu served as MCs for most of the TAMA cultural functions. In the year 2003 Seetha Vallurupalli organized musical nights with movie celebrities. Ms. Revathi Komanduri, Ms. Padmaja Kelam, Ms. Neelima Gaddamanugu and Ms. Sashikala Penumarthi are focusing more on promoting classical dances.
TAMA and its members are known for their voluntary involvement in various activities. Mr. Chand Akkineni organises the Festival of India every year with the support of IACA. Dr. Aruna Prasada Kancharla is the current President of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta. Dr. Sunkara Ranga Rao is president of Shirdi Sai Temple of Atlanta.
TAMA keeps sailing with invaluable efforts from many community leaders, Physicians, Entrepreneurs and Volunteers etc who continuously associate with every effort that is initiated by TAMA.
Dr. Sujata Reddy Treasurer of Hindu Temple of Atlanta organizes Health Fairs twice in a year with the help of Indian based doctors. This will be very useful for Asian community in the US and Asian Visitors. TAMA coordinates with Dr. Sujatha Reddy conducting this event.
S.P. Reddy, Dr. Vijay Vemulapalli of VIBHA, Vijay Mallampati IDRF/TeluguOne, Srikanth Konda of IDRF, Ramesh Gude and Devender Reddy are doing great service to the needy people in India.
Every year, American Telugu Association (ATA) or Telugu Association of North America (TANA) organise their national conventions on a rotation basis. This is a time when state level associations like TAMA take initiative and organise local tours for the cultural troupes coming from India. This gives the local Telugus an opportunity to enjoy programs like orchestras, star programs, cultural performances, etc.
Mr. Bala Indurti, who joined the TAMA Executive Committee when Mr. Surender Mutyala was its President in 2004, opines that many NRIs who came to the US years ago and settled very well should now start working towards bringing a socio-development change in the villages they are from. The commitment should lead to NRIs adopting their villages and undertake development process at grass root level, and this is possible only when they visit their villages and identify their needs.
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Ashvin RAJARAI
ANNIVERSAIRE
Un “Andhra Day” haut en couleur
Des danses et des chants traditionnels. C’était hier à l’occasion du 48e anniversaire de la naissance de la province de l’Andhra Pradesh lors d’un spectacle culturel à Port-Louis.
Lors de son allocution, le Premier ministre Paul Bérenger devait souligner les relations privilégiées entre Maurice et l’Inde. Il devait lancer une pique à l’égard de Navin Ramgoolam, leader de chef de l’opposition, qui en a souri. “Mo kontan tann lider lopozision koz linite dan la diversite me se li mem ki ti pe koz balkanizasion de la kominote indou avek kreasion sant kiltirel. Personn pa ti kwrar ki nou ti pou resi fer sa me nounn fer li.”
Toute la grâce d’une danseuse hier au temple Mandapam
Le leader de l’opposition, qui intervenait auparavant, avait demandé que la diversité ne soit une source de division. Il avait aussi parlé du rôle de Sri Potti Sreeramulu dans l’indépendance de l’Inde. “Si un pays ne connaît pas ses héros il lui est difficile de progresser.”
Le vice-Premier ministre avait, lui, abordé le ranking au Certificate of Primay Education, qui est un soulagement pour les élèves, ainsi que de la comptabilisation des langues orientales.
Le Mauritius Andhra Maha Sabbha et le Mauritius Telugu Cultural Centre Trust, organisateurs du spectacle, ont eu l’approbation du ministère des Terres et du Logement pour l’allocation d’un arpent de terre à Ebène qui accueillera un projet de construction de Rs 50 millions.
(From L'express, Nov 2, 2004today)
*The article is a property right of L'express, Mauritius. Readers should write to the newspaper for all further ఇన్ఫర్మేషన్
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Telugu Culture
Popular Performance and Social Change in Indian Society
Report on a research project- Simon Charsley
Simon Charsley has taught at the University of Glasgow in Scotland since 1968. He has carried out research in Uganda and in Scotland as well as in India. He began his research in India with studies of sericulture, the raw silk industry of Mysore (Karnataka) and more widely. These led into research on Scheduled Caste entrepreneurship. Subsequently he shifted his main interests to Andhra Pradesh for a study, starting in 2001, of popular performing artists and their significance for their society. His books include Culture & Sericulture (London: Academic Press 1982), Rites of Marrying: the Wedding Industry in Scotland (Manchester: Manchester University Press 1991), and, with G.K. Karanth, Challenging Untouchability: Dalit Initiative and Experience from Karnataka (New Delhi: Sage, New Delhi 1998).
Over the short period of 15 months in 2001-02 the immense wealth of performing traditions displayed in Andhra Pradesh was reviewed. The project focused on the performers and the contributions they make through their arts to their society. Performing traditions here are deep rooted but neither unchanging nor isolated. Rich legacies of performance descend from the courts of two major Hindu kingdoms, the Kakatiyas in the north of the region in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries and Vijayanagara in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as well as from the periods of Muslim and British rule in the centuries since. From the ports of the east coast, streams of culture, religion and learning flowed out to South East Asia. In the contemporary world performing traditions meet with both changed conditions and new influences from elsewhere in India and beyond. This review of them was funded by the Economic & Social Research Council, UK (Project no. R000239063), and supported by the Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad and by the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Traditions encountered ranged from some of the most ancient recorded to some so recent as to have escaped previous notice by scholars. Amongst the ancient are shadow puppetry, bardic storytelling and group dancing. Individual temple and court dancing reappear in forms of Indian classical dance. Yakshaganam and pagati veshalu, costumed performance genres combining acting, dialogue, singing and dancing, display clear links with traditions going back to ancient Sanskrit theatre. Padyanatakam and Surabhi build on the Parsi theatre of the nineteenth century. All draw audiences and performers largely from the ordinary people of villages and towns. Only classical dance appeals mainly to the urban middle classes. All share the great epic traditions of Mahabharata and Ramayana as the main source of their stories, with more local historical epics and puranas also drawn upon. Some performers and genres are already patronised by government and temple committees organising national, state and local festivals. Tourism is only now beginning to be extensively developed in the state, so it is to local rather than tourist interests that these performing arts have to date played. Over forty different kinds were directly encountered even in the limited experience of the project; many more are known.
Pagati veshalu: village doorstep performance, E. Godavari District, (AP), 2002
At the other end of the spectrum to these ancient forms are social drama, record dance and crime drama. Social drama was popularised in the early twentieth century as an activity of clubs for western-educated young men. It followed the naturalistic Western model of the straight play in excluding the music, song and dance of earlier forms, and it addressed progressive social issues, chiefly those to do with family, marriage and the position of women in the society. It continues, often focused on regional competitions for productions of one-act plays. Quite separately and more common in village society, displays and competitions of ‘record dance’ were built on the example of films and the heroes, music and dancing for them. These often offended respectability and have tended to be suppressed. They have been largely replaced in the popular amateur performing of the most progressive areas by 'crime drama', combining recorded film music and live dance with social drama. In areas where Communist parties are strong, a politically-linked enthusiasm for performing arts is found. This has brought into the picture theatrical training for village youth and experimental productions on global themes such as environmental threats and the impact of IT and globalisation on people’s lives. The performing scene is in Andhra Pradesh is truly rich and diverse.
Jamba puranam: Jambava, the caste ancestor, in village performance by Chindu Madigas of the caste myth, Nalgonda District, AP, 2003
Gender and caste are major factors shaping genres and participation in their performance. Kuchipudi, the main classical dance in this state, provides a key example. It was transformed in the twentieth century from a Brahman all-male art of the older multi-media style to a specialised dance form admitting women and people of other caste origins for the first time as it moved out to the cities of India. Women came to the fore, playing male roles at least as commonly as males played female. This development was studied in a variety of contexts and a dance essay exemplifying the interplay between changing performers and changing artistic forms was created by Dr Aruna Bhikshu, a director and choreographer who was an adviser to the project. See also Parikatha for further details.
Kuchipudi classical dance: quotation from ‘Bhakta Prahlada’ yakshaganam, from ‘Parikatha’, a ballet by Dr Aruna Bhikshu for the ESRC project, Telugu University Auditorium, Hyderabad, 2002
Female performance outside domestic contexts has been morally problematic in this society, at least since the early twentieth century. For most genres performance is either limited entirely to men, in which case the playing of female roles by males is a highly appreciated skill, or a few professional actress/dancers are brought in to perform with the men and are stigmatised by many for doing so. Surabhi touring theatre is one striking exception. Dating from the late 19th century and with a lavish use of Western stage crafts of the period to perform Indian traditional narratives, here entire families tour and perform together, virtually from birth to death. Women performers have been protected from the stigmatising tendency of the outside world by separation. Recently, however, girls of Surabhi families have begun to be exposed to problems as they have progressed through school and college and had to deal with other students' knowledge of their stage interaction with males. Apart from classical dance and Surabhi, women have been active in providing backing for leading male performers in some bardic forms, in recent times training for and performing harikatha, a religious genre, as well as in the Communist-promoted and initially propagandist burrakatha. The cultural wings of Communist parties have been the main force offering encouragement for women to perform. There are also traditional genres specifically for women. These are to be found mainly in domestic, marriage, work group and occasional ritual contexts.
Surabhi: ‘Balanagamma’ in Hyderabad (AP), 2001
Caste and performance are mutually relevant in two main ways. Numerous small castes have particular kinds of performance as their livelihood specialism. Some of them provide performances exclusively for other larger castes, often in the form of caste myths, which explicitly formulate the importance, and distinctiveness of that caste for its own members. This is a feature most evident in Telangana, the region of Andhra Pradesh where Muslim rule from the 14th to the 20th centuries left much of a pre-British caste order in place. The project studied this particularly for the Dalit, formerly Untouchable, leather-working caste, heavily stigmatised in many contexts but with a galaxy of minor castes performing their status-boosting, Brahman-challenging caste myth for them.
Significances of performance for society and the way it can throw light on both the past and changing present begin therefore to emerge. The project has provided promising grounding for further research already under way and planned. Anyone interested in its further progress is invited to get in touch with its former director, Dr Simon Charsley at the University of Glasgow: s.r.charsley@socsci.gla.ac.ఉక్********
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About the Author
Ramanaidoo Sokappadu, also known as Vishnu, was born on the 17th of October 1958 at Camp Jeanette,Chemin Grenier, Mauritius. His father was late Bapnaidu Sokappadu (born in 1923 in Mauritius),
the greatest Telugu singer Mauritius has ever produced. His grand father, late Sokappadu (born in
1896 in Mauritius) was one and the only one who was playing violin in ramabhajana ceremonies.
Vishnu had his primary and secondary education in Mauritius. From 1979 to 1982 he studied Economics,
Mathematics and Statistics at the Andhra Loyola College in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. In 1982 he
was awarded the Professor V. Baliah B. A. Gold Medal award by the Nagarjuna University.
Back to Mauritius, he joined the Central Statistical Office and later on was appointed economist
in the Budget Division of the Ministry of Finance, Mauritius. Vishnu is now Principal Economic
Analyst at the Ministry of Financial Services.
Vishnu has worked as consultant on debt recording and management for the Commonwealth Secretariat
and the World Bank in London and Bulgaria. He had visited several countries in Asia, Africa, Europe
and America on both official and private visits.
Like his father and grand father, Vishnu is a great lover and fighter for the cause of the Telugus
in Mauritius. He has on his own account written, compiled and published nine booklets/ books on
the Telugu culture and tradition with emphasis on the Telugus in Mauritius.
Married to Veda Juggapah, an electronic engineer, Vishnu is the father of a daughter.
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Bujjigaadu starring Prabhas, Trisha
05 April, 2008
anner : Creative CommercialsName of the film : Bujjigaadu
Hero : Prabhas
Heroine : Trisha
Producer : KS Rama Rao
Director : Puri Jagannath
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