Friendz dears...
This is the recent article on maa ayyagaru by Dr.Udalivaru in 'VISALAKSHI' - a very popular literary magazine from Nellore.

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..Friendz...please please,,,,excuse me 'cause I have not posted these pages numberwise. Pl follow the page numbers and read.  In this article there is very interesting news that Puttaparthivaru performed his 'SIVATHANDAVAM' along with some musical instruments also in Nellore. Very interesting..Is n't it?
Courtesy..as usual Sri Ramavajhala Sreesailamgaru and his devoted son Sri R.Saikrishna....
hank u sirs.....

M S Subbulakshmi::Brahma Kadigina Paadamu

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Friendz ears....The above song was very favourite of maa ayyagaru. He used to like Annamacharya for his poetic expressions, for  unique using of Rayalaseema sayings and proverbs, social consciousness and historic references too.
In the second stanza of the above song, reference to the 'PAMIDI TURAGAMU" is there. In one of his articles and lectures too, maa ayyagaru clarified about this particular reference.
His explanation was the following.
'In the above stanza, the PAMIDI TURAGAMU means Annamayya is referring to the 'KALKI' avathara here with the last and  superior breed of HORSE.  During Annamayya's period, 'Pamidi' a place in Ananthapur district, was considered to be a place where all the horses of superior quality and that were used in battles were kept in groups and maintained by the soldiers.  (These were  called 'SKANDAAVARAMULU). Here Annamayya is referring to Kaliki Avathara with  that superior breed of horse.
Here I want to make a very interesting and unimaginable fascination of maa ayyagaru .
Friendz, U all very clearly know that Puttaparthivaru, was being referred to as 'Saraswatiputra' and this was 100% true. As per the old saying Knowledge (Education) and money never exist together. So there was always lack of money in our house. Puttaparthi wrote many a books for want of money like Rs.200/ or Rs.300/ even in those days. Naturally he was not in a position to publish his own books even. Though in his 60s, economically our family became stable to some extent, one can not refer that period as a 'suitable and comfortable period' for a poet of stature like Puttaparthivaru.

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U may wonder why these pictures of 'HORSE RACES' are brought here. Look , I am explaining here. Pl. go through this interesting turning in maa ayyagaru's life..

Maa ayyagaru, in his 'SAYAM SANDHYA' days (senior citizenship) developed a fascination of  the above 'Horse races' that were popular in Madras only in those days. (1970s)
Sri RaghottamaRao, one of the very devoted disciples of Puttaparthi, by profession was a Mathematics and English Senior Pandit. But his very love was 'Astrology'. Puttaparthi was his 'Mantra Guru' and he was also having a very deep love towards Astrology. They both were spending months (even forgetting the food and bed) discussing about Puttaparthi's future.(Raghottma Rao garu taught me English grammer in those days)
One day sishya Sri Raghottama Rao very unusually was in hurry to go home.Puttaparthi enquired. The sishya answered. 'Guruvugaru, Pl. don't scold me if I tell the truth. I have been introduced to 'Horse races' by one of my friendz recently. He believes my astrology. With my predictions, he purchases tickets for these races from an agent near the town 1 police station in our Kadapa. This is the time I promised him to meet. Pl. excuse me. We will sit tomorrow again.'
Puttaparthi gave permission. But in  his inner minds, Puttaparthi also started thinking about these races.
The next day when they met again, Puttaparthi asked Sri Raghottamarao, the details of these races, and the procedure of selecting the tickets on the horse's numbers.
The sishya said 'Guruvugaru, We have collected the details (bio-datas) of all the horses participating and also of the 'JAKEYS' handling them. So based on their calibre, previous track history and also the details of the time of that particular day, I select some numbers means horses, and my friend purchases the tickets. I have my share if my presumption comes true even to some extent. That is our understanding.' Needless to say that this sishya of Puttaparthi was also a true sishya - means only well educated with no enough money..
Puttaparthi liked this understanding of both friends and even wanted to try his luck even with his small share.
That's how this episode of 'Horse races' started in our house that went on for some months.
Raghottama Rao's friend also was coming to our place and more and more calculations and magical numbers were being fixed in the upstairs of our home.
Though, marriages of my three elder sisters were over till that time, rest of us, three children (my brother Arvind, me and my lil. sis Anuradha) were still studying means not yet setteled.
My mother Smt Kanakamma,   was in  true sense  'ARDHANGI', She was worrying about this new but very very futile activity.
Raghotama Rao's family was also dead against this. There were very less occasions of getting money through these races.
After some months, due to these negative waves from both the families, this activity got stopped.
Alas, maa ayyagaru tried to prove himself as a "LAKSHMI PUTRA" also by trying like this, but  Lakshmi never blessed him fully in his life time.
We have seen maa ayyagaru, literally unable to give better treatment to his wife (my mother) when she was suffering with 'Brain hemerage' from 1975 till the time of her demise in 1983.
Though he was very famous as 'SARASWATHIPUTRA', I have seen his struggle in getting recognised as a 'Writer of reputation' by the  Cultural Department of the then State Government. Very meagre amount from  Rs.500/ to maximum  Rs.800/ he was getting as monthly ARTIST pension from the government, that too very irregularly.In his last days(after my mother's demise, from 1983 until his 'PARAMAPADAM' in 1990)  he thrived to get a pension of at least Rs.1000/ to fulfil his needs.
As per my elder sisters, after my joining in AIR, Kadapa, our economical condition was something better.
Now, with my parents blessings and their UPASANA BALAM, we are doing well, but alas.....maa ayyagaru, and amma are not there with us now.....

I feel guilty all the time now........What do u say dear  friendz?

Friendz dears.....
Here r some more pictures I wanted to share with u.

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Friendz....As u all know, maa ayyagaru, Puttaparthivaru, though marked as a 'Bhaktha Kavi', never he was forgetting his social consciousness. He was beleiving that 'SOCIALISM' must be welcomed into our country. In his 'Meghadutham'  also, he reiterated the need of  'SAMASAMAJAM' and described the tears of the deprived castes of society. He was again and again telling that though he is a 'Parama Bhaktha' of Astakshari, the pathetic lives of under privileged and karma siddhantha bothers him a lot.

Above is the picture in which Dr.Puttaparthi is expressing his views on South Africa's struggle for freedom (in 1978 as the picture says).

Here is another story to share friendz.....

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U all know with whom my ayyagaru is standing here with a thick 'GADDAM' (thick and long beard) This it self tells that he is not well. Is n't it? 'U r right....at that time maa ayyagaru was suffering severely with 'wet fluracy'. u all know that he was an ardent lover of 'BEEDIES' and though he wanted to get rid of this habit he could not do it in his life time.  Sri Hanuman Chouday came to Kadapa in 1982.As  Maa ayyagaru was suffering with 'Wet fluracy' in those days and  Sri Hanuman Choudarygaru knows how to honour poets, he himself came to our house and met my father. he was for more than one  hour in our house. They both chit chatted on different topics from poetry to politics. 

Maa ayyagaru was very much pleased with Choudarygaru's visit and presented some of his books to him too.

So friendz dears...Hope to meet u in next schedule with a different story.......Thanks for sparing ur time and I take leave with a sincere request to spare ur time again and again for more information on Puttaparthivaru...

 

Friendz, I know that we r al familiar with this famous personality. But I want to share another interesting story  now...

Shri Varavara Raogaru is very famous poet, critic, human activist and also excellent journalist. I now want to add that he was very fond of maa ayyagaru Puttaparthivaru's poetry while he was working. He was so mad after 'Sivathandavam' of maa ayyagaru and by-hearted the work completely in those days. While he was working at 'judcherla' he invited maa ayyagaru to that town twice or thrice to give literary lectures. Below is the very rare photo of 26th Feb. 1967 when Puttaparthivaru gave extensive lecture on 'POTHANA' in Judcherla college where Varavara raogaru was working.....

In the above photo of 1967, maa ayyagaru is 4th from left 6th being Sri Varavara Raogaru. Can u recognise him here in black pants and pure white shirt friendz? And now another connoisseur of maa ayyagaru's poetry I know is 6th from right in the back row, Acharya Srirangacharya, who worked as Lecturer and Principal of Sanskrit college, Palem who was and is also a thick friend of Varavara Raogaru.
Acharya Sriranga Charya, Acharya Ravva Srihari and Acharya Lakshmana Murthy (warangal)  were the three friendz who were almost 'sishyas' of maa ayyagaru in 1960s. Though they them selves have become famous in their own fields now a days, they still remember their deep reverence towards Puttaparthivaru till now. Srirangacharyavaru recollects very joyfully  how maa ayyagaru was very much adicted to beedies and coffee  in those days.He also told me recently that once these friends published my father's 'Sivathandavam'. While maa ayyagaru was returning back to Kadapa from Judcherla after lecture,  they placed the 500copies bundle of 'Sivathandavam' by his side in the train and asked him to take home that parcel without forgetting.Puttaparthi very seriously nodded his head, and the friendz took leave. Puttaparthi as usual immersed in  reading the favorite dictionary prepared by self.  As Puttaparthi reached Kadapa station, he went away home, without taking the parcel of 'Sivathandavam' books placed by his side by the above friendz. That was the power of his 'very studious reading'. Even me also noticed how he forgets every thing around in his mad habit of reading. After some days, in a letter to Puttaparthi,  Srirangacharya enquired whether Puttaparthi and the bundle of books reached Kadapa safely. After some days, Puttaparthi in his reply,  very sincerely agreed his mistake of forgetting the bundle in the train it self which was not traced out after many a trials. That was the story behind the above photo friendz..
Hope u agree that Puttaparthi was a 'DEEEEEPPPPP reader' and a very 'Sincere absent minded polyglot and poet'.

Dear friendz......Here is another photo to share with u all which  is also connected  with maa ayyagaru...As mentioned earlier, Maa ayyagaru and Jammalamadaka were good friedz. 
My father visited Guntur many a times to give lectures on different topics. The above foto was taken when he was called to participate in a kavisammelanam, in 1967.
3rd from left is Jammalamadakavaru and 5th maa ayyagaru. Besides my father is Rajanna kavi, who was my father's sishya. He was famous for his KRISHNA portion in pouranika plays with a very melodious voice. He used to start all his lectures with Guruvandanam (my father). He learnt many more things aboutvasucharitra from maa ayyagaru.
I used to accompany maa ayyagaru to many a places. I went to Guntur also and was friendly with the children of Jammalamadakagaru.
Before I forget, I want to mention one thing. As u all know, my father, Puttaparthivaru was famous for his writings and also for his literary lectures. There is one more thing to mention here. ..

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U might be shocked to see the above images in this story of Puttaparthivaru...Yes yes..I am coming to describe the above story now....Maa ayyagaru was equally fond of poetry and smoking. He used to like charminar beedies. Some body advised him to say 'goodbye' to beedies. Instead he can change to 'pogaku chuttalu' and so he started him fancy to 'pogaku' and when ever he used to go to Gunturu ( I was a witness)  he used to bring 'pacchi pogaku' and ordered my amma(his ardhangi) Smt.Kanakammagaru, to wet them and prepare 'pogaku chuttalu' for him and my mother used to do it for him.

But..but..of times, our house became 'FLOROSCENT' (full of pogaku scents) very fastly. As My father, was also anew for pogakuchuttalu, he also was suffering in practicing this new habit. .It took more of his time to become 'expert' in pogaku smoking. Slowly every body including his admirers, friendz and family members started advising him to say 'goodbye' to even pogaku. In no other go, maa ayyagaru, said bye bye to pogaku even. But after some days, his 'LOST LOVE' beedi entered into his life and now PUTTAPARTHI felt happy to order my mother (his ardhangi) to bring beedies as usual in the monthly budget...So friendz..this is the story of 'GUNTURU POGAKU' in puttaparthi's life..wat do u say?..

 

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