Culture of Andhra Pradesh

Culture of Andhra Pradesh state in India has many aspects to it.

Cuisine

Main article: Andhra cuisine

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is reputedly the spiciest of all Indian cuisine. There are many variations to the Andhra cuisine depending on caste, geographical regions, traditions etc. Pickles and chutneys, called pachchadi in Telugu are particularly popular in Andhra Pradesh and many varieties of pickles and chutneys are unique to the state. Chutneys are made from practically every vegetable including tomatoes, brinjals, and roselle (Gongura). The mango pickle Aavakaaya is probably the best known of the Andhra pickles.

Rice is the staple food and is used in a wide variety of ways. Typically, rice is either boiled and eaten with curry, or made into a batter for use in a crepe-like dish called attu (pesarattu) or dosas.

Meat, vegetables, and greens are prepared with different masalas into a variety of strongly flavored dishes.

Hyderabadi cuisine is influenced by the Muslims who arrived in Telangana in the 14th century. Much of the cuisine revolves around meat. It is rich and aromatic, with a liberal use of exotic spices and ghee. Lamb, chicken and fish are the most widely used meats in the non-vegetarian dishes. The biryani is perhaps the most distinctive and popular of Hyderabadi dishes.

Dance

Main article: Telugu dance

Kuchipudi, the traditional dance of Andhra

Jayapa Senani (Jayapa Nayudu) is the first person who wrote about the dances prevalent in Andhra Pradesh.^[1] Both Desi and Margi forms of dances have been included in his Sanskrit treatise 'Nritya Ratnavali'. It contains eight chapters. Folk dance forms like Perani, Prenkhana, Suddha Nartana, Carcari, Rasaka, Danda Rasaka, Shiva Priya, Kanduka Nartana, Bhandika Nrityam, Carana Nrityam, Chindu, Gondali and Kolatam are described. In the first chapter the author deals with discussion of the differences between Marga and Desi, Tandava and lasya, Natya and Nritta. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters he deals with Angi-kabhinaya, Caris, Sthanakas and Mandalas. In the 4th Chapter Karnas, angaharas and recakas are described. In following chapters he described the local dance forms i.e. desi nritya. In the last chapter he deals with art and practice of dance.

Classical dance in Andhra can be performed by both men and women; however women tend to learn it more often. Kuchipudi is the state's best-known classical dance forms of Andhra Pradesh. The various dance forms that existed through the states’ history are Chenchu Bhagotham, Kuchipudi, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha, Veeranatyam, Butta bommalu, Dappu, Tappeta Gullu, Lambadi, Bonalu, Dhimsa, and Kolattam.

Festivals

• Sankranthi in January.
• Maha Shivaratri in February/March.
• Ugadi or the Telugu New Year in March/April.
• Rama Navami celebrated in March/April 9 days after Ugadi.
• Varalakshmi Vratham in August.
• Vinayaka Chavithi in August.
• Dasara in September/October.
• Atla Tadde 3rd day in bright half of Aswiyuja month (falls in September/October in Gregorian calendar)
• Deepavali in October/November.
• Bonalu in Sravanam. (Celebrated in Telangana region).
• Bathukamma celebrated during September/October in Telangana region.

Literature

Main article: Telugu literature

Telugu literature is highly influenced by Sanskrit literature and Hindu scriptures. Nannayya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragada form the trinity who translated the great epic Mahabharatha into Telugu. Bammera Potana is another great poet from Orugallu (Now Warangal) famous for his great classic Sri Madandhra Maha Bhagavatamu, a Telugu translation of 'Sri Bhagavatham' authored by Veda Vyasa in Sanskrit. Nannayya derived the present Telugu script(lipi) from the old Telugu-Kannada script. Emperor Krishna Deva Raya wrote Amuktamalyada and also made the famous statement : "Desa Bhashalandu Telugu lessa" meaning "Telugu is the sweetest amongst all Indian languages". Philosophical poems by Yogi-Vemana are quite famous. Modern writers include Jnanpith Award winners Sri Viswanatha Satya Narayana and Dr. C. Narayana Reddy. Revolutionary poets like SriSri and Gaddar are popular.

Main article: Urdu literature

Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah was the first Deewan Shayar of Urdu Literary History. Makhdoom Mohiuddin regarded as revolutionary poet.Hyderabad boasts of many classical Urdu writers comprising wide sectors of Deccani Urdu Literature. Some of them are Wali Mohammed Wali Dakhni, Amjad Hyderabadi, Charagh Hyderabadi, Suleman Athhar Javed, Aslam Farshori, Ahmadnisar, Barq Kadapavi, Qamar Ameeni, and others. Aqeel Hashmi is also considered a pioneer in Urdu Literature. Having done his P.h.D from Osmania University, he has compiled various Urdu literatures including Mauj-e-Nazar, Misbah-e-tasawwuf and the Natiya compilation "Kileed-e-Maghfirat", which are his poems in praise of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

Movies

Main article: Telugu Cinema

Andhra Pradesh is the state with the most cinema halls in India, at around 3000^{[citation needed]}. The state also produces about 200^{[citation needed]} movies a year. It has around 40% (330 cinema halls out of 930 DTS cinema halls in India ([1]) of all the Dolby digital theatres in India. Now it also houses an IMax theatre with a big 3D screen and also 3-5 multiplexes. It is also the largest movie industry in India, producing more movies than any other industry.

Music

Main article: Music of Andhra Pradesh

The state has a rich musical heritage. Many legends of the Carnatic music including Trinity of Carnatic music (Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri) were of Telugu descent. Other great composers include Annamacharya, Kshetrayya, and Bhadrachala Ramadasu. Folk songs are also popular in the rural areas of the state.

Religion

Andhra Pradesh is home to Hindu saints of all castes. An important figure is, Sant Yogi Potuluri Veerabrahmam was a Viswa Brahmin that even had a Brahmin, Sudhra, Harijan and Muslim disciples.[2] Fisherman Raghu was also a Sudra.[3] Sant Kakkayya was a chura (cobbler) Harijan saint.

Several important Hindu modern-day saint are from Andhra Pradesh. These include Nimbarka who founded Dvaitadvaita, Mother Meera who advocated Indian independence and Aurobindo Mission, Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Sundara Chaitanyanandaji.

His Holiness Swami Sundara Chaitanyanandaji was born on 25 December 1947 in Kattubadipalem village, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh.

Pilgrimages in Andhra

Sacred Tirumala Temple

Tirupati or Tirumala is a very important pilgrimage for Hindus throughout India. It is the richest pilgrimage center in World. Its main temple is dedicated to the god Venkateswara.

Simhachalam is another very popular pilgrimage of national importance. Simhachalam is said in mythology to be the abode of the savior-god Narasimha, who rescued Prahlada from abusive father Hiranyakasipu.

Srisailam is another center is national importance. It is dedicated mainly to Lord Shiva. It is one of the locations of the various Jyothirlingams. The Skanda Purana has a chapter called "Srisaila Kandam" dedicated to it, which points to the ancient origin. This is confirmed also by the fact that Tamil saints of the past millennia have sung praises of this temple. It is said that Adi Sankara visited this temple and at that time he composed his "Sivananda Lahiri". Shiva's sacred bull Vrishabha is said to have performed penance at the Mahakali temple till Shiva and Parvati appeared before him as Mallikarjuna and Brahmaramba. The temple is one of the 12 hallowed jyotirlingas; Lord Rama himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard.

Other Cultural Elements

Bapu's paintings, Nanduri Subbarao's Yenki Paatalu (Songs on/by a washerwoman called Yenki), mischievous Budugu (a character by Mullapudi), Annamayya's songs, Aavakaaya (a variant of mango pickle in which the kernel of mango is retained), Gongura (a chutney from Roselle plant), Atla Taddi (a seasonal festival predominantly for teenage girls), banks of river Godavari, Dudu basavanna (The ceremonial ox decorated for door-to-door exhibition during the harvest festival Sankranti) have long defined Telugu culture. The village of Durgi is known for originating stone craft, carvings of idols in soft stone that must be exhibited in the shade because they are prone to weathering.

Cultural institutions

Andhra Pradesh has many museums, including the Archaeological Museum at Amaravati near Guntur City that features relics of nearby ancient sites, the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, which features a varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, the Visakha Museum in Visakhapatnam, which displays the history of the pre-Independence Madras Presidency in a rehabilitated Dutch bungalow and Victoria Jubilee Museum in Vijayawada, which has a nice collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.

References

1. ^ Ntitya Ratnavali (http://www.telugupeople.com/discussion/article.asp?id=111