Khammam Fort

Khammam Fort is located in the city of Khammam, Telangana, India. 

The fort is believed to have been built by the Kakatiya rulers in 950 AD. It served as an impregnable citadel during various regimes of different dynasties, including the Kakatiyas, Qutb Shahi’s and Asaf Jahis. 

The fort was situated in a very vast area in the heart of the City of Khammam. It was notified as a protected monument by the Archaeology Department several decades ago.Despite decades of neglect, the historical edifice, which once flourished with regal opulence, presents its alluring charm due to its architectural splendor.

The funds to build this Fort complex were procured by three army men Lakshma Reddy, Ranga Reddy and Velama Reddy of the Kakatiya dynasty.

It is believed that gold coins used in construction of this fort were unearthed from their farm near Khammam and Upon receiving the news from these men, the then Kakatiya king ordered them to build a Fort on the Hill in Khammam which is known as the second capital of the kakatiya dynasty. In order to have a secured second capital due to the repeated attacks from the enemy kingdoms on the capital city Orugallu (Present day Warangal).

Lakshma reddy, Ranga reddy and Vema reddy started construction of the fort on the Hilltop located in the heart of the city. A 100-acre massive lake was constructed during this period to satisfy the drinking water needs of the city called the Lakaram lake, named after its Builder Lakshma Reddy.

In the year 997 A.D, when the Gajapati kings arrived in Khammam, the construction was continued under the leadership of Akki Reddy and Aska reddy of Kondapur Taluk.

This fort was under the Kakatiya reddy kings for a very long period of 300 years. Due to the rift between the Army generals of Kakatiya kings of that time, This fort went into the hands of the Padmanayaka dynasty(velama kings) for a brief period and then ruled by different independent rulers such as the Nandavani, Kalluru, Gudluru kings.

Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, which ruled the Sultanate of Golconda in southern India from 1518 to 1687 occupied this city and the fort in the year 1531 A.D after defeating the Shitab Khan, the independent ruler of the jagir of Khammam. The fort remained under the Qutb shahis until 17th century and then passed it over to the hands of Asaf jahi dynasty.

Although Khammam fort was majorly under the Kakatiya dynasty, it slowly became an independent territory within the kingdom.

After the decline of the Kakatiya dynasty, 74 Telugu speaking feudatories of the region under the leadership of Musuluri fought for 10 long years to unify the Telugu land and they did not succeed.

Shitab khan, the army commander of the Humayin shah of the Bahmani sultanate declared Khammam as his jagir(a land fief) along with Rachakonda and Warangal in the year 1503 and ruled this fort city without getting into any troubles with the then rulers between 1503 A.D to 1512 A.D. He maintained good relations with the Qutb shahi. During this time Khammam became major city of the region and Shitab khan rose to high stature in the eyes of other rulers and this fort city was declared the regional administration capital of the kingdom.

In the turbulent regional politics of the time, Quli Qutb Shah ruler of Golconda Fort (in modern Hyderabad) was asserting his dominance and Shitab Khan had to face invasions from Golconda which was just shaking off the suzerainty of the Bahmanis.[5] Warangal succumbed to the Golconda ruler and Shitab Khan had to flee, about 1512. He joined the service of Prataparudra Gajapati, King of Kalinga (Orissa). When the legendary Vijayanagara Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya went on his Kalinga campaign, 1516–1517, his triumphal progress was effectively hindered by the archers of Shitab Khan at the mountain pass near Simhadri(modern Visakhapatnam district). But Shitab lost the battle and, very likely, his life there.[6]

Khammam fort fell into the hands of the Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya during 1515 A.D. According to Nandi Thimmana (15th and 16th centuries CE),a Telugu poet and one of the Astadiggajas in the court of the king Sri Krishnadevaraya, described this historical incident in his notable work called 'Parijathaapaharanam'

‘Ghambham mettu (Stambhadri or Khammam mettu) grakkuna gadalche. Raja Puthrude Sri Krishnadevaraya vibhudu’.

Meaning, The Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya invaded the City or the Fort of Khammam.

Sultan Ibrahim Qutb Shah, the fourth ruler of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India invaded this fort around 1550 AD. Later on four Qutb shahi ruled over this historic land namely Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612),Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (1612–1626),Abdullah Qutb Shah (1626–1672) and Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (1672–1689) popularly known as Tana Shah.

Mughal emperor Aurangajeb invaded this fort in the year 1687 A.D and subsequently went into the hands of the Asaf jahi rulers.The Asaf jahis Appointed a Subedar named Nizam Mulki Asal ji.He later declared independence in the year 1722 A.D.

Zafar-ud-doula was appointed as the Tahasildar in between the years 1761 to 1803,under whose rule this fort has been renovated and all the new constructions including the roads took place.

In the year 1768, Zafar-ud-doula – II was appointed as the Tahasildar. He is also the younger brother of the former. The urban settlement of Dhamsalapuram was named after Zafar-ud-doula-I (also known as Dhamsa).

The Fort and the City went into the complete control of the Government created by the Nizam's during the 1800s and by the time of the Asaf Jah VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan the fort was under complete control of the Government of Nizam in the year 1937.

This Fort is located in an area of 4 Sq. miles in the heart of the City of Khammam on top of a massive granite Hill.It is surrounded by a huge rock wall averaging between 40 and 80 feet(13 to 25 Meters) in height and 15 to 20 feet(4.5 to 6 Meters) in width.

There are steps from each buruju (bastion) to enter into the fort.The Fort was considered practically impregnable by invading armies.

A number of balconies and windows are constructed along the wall in order to use the artillery during wartime. It has a capacity of mounting at least 60 cannons at a time.

The fort 10 large gates most of them in poor shape now. Each gate has cannons mounted on them along with a water pot made of rocks. They are built such that an impact of a cannonball could not break it.

The main entrance is a 30 foot tall entrance known as the Khilla darwaza(meaning fort gate in Urdu).It has 2 cannons on either side of the entrance. One of them still mounted with a head. They are now partially destroyed due to the negligence of the archeology department.

The east gate or the secondary entrance is equally large and is popularly known as the Raathi Darwaza(meaning stone entrance in Urdu) or Potha Darwaza.

All other gates are smaller than the main entrance and could have been constructed to avoid large cavalries to enter the fort in case of an attack.

A huge rainwater catchment system and well have been constructed on the Khilla during the period of Zafar-ud-doula, well known for construction of tanks during Qutb shahi dynasty. This massive tank is now known as the ‘Zafar well’. It is 60 feet X 30 feet stepped well with a bridge across it for men and horses to move around. He also built the walls using Bricks and limestone along the fort.

As soon as we enter the Khilla darwaza, one can see the Fort at a distance of 300 feet. There are small steps carved out of this hill to reach the top of the Hill fort. They are later renovated with railings for the steps by the Tourism department and Archaeological Survey of India in 2005 during the 1000 year celebrations of this historical fort. A lot of small gates known as ‘Dalohiswar’ are all around the walls of the fort.

Fort has at least 15 bastions constructed with two massive walls as a military strategy to take the impact of the cannonballs and to counter the enemy from the top. A 15 foot deep trench is dug in some places for the army to store and use as a hiding place.

The huge blocks of stone used for the walls are as long as 10 feet and are believed to be transported using elephants and men. No mud or limestone is used in this huge wall and the rocks are tightly placed and leaving the viewers amazed by the construction

A permanent Gallows has been erected on this prominent hill fort, where the estimated seat of justice could have been inside the fort.The platform is made of Stone and appears like a well,due to which the locals call this 'Nethi bhavi' ('నేతి బావి 'meaning Ghee well).This stone structure could be seen from allover the city of khammam.

Stone Gallows, locally believed to be a Ghee well on top of the fort

The fort is believed to have a secret tunnels to the Warangal Fort with multiple entrances in different locations at the fort. One such entrance is 10 feet in diameter and the steps to enter the tunnel are closed due to damage over the years. The local folklore includes stories about valuables being transferred between the kings from here using the secret passages and escaping enemy attacks through them.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khammam_Fort

http://www.hoparoundindia.com/andhra-pradesh/attractions-gallery/23007/khammam-fort.aspx

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Gandhari Fort, Temple & Jatara

Gandhari Fort / Gandhari Khilla (Gandhari Kota) is a hill fort located near Bokkalagutta, in Mandamarri Mandal in Mancherial district, Telangana, India.

The Gandhari Fort is believed to have been built by tribal kings who ruled over this region, by taking assistance from Kakatiya rulers, some 1,000 years ago. It houses the ancient temple of Maisamma. Similarly, it contains idols of Kala Bhairava Swamy, Lord Siva, Lord Ganesh and Hanuman, idols carved out of rocks.

Archaeological work suggests that construction of the fort was begun early as the Rastrakuta era (prior to 1200 A.D.) and continued until 16th century.

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Molangur Fort

Molangur Fort is located in Mulanguru village (also known as Molangur), Shankarapatnam Mandal, Karimnagar district, Telangana India is another invincible bastion belonging to the Kakatiyan era.

The Molangur fort was constructed on a hillock by Voragiri Moggaraju, one of the chief officers of Prathapa Rudra of Kakatiya dynasty. It was constructed as a transit halt for Kakatiyas while travelling from Warangal fort to Elgandal Fort in Karimnagar. The Molangur fort is listed as protected site by the Archaeological Department.

The fort is constructed on a huge granite hill that made it difficult for anybody to climb it from any side. On the way to the top of the hill, an inscription carved on a boulder mentions that there are two ways to the fort. At the entrance of the fort there is a Dargah of Molang Shah Wali, a muslim saint. It is reported that the original name of the village was Mudugar. It appears to have been renamed as Molangur after the name of the Muslim saint Molang Shah Wali.

In addition to the Dargah, the fort also houses two temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is a beautiful tank on the fort and also on its foothills along with a well called Doodh Bowli (milky well)

The ramparts of the fort still bear the remnants of garrisons, stables that remind it's glorious past. The ruined walls, gates, bastions, moatsculptures and several other remains in the fort still attract the attention of the visitors.

At a distance of 1.2 km from Molangur Bus Station, 31 km from Karimnagar and 169 km from Hyderabad.

Molangur Fort under threat
Rampant granite quarry operations in the vicinity of historic Molangur Fort constructed by Kakatiya Kings in Shankarpatnam mandal is taking a heavy toll on the structure.

Listed as protected site by the Archaeological Department, the fort was constructed on a hillock by Voragiri Moggaraju, one of the chief officers of Prathapa Rudra of Kakatiya dynasty. It was constructed as a transit halt for Kakatiyas while travelling from Orugallu fort in Warangal to Elgandal fort in Karimnagar.

The fort is constructed on a huge granite that made it difficult for anybody to climb it from any side. There is a beautiful tank on the fort and also on its foothills. A special well called ‘Doodh Bowli’ (well as pure as milk). Time has taken a heavy toll on the fort which is damaged and polluted by granite quarrying. Several megalithic burials inside the fort have been destroyed.

Molangur sarpanch Tirupathaiah said blasting undertaken for quarrying granite damaged the fort. There was severe sound pollution due to rampant granite quarrying. Locals were also falling ill due to the dust raised by the quarrying. He lamented that despite several representations to the district administration, no action has been initiated so far.

Telangana Bhoomi Rakshana Sangham convenor S. Sujatha said that hoisting of national flag on Golkonda fort alone would not solve the purpose of protection of ancient history and heritage of Telangana. The government should also protect other ancient structures.

Demanding that the government stop quarrying, she urged the government to declare all hillocks as tourist spots so that revenue could be generated from the heritage structures. Retired principal of Government Degree College Jagtial and historian. Dr Jaikishan said that there was no check on quarry operations, he said and added that the fort would collapse if frequent blasting and quarrying went on unchecked.

Doodhbowli, a well at foot of the Molangur Fort 

It is said locally that the milk-like water of the Doodh Bowli has great medicinal value and it cured several diseases.

This well at the foot of the Molangur Fort springs milk and not water. Though it is not milk in the strict sense of the term, the water smells and looks just like that and the villagers believe that it has nutritional value. The well, known as Doodhbowli in local parlance, is located about 30 km from Karimnagar. People treasure the water as if it is milk and use it for drinking and other regular chores.

The interesting feature of the well is that even in mid-summer it does not dry up. The “milk” keeps regenerating and it is always seen touching the brim. Even though Mission Bhagirtha water is available, people prefer the water from Doodhbowli. Locals say that during the Nizam era, water used to be transported from this well to Hyderabad on horse-drawn carts for use by the Nizams.

A villager Mallesham says in astonishment: “It is always a mystery that the milky water is very pure, more purified than the so-called purified water sold to us in cans.” For the last 20 years, his family has been using Doodhbowli water for drinking purposes. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, people used to come to this well from far-off villages to draw water and take it back as they believed it had not only nutrients but also has therapeutic value.”

As the “milk” from this well has become popular, officials with the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) officials have collected samples and sent it for analysis to understand its magic.The District Groundwater Board deputy director Ch Shailasree Mallika Devi says: “We are trying to find out what minerals are there in the water from this well. At the moment, samples have been sent for analysis. Once we get the report, we would know for sure what the “milk” is all about.”

The fort is 13 kilometres away from Huzurabad and 16 kilometres away from Jammikunta railway station. Thus, it is very convenient to reach this marvellous historical fort by road or by rail.

Qutb-ul-mulk Dakhani

1494 AD - 1518 AD : Kawas Kahn or Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk Governor

1494 AD : In 1493-1494 Bahadur Gilani rose in rebellion at Goa and attacked ships belonging to the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Sah Begada. The Sultan now ordered the provincial governors to send forces to suppress the rebellion of Bahadur Gilani. In one of the actions fought near Jamkhindi, Qutb-ul-mulk Dakhani, the governor of Telangana was killed. His title along with the fiefs enjoyed by him were conferred on Sultan Quli, alias, Khavas Khan. Sultan Qulb was the founder of the Qutb Sahi dynasty of Golconda.

Qawam ul Mulk in Elgandal and Mulungoor or Molangur Fort in Karimnagar

During the absence of Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah in his late campaign, his northern districts had been attacked and laid waste by Kowam-ool—Moolk Toork, an officer of the Bahmuny Government, who, during the late convulsions, had rendered himself master of the forts of Elgundel, Mulungoor, and some other districts, and collecting a force of six thousand horse and about ten thousand infantry, invaded the countries of his neighbours. 

On the return of Sooltan Koolly, he received accounts of Kowam-ool-Moolk's incursions. He accordingly addressed letters of advice to him, and demanded restitution of the property he had plundered in the Kootb Shahy territories. The ambassadors who waited on Kowam-ool-Moolk were directed to inform him, that their master was sorry to hear what had happened ; and that it Was his wish to be on terms of friendship with all his Mahomedan neighbours, since it is written in the Koran, that " all the faithful are brethren ". Kowam-ool-Moolk, elated with his success in declaring his independence, and despising the power of Sooltan Koolly, shortly afterwards sent his troops again into his territories to plunder. Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah could no longer restrain his rage, and immediately ordered his army into the field, and marched towards Elgundel. He was met by Kowamool-Moolk at the distance of one day's march from that place at the head of his army. On the following day an action ensued, which lasted from dawn till noon, when the King charged in person, at the head of two thousand cavalry, and defeated Kowam-ool-Moolk, who fled in confusion, and threw himself into the fort of Elgundel. To this place the King proceeded, and invested it; but Kowam-ool-Moolk, finding himself unable to contend with his enemy, fled to Berar, and solicited assistance from Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah. Elgundel, shortly after, fell into the hands of the King, and many of the Mahomedan troops of Kowam-ool-Moolk entered his service. Having now occupied the forts of Elgundel and Mulungoor with his own soldiers, the King returned to his capital.

1518 AD - 1687 AD : Qutb Shahi dynasty or Golconda or Golkonda Sultanate

1518 AD - 1543 AD : Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk

Sources

https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2022/Jun/19/doodhbowli-a-well-at-foot-of-the-molangur-fort-that-gives-milk-and-not-water-2467275.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/molangur-fort-under-threat/article6301492.ece

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Nagunur Fort & Temples

Nagnoor Fort (also spelled Nagunur) is in Nagunur Village, Karimnagar Mandal, Karimnagar district, Telangana, India.

Nagaruru, Previously it was known as Nagaroor had been one of the chief townships of Sabbinadu, once ruled by local chiefs, who were eventually vanquished by Kakatiya king Rudra in 1170 AD and appointed Gangaraja to administer it.

This city was alive with the emergence of Kakatiyas after the reign of Vemulawada Chalukyas, Kalyani Chalukyas for five centuries from 8th-13th centuries and its people as a centre of faith, a religious centre, a political centre, a spiritual centre also as a capital of morality, reaches to its extinction.

This great capital turned to ruin which was having about 400 temples and now only three are visible, among these three two are already in ruins and one is about to be ruined, which is situated about 8 km from Karimnagar opposite to the Prathima Institute Of Medical Sciences and close to the Karimnagar Railway Station.

The ramparts of Karimnagar's Nagnoor Fort were once alive with the thumping sounds of a bustling town and the people of Kakatiya dynasty. 

The fort stands as a testimony to the majestic powers of the great Kakatiyas. The Nagunur Fort is considered to be one of the most important forts of the glorious Kakatiya dynasty. The excavations have brought to light many ruins of a cluster of the Kalyana and Kakatiya temples.

The Nagunur fort is home to a host of important temples dating back to the 12th to 13th century such as Vaishnava Temple, Shiva Temple, Main Trikuta Temple, and the Ramalingala Gudi Temple. 

The inscriptions found at the fort testify its importance as both political and religious center in the medieval times. Inside the fort, there is cluster of ruined temples that were erected during the periods of Kalyani, Chalukya and the Kakatiyas.

The pillars and galleries around the Shiva temple here are worth seeing. The most important temple in the complex is the Shiva temple which has three shrines. The main entrance to the temple is on the northern side and the three shrines face the other three directions.

The beams of the temple have sculptured images of musicians playing on Mridangam and other instruments. Panels are carved with visuals of dancers in graceful poses.

A group of ruined temples has attracted tourists attention time and again. The origin and style of these temples can be traced back to the era of the Kalyani, Chalukyas and Kakatiyas. However, it is strongly believed to have been built during 1200- 1300AD under the patronage of the Kakatiyas. At one point of time the place was believed to house around 400 temples. Hence it came to be known as Nalugunovalu. This was later changed to Nagunur.

The biggest and the most prominent among these is the triple-shrine temple of Lord Shiva.The temple is made of red stone and comprises three shrines of Lord Shiva. The shrines are placed on a raised pedestal or Upapitha. The most enchanting part of the temple decor is the intricate and detailed sculptures gracing the frames of the doors and the beams resting on the central pillar. The detailing of these sculptures is exquisite. It tends to defy its age. There is one sculpture in particular which finds mention in several places which displays musicians surrounding Gods and Goddesses playing various musical instruments. One is also shown playing the Mrigandam ( an Indian drum).

The main entrance of the temple faces North. The three shrines face the other three directions. The temple lies within the precincts of the Nagunur Fort. The fort was once the seat of power of the Kakatiyas. Its interiors which would once echo the sounds of a lively and bustling city today chants the silent agony of ruins and debris. Several other temples in decrepit state lie strewn on the Telangana State highway from Karimnagar to Rayapatnam. Buried under administrative delay, the temples, which were once the source of great activity, have today turned into a mute audience waiting for the healing touch.

The Nagunur telugu inscription refers to one Jagaddeva, son of Medaraja

Special Attractions:

– The ruined temples bearing the splendid motifs are architectural marvels which attract tourists from near and far.

– The Nagunur Fort and the temples don the place with a unique character which is difficult for any tourist to resist.

Distance to Nagunur Fort, Karimnagar:

– Distance from Hyderabad to Karimnagar is 162 km

– Distance from Warangal to Karimnagar is 68 km

– Distance from Nizamabad to Karimnagar is 147 km

Nearby by Tourist Attractions:

– Lower Manair Dam, Karimnagar

– Ujwala Park, Karimnagar

– Elgandal Fort, Karimnagar

Where to stay:

Karimnagar provides a range of hotels, guest houses, lodges and tourist rest houses which provide comfortable accommodations for tourists. The accommodation facilities fit into every budget and are strategically located in order to provide tourists access to their preferred place of visit in Karimnagar.

Some of the Good Hotels in Karimnagar are:

– Swetha Inn – Ph 9676100333

– Hotel Manair – Ph 0878 2245879

– Srinivasa Hotel – Ph: 0878 2243201

– Hotel Kalpana – Ph 0878 650 3985

– Hotel Prathima Residency – Ph 0878 2233666

How to reach:

– Karimnagar can be easily accessed by road. It is well connected to Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak and other parts of the state.

– There are many State Transport buses from Jubilee Bus Stop to Karimnagar

– The nearest international airport is located at Hyderabad which is around 165 km from Karimnagar town.

– Nagunur Fort is located at a distance of 8 km from Karimnagar Bus Stand and can be easily accessed by public transport.

Nearest Railway Station:

Karimnagar has its own railway station which connects Karimanagar to major cities of Telangana.

Timings: 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM

Sources

http://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/partials/destinations/heritage-spots/karimnagar/nagunur-fort.html

https://www.groupouting.com/place/nagunur-fort/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagunur_Fort

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Chintakindi Mallesham

Chintakindi Mallesham is a recipient of Padma Shri award for the year 2017 under Science and Engineering category for his innovation of Laxmi ASU machine to reduce the time and labour required to weave Pochampalli silk sarees.

He received Amazing Indians Award from the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also got best innovation award.

A hand winding process called Asu is required in the traditional ‘Tie & Dye’ Pochampalli silk saree tradition. This involves moving the hand over a space of one meter up and down around semi-circularly arranged pegs 9000 times (yes, 9000 times!) for one sari. For each sari to be completed it takes almost 4 to 5 hours.

The machine, which has been named after Mallesham's mother, can make a saree in about one-and-a-half hours as opposed to five hours in the manual process. The mechanised process besides increasing productivity (eight sarees a day) has reduced drudgery and allowed variety in style and design. 

Learning early

Chintakindi Mallesham was born in a traditional weaver’s family in a small village of handloom weavers Sharjipet, Aler Mandal, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district,  Telangana, India.

 His parents, Laxminaraan and Laxmi taught him to weaving from his tenth year onwards. By studying during nights and working during the day, he could complete his studies regularly till class seventh. 

Thereafter he took private tuitions to fulfill his desire of completing class tenth, which he could clear only after three attempts. But in view of weak financial condition of his family, he finally gave up studies in 1986. Though he did not have much time for other pursuits, he did like opening up dysfunctional radios and transistors and see the arrangement of components inside.

Keeping a tradition alive

His family has been pursuing the tradition of weaving Pochampalli saris for several generations. Pochampalli silk sari is an exquisite tradition of double ikat style of weaving with a wide variety of colours and intricate designs of geometrical patterns. It is distinguished because it has similar appearance of design on the front as well as the back side of sari. Before weaving these patterns on loom, hand winding process of yarn has to be pursued, called Asu. 

Entire design on the saris is totally dependent on the Asu process. Traditionally, ladies of the family performed this activity as it was done sitting under the shade or at home. But it involved long hours and lot of physical effort. After the Asu process, designs are marked on the threads and tied suitably, and then dyed in selected colours. The coloured threads are wound on spindles and used in looms for weaving sari, incorporating the beautiful designs and patterns of this tradition.

Genesis: All for mother’s pain

His mother, Laxmi, used to do the Asu for the saris woven by his father and him. In a day, at the maximum, she could do the Asu for two saris only, as it involved 18000 to and fro movements of one hand. This caused tremendous pain in her shoulders and elbow joints. She would often tell her son that she could not do this any more. She also did not want his would be wife to go through the same ordeal and suggested him to look for other avenues. 

For untrained and less educated Mallesham, it was not easy. Also, doing Asu just for two saris per day was not enough to fetch sufficient income. This was not the case with his family alone. Women of his community looked after family, performed usual household chores and also worked for 8-9 hours to supply Asu material for two to three saris per day for eking out a precarious living. Working on the loom was not too strenuous for him, but the pain of his mother did bother him a great deal. 

He wondered if there could be an alternative method for Asu that would mean a better living condition as well as less physical drudgery for his mother. If there is a power loom to replace manual loom, why can not there be a mechanical device to alleviate his mother’s pain? This thought became the genesis of the Asu Machine. And at the age of 20 years, in 1992, this young innovator started his dream project.

In the process, he enhanced the quality of life of many other women weavers in Nalgonda district winding process of yarn, called ASU.

Handloom sarees in India are in great demand. But few people know the hard work that craftsmen put into it. To reduce the discomfort and time of weaving, Mallesham invented the machine in the name of his mother Laxmi, where sarees can be weaved with much ease.

Mallesham said with the help of Fuel, a crowd funding Agency, he has taken up the manufacturing of ASU machines and extended 800 machines to the weavers at the cost of Rs 25,000 each. He said the award has increased his responsibility.

“I feel very happy when several women tell me that ASU machine has given a relief to them,” said Mallesham’s wife Suvarna, stating that her husband would continue his services for the betterment of weavers’ community.

Expressing her happiness, Mallesham’s mother Laxmamma said, “When I advised my son not to enter into caste-based profession and explained pain in ASU work, my son has made it clear that he would continue in the profession and took efforts to prepare the ASU machine.

After failing in his initial efforts, my son succeeded in inventing the time-saving machine.”

Earning, Saving, Improving Machine, Again Earning...

Mallesham, did not have much knowledge about mechanical or electrical technology. But what he had was a strong desire to relieve his mother’s pain, which egged him on to achieve his goal. He started working on the idea and divided the entire process into five different parts. Part by part, he developed and fitted mechanical devices to a wooden frame. Since he did not have the right technical knowledge many times he ended up wasting money in buying incorrect parts. That money used to be the savings of days of his hard work. He then had to wait for some time to pool in his savings again and buy more parts. He did not get much free time since he had to work on loom by the day and on the Asu machine in the night. Earning, saving, spending on his project, became a cycle that went on for four years. At the age of 24, he married Swarna. His wife supported him by giving him whatever money she had. With that money, he managed to complete three parts successfully in 1997. But by then he had drained all his resources. He stopped weaving and looked for loans.

Perseverance

No one was ready to give him loans. Everyone knew that he might default at repayment. As it is, it was difficult for most of the weavers to make two ends meet, repaying a loan for R and D would have been quite difficult for him to pay. Determined, he approached all the people with the hope that some good hearted Samaritan might help him financially. Some did help by extending loans. With that money some more parts of the Asu machine were completed. He used to go to Hyderabad to shop for relevant components. By observing different machines parts, he managed to complete some more portions of the machine successfully. After sometime he reached a stage where he did not know what to do, which components to fit and from where to get more money. He needed some technological help also but did not know whom to approach.

By then, his family was fed up with his desire of making a machine for the Asu process. They perceived it to be a useless distraction. His father, uncle and in-laws advised him not to pursue the idea of the Asu machine and get back to weaving seriously. Frequent visits of money lenders demanding repayment, also stressed the family. His neighbours mocked at him commenting that he did not want to work and making the machine was just an alibi. “Asu poyadamlo kastalu oka mee ammake unnaya? (Is your mother alone going through this ordeal and not any other woman?” they quipped.

He decided to leave the village to make a living in Hyderabad. This way, he thought he would be able to clear the debts and avoid constant discouragement. Packing the semi-finished machine in a room, he went to Hyderabad in mid 1997 and started working with an electrical contractor on daily wages. There he worked for a year, regularly sending home some money. After a year, he shifted the unfinished machine to Hyderabad and fitted it in his rented room. He started working part time to earn more money. The additional money was used for buying machine components. Within a short while, it was almost ready except for one movement. He reached a blind alley where he had no idea about which part to use in the machine for a particular activity that involved the thread to go round the peg and slide down to the last thread perfectly. This action was taking a long time in becoming functional in the machine.

The Breakthrough

In Feb 1999, he went to work in a machine shop in Balanagar area in Secunderabad. A number of machines caught his attention. He started observing each one of them. The owner shouted that he had come for work and not for watching the machines. This incited him to watch the various machines even more seriously. In one, he noticed a movement similar to what he required in his machine. Immediately he told the shop owner that he was off for the day and was prepared to forego the wages. He rushed to a workshop, and got a component manufactured to suit the requirement. With his heart palpitating, he reached his room, fitted the component to the machine, and started the operation. The machine worked to his great excitement. Next day he disassembled the machine and took it to a friend’s house in Aler. The machine was reassembled and Mallesham demonstrated the Asu process. His friend used the Asu machine processed yarn for weaving a sari. The quality that came out was better than the one obtained through hand operated Asu process. The news spread like wild fire and there was a beeline at his friend’s house to see the Asu machine.

History was made that day. It was for the first time that a machine was used for Asu process, which was done by hands for centuries.

The first machine, made in 1999, was mounted on a wooden frame. Next year, in the second machine, the same was changed to steel, also the speed of operation was marginally increased, a provision for stopping the machine when the thread got cut was incorporated in addition to some other minor improvements. This was the first machine to be sold. This was followed by sale of sixty machines in 2001 followed by the sale of almost hundred pieces each year from 2002 to 2004. In order to improve the automation process many electronic components were incorporated by him in 2005. The number of threads on each peg could also now be adjusted. These changes resulted in almost 90 per cent noise reduction. The revised design also helped reduce electricity consumption. Considering the fact that most weavers would not be able to afford the new machine, Mallesham took special care to incorporate such changes which did not escalate the cost.. He has sold over three hundred such machines over the last few years.

Using this machine, the time to finish one sari has reduced from four hours to one hour and thirty minutes. This means that instead of two saris per day, now six saris could be made and that too in a wide variety of designs, which was not possible earlier. Also, the mechanized Asu making process need not be supervised much.


A Social and Financial Revolution

Overwhelmed by the response of the weaver community, he decided to pass on the comfort to all the women of weaver community. No mother would undergo the suffering like his mother did, for so long. With the help of his brother and other family members he started a workshop in 2000 to produce the Asu machines for supplying these to the weavers. He was now a contented man as his machine helped a wide cross section of weaver community involved in Pochampalli silk sari tradition. Employment, productivity and marketability have visibly increased. Separate work centers for only Asu have come up especially by those who could not afford a loom. Ladies who were hitherto engaged in manual Asu process have now learnt to weave on looms like men. They have been able to supplement their family income. Some loom-less weavers have set up ‘Asu Machine Center’ only and started supplying Asu to weavers with looms. This is a new opportunity, only possible with Mallesham’s machine. For those weavers who wanted to stop weaving due to the difficulty in manual Asu process, he has become a ray of hope. His mother can’t stop praising him.

Support and recognition

A prominent local news paper “Eenadu” covered his story in 2001. A demonstration was also organised in Bangalore in 2002, which was covered by the Times of India in its local edition. Subsequently, Maa TV, a local telugu TV also channel covered his innovation in the same year. Recognising the utility of the Asu machine, in 2001, an international aid agency in Bangalore provided a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh for the purchase of a lathe machine and a milling machine besides Rs 1 lakh given as working capital to start the manufacturing of Asu machines for supply to the weavers.

For the last two years, Honey Bee network in Andhra Pradesh has been actively supporting his endeavours. Thanks to their efforts, Silk board was persuaded to give subsidy and State Bank of Hyderabad agreed to finance the buyers of this machine. His machine has been demonstrated before the students and faculty of Mallareddy Institution, who also felicitated him. His story has been published in both English and Telugu in Honey Bee and Palle Srujnanewsletters respectively.

In October 2008, Mallesham was felicitated in a Workshop at Osmania University Engineering College, Hyderabad. His machine was named “Laxmi Asu Machine” after her mother and dedicated to her. The machine is in the process of being patented. When invited to the Inventors of India workshop, November 2008 at IIM Ahmedabad, Mallesham’s story inspired all the participants no less. The possibility of introducing his machine for different weaving styles in other parts of India is also being explored. He also participated in the “My Story.” session of TIE Conference in Bangalore in December 2008. This was followed by his participation in the FAB 5: The Fifth International Fab Lab Forum and Symposium on Digital Fabrication meet organized by MIT, Boston, NIF, IIT Kanpur, and CoEP, at Pune in August 2009, which was attended by over a hundred participants from India and abroad. He has also developed a machine for wire winding for gelatin rods used in mining exploration.

The road ahead

Till date Mallesham has sold over 600 Asu machines. His mother does not complain of pain in her arms any more. And Mallesham’s happiness is beyond measure noticing the relieved faces of the women of the weaving community. But he is not satisfied yet! His first aim is to provide Asu machine to all the families of silk sari weaving community in the state. He then plans to develop a loom for weaving sarees, which would do away with the need to use hand and legs for operating the loom. He has already developed a small prototype. He mentions that most of the younger generation is keeping away from weaving due to the very strenuous leg and hand work required for working on the looms. It involves 3000 movements of legs and similar number of hand movements per sari, over a period of 2-3 days. Because of this many weavers are switching over to other jobs, which require less physical work. Mallesham has almost completed a machine, which imitates the manual movements of hands and legs to weave a sari. Another tryst with destiny probably!

Sources

http://nif.org.in/innovation/laxmi_asu/9
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Khammam-Tab/2017-01-26/Padma-Shri-honour-for-Chintakindi-Mallesham/275885

http://www.thebetterindia.com/2564/grassroots-innovation-laxmi-asu-machine/
http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/21/slide-show-1-innovation-school-dropout-invention-for-his-mother.htm

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Suravaram Pratapa Reddy

Name         : Suravaram Pratapa Reddy

Born        : May 28, 1896 in Boravelli, Gadwal 
Died        : Aug 25, 1953 
Parents    : Rangamma and Narayanareddy
Education   : Graduated from Nizam College, BA and BL degrees from Presidency College, Madras.
Profession : Poet, Scholar, Freedom Fighter, Social historian and reformer, Lawyer, Journalist, Founder and Editor of Golconda Patrika a Telugu-language journal.

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Biruduraju Ramaraju

Name : Biruduraju Ramaraju

Born : April 16, 1925 Devanoor village, Dharmasagar Mandal Hanumakonda District
Died : February 8, 2010 in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy
Education : Graduated from Nizam College, PhD Telugu language and literature and folklore studies in Osmania University, Hyderabad.

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Kancherla Gopanna

Name : Kancherla Gopanna or Bhadradri or Bhadrachala Ramadasu
Born : 1620 AD in current Nelakondapalli, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, India.
Parents : Linganna Mantri and Kadamba
Profession : Poet, Tahsildar for Palvancha for king Abdul Hasan Tana Shah of Qutub Shahi Dynasty at Golconda.
Books : Ramadaasu Keertanalu, Dasarathi Shatakamu
Guru : Raghunatha Bhattacharya

Indian devotee of Rama and a composer of Carnatic music and is renowned for constructing a famous temple for Rama at Bhadrachalam. 

 
He is one among the famous Vaggeyakaras (same person being the writer and composer of a song) in the Telugu language, the others being Tyagaraja, Annamayya, Kshetrayya. 

 
His devotional lyrics to Rama are famous in South Indian classical music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu.

Even the doyen of South Indian classical music Saint Thyagaraja learned and later improved the style now considered standard krithi form of music composition.

He also wrote Dasarathi Shatakamu with a 'Dasaradhee Karuna payonidhi' a collection of nearly 108 poems dedicated to the Lord Rama son of Dasaratha.

Bhakta Raamadaas, was born Gopanna to Linganna Mantri (a surname he kept as a result of one of his forebears being a minister at the court of a king) & Kadamba (sister of Madanna, a brahmin minister to TaniShah), in 1620 in Nelakondapalli, a small village in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, India.

Since childhood, he imbibed his family's interest in spirituality and composed several keertanas on Rama. His devotion to Vaikunta Rama at the temple of Bhadrachalam, a small village in the middle of the jungle on the northern banks of the holy river Godavari, earned him his name Bhadraacala Raamadaas.

His guru was Raghunatha Bhattacharya.

During the reign of Abdul Hasan Tana Shah, (the nawab of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty at Golconda), Ramadas (Gopanna), thanks to his uncle Madanna, was appointed as a Tahsildar for Palvancha Paragana which included Bhadrachalam, a pretty and picturesquely situated temple town on the Godavari river.

Ramadas was always distracted and his intense love for Lord Rama compelled him to build a temple at Bhadrachalam. He collected money for the construction of temple from the citizens, but was not enough.

So he borrowed from the tax revenue of the nawab and gave his god a worthy abode, vowing to return the money. However, the nawab was furious and sentenced Ramadas to 12 years in prison.

Ramadaas thus earned the name Bandikhana Ramadaas (meaning imprisoned Ramadas). Frustrated at god's indifference to his pleadings, Ramadas composed some of the finest keertanas in his prison cell (reminding Rama of his services in Ikshvaku Kula Tilaka).

It is said that Rama & Lakshmana in the guise of two youngsters paid up his dues and got his release papers.

The golden coins paid by Rama are known as Ram Tanka coins .They can be seen even today. These coins have the Pattabhishekam scene on one side and the picture of another Rama Bhaktha, Hanuman, on the other side.

The nawab was moved and recognized the greatness of Ramadas and released him immediately and gave him land around Bhadraachalam to continue his dedicated service to Bhadraachala Raama.

Ramadas spent the rest of his life on these lands and composed further moving poems that were to inspire Tyaagaraaja: in ksheera saagara sayana in Devagaandhaari, he says "Dhirudau Ramadasuni Bandhamu dirchinadi Vinnanura Rama?" (O Rama! I have heard how You obtained the release of the bold Ramadas from his prison life); in brindaavanalola in todi, in kaligiyunde gada in keeravaani, in Emi dova balkuma in saaranga and in Prahlaada Bhakti Vijayam he says "kaliyugamuna vara bhadra calamuna nelakonna raamacandruni pada bhaktula kella varudanandagi velasina shree raamadaasu vinutintu madin" (I praise Sri Raamadaas, who shines in this world as the supreme devotee of Sri Raamachandra, who shines forth from his seat at Bhadraachalam in this kali Yuga).

Other compositions are positive invocations, favored by traveling minstrels, including the Tondaiman rulers of Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, who popularized his songs.

Among his other accomplishments is the creation of the whole Ramayana story in the form of a prose-poem, a Choornika.

Ramadas described himself in this way in the last verse of his Dasarathi Satakam: “Allana Linga Mantri Suthudu (son), Atreya Gothrudu, Adi Sakha, Kancherla Kulothbhavudu, Gopakavindrudu." Bhadraachala Raamadaas”, he was lived on this earth for 68 years.

THE TEMPLE OF BHADRACHALAM : Ramadas, who renovated the holy shrine on the hillock near by the banks of river Godavari. It has gained great importance all over the Nizam State. The Tanisha endowed properties for its maintenance. An annual cash grant of Rs. 20,000 was made by him. That the temple was not conspicuous one till the Ramadas undertook its improvement and organize of regular Poojas and festivals is evidence by several authorities.

In the list of ancient Hindu temples which are the principal sacred ones consecrated to Vishnu and which are daily repeated by Vaishnavaite Hindus, Bhadrachalam does not find place. None of the Alwars visited it. Among the 108 Divya Kshetrams of Lord Vishnu which were hailed by the Alwars, Bhadrachalam is not included a few like Ahobilam and Tirupathi only located in Andhra.

In 1687 A.D. Aurangazeb and his son Azam seized the fort of Golkonda. The entire region came under the Moghal rule in 1726 A.D. “Thanisha ” invaded Bhadrachalam temple and town, looted its pious and peaceful citizens and plundered the holy shrine. Sensing before hand the invasion, the priests of the temple removed the idols to a safer place by boats. Sri Rama with his consort and brother had to remain in exile in Veerabhadra’s temple at a Island called Pattiseema in West Godavari District about 23 KMs from Rajahmundry. If symbolizes the unity of Hindus at that time.

After a temporary stay for about five years at Pattiseema the idols returned to Bhadrachalam, his permanent abode, with the help of Pusapati Vijayasyama Raju and Sitarama Raju of Vijayanagaram.

Some time Ramadas ascended to Vaikumtam (Ramadas of Bhadrachalam had the unique luck of flying to Vaikuntam with his mortal body afterfulfiling his mission on earth), “Tumu Narasimhadas” of Guntur went to Bhadrachalam with Varada Ramadas of Kanchipuram. Both are stayed there for some time. The original Ramadas constructed or renovated temple and endowing properties Thanisha4 to Ramadas for the maintenance of the shrine for continuous worship of deities was by then destroyed. Narsimhadas met the Nizam who was the successor of Tanisha and got the finance to renowned the temple.

About the three hundred years after Ramadas renovated the shrine and constructed Gopurams and again renovated in the last years of 20th Century main sanctum removed Vimana Constructed on it. Kalyana Mandapam (where the Seetharama Kalyanam performing every year on Sri Rama Navami day) constructed.

The construction of a bridge over the Godavari river near Bhadrachalam with good transportation facilities the temple has acquired new dimensions. The holy shrine is popular all over the world today as “Sri Seetha Rama Chandraswamy Devasthanam” An icon of great saint Bhakta Ramadas has been installed on the temple premises.

THE GURU OF RAMADAS: The popular belief is that Ramadas received initiation from the famous North Indian Saint “Kabir”. When Kabir sought admission into the shrine at Bhadrachalam, is said that he was prevented from entering the Hindu Brahmins, he is being a Muslim.

All these are stories because Saint Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda had created synthesis between Hinduism and Islam. Ramananda and Kabeer belongs to 15th Century A.D. Ramadas belongs to the 19th Century A.D. could not be his Guru . Gopanna (Ramadas) not declared that his Keerthanas he was a disciple of Kabir.

In his “Dasarathi Shathakam” Ramadas describing himself as “Gopa Kaveendrudu” states that he had sought refuge in the feet of “Bhattararya Guru’s . He cleared that Raghunatha Bhattar was his Guru. In his Shathakam no name has been made of Kabir.

THE KEERTHANAS OF RAMADAS:

Bhaktha Ramadas an ardent devotee of Lord Rama was a Saint – Composer, musician and great philosopher, he was a scholar in Telugu and Urdu. He was well-versed in Sanskrit also is evident from his compositions.

The language adopted by Ramadas in his songs is simple. In many of his Keerthanas some of Urdu and Persian words were freely used. These Keerthanas mostly sing by the Karnatic Music form. In his popular song

“Ikshvakukula Tilaka Ikanaina palukava Ramachandra.............” Ramadasu put forth before the Lord the details of the expenditure incurred by him for the word. Several ornaments and jewels were referred to in it “Chintaku Patakamu” is a necklace presented to Sita by Ramadas. The necklace contains golden leaves resembling tamarind leaves. A story is said about the special liking shown by Sita to tamarind leaves.

Another Keerthana:

“Annagaru Rama Bhajana Kanna Mikkilunnada Rama Chiluka Nokatipenchi prema matalada nerpi Rama Rama Rama Yanuchu Ramani Yekate................” Is a popular one. The story of a parrot brought up by a woman who taught the bird to utter Rama - Rama.

There is a story behind it in Satyayuga. There was a young widow who turned out be a prostitute. She brought up a parrot and taught her to utter the words Rama – Rama. One day the lady and bird both were died. Yama arrived also the Vishnu escorts also came both are sought to take into their courts a dispute arose between them. She spent immoral life so she must produced before Yamadarmaraja No. She uttered Ramanaama several times not only that she taught it to a bird also her place is in our Vishnuloka. At last Yama declared who recites Vishnunaama the Yama sent to Vishnuloka.
In a lonely song sung by him

“Anni Janmamu Lettevaleno .............

How many more births are in store for me. How can be I bear all these my lord. He is not proper on your part to ignore me like this. He finally prays to Rama “I am your servant. I surrender to you”. The prayer in Choornika is a composition deserving special mention.

It is an elegant prayer address to Sri Ramabhadra of Bhadrachalam. The 24 conspicuous names of Bhagwan Srimannarayana are referred to in it. This keerthana contains a resume of the Ramayana.

A few songs of Ramadas are very popular among them.

Nandabalam Bhajare Nandabalam Brundavana lola bhajase Nandabalami – O Nandalala ________ praying you O Brundavana lola Iam doing bhalan for you?

Deenadayalo Paripurna Krupalo Bhakthavatsala he parama Dayalo – O Rama you are the protector of those who are helpless and giving full blessings”.

Idigo Bhadradri Gauthami Adigo Chudandi – “This is Bhadrachalam, that is Gowthami (Godavari) river and the Lord Rama with his wife and brother resided temple.

Ramachandraya Janaka Rajasa Manoharaya A Mangalaharathi (Closing of Pooja or Bhan) is a popular one in all over the Telugu country. All Lord Rama temples and Lord Hanuman temples recite every day even today.

In addition to the songs in Telugu, Ramadas composed over a hundred verses in Telugu called “Dhashardhi Shathakam” each of the verses end with the refrain “Dhaashrathree Karunapayonidhi. “Dhashrathee” means ....... King Dhasharadha Son Rama. “Karunapayonidhi” means ....... Ocean of compassion. Telugu people are familiar with these verses. Most of the children in elementary schools of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh can recite at least five verses of “Dasarathi Shathakam”.

This book is a master piece in Telugu literature dealing with devotion, morals, philosophy and introspection.

Bhakta Ramadas gained a noteworthy place in the tradition of the galaxy of “Rama-Bhaktas”. His songs on Lord Rama spread all over the country by modern electronic instruments. His life, his sufferings and his obtaining in the end the blessing of Rama became a common story among the Telugu people.




Sources

http://ijmart.in/PreviousIssues/Sep%202014/12.pdf
History and Culture of Indian People - Vol. VI (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan) Dr. C.K.Kalyana Mohan Rao: Some Cultural Aspects of Medieval and Andhradesa (1300-1600 A.D.), Academy of IndianCulture, 1998, Tirupati. Ramesan.N - Temples and Legends of Andhra Pradesh
Guruswami Mudaliyar.N.K. - History of the Temple at Bhadrachalam
Great Men of India – Home Library Club – Publishersp
Srinivasacharyulu.G - Bhadrachala Kshetra Mahatyam
Srinivasacharyulu.G - Ramadasu Charitamu – Published by M/s. Venkateswar and Co.,

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Durajpalli Peddagattu Jatara

Peddagattu Jatara also called as Gollagattu Jatara iis a is the festival done in the name of Lord Lingamanthulu Swamy and Goddess Choudamma every 2 years n Durajpalli, Chivemla Mandal, Suryapet District, Telangana, India.

It is celebrated prior to Maha Shivaratri in Magma masam the second biggest congregation of people after Medaram jatara in Jayashankar Bhupalpally. Atleast 25 lakh people are expected to take part in this event.

The presiding deities, Sri Lingamanthula Swamy, believed an in carnation of Lord Shiva, and his sister – Choudamma, are offered various pujas during the five-day fete.

Though primarily the Yadava community takes part in huge numbers, people from all castes and religions from across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu come to the place located just 5-km. from Suryapet.

According to history, this religious congregation has been celebrated since 16th century. Even it is still been celebrated with the government funds.

In the morning, the religious Deverapetta will be brought to temple premises in a procession from Kesaram village following the traditions.

The religious box ‘Deverapette’ which has the idols of Lord Lingamanthula Swamy- goddess Chowdamma and many other idols, holds the key to the celebration of Durajpalli Jatara. The religious box has an interesting story behind it.

Speaking to The Hindu , Menthaboina Chowadaiah Yadav, elder of the local Yadav community, said that a family in Cheekataipalem village of Thorrur mandal in Warangal district traditionally sends this box to Lingamanthula Swamy and Chowdamma temple, Durajpalli 10 days ahead of the commencement of the bi-annual Peddagattu jatara. This tradition is being followed for centuries, he adds.

Days ahead of the Peddagattu jathara, a ritual called ‘Disti Puja’ is performed at the temple. Then the ‘Deverapette’ will be shifted from Chowadiah Yadav’s home in Kesaram village. In the wee hours of the first day of jathara on Monday, the Deverapette would be brought to the temple in a procession. The Deverapette contains the idols of Pothuraju, Ganga, Yelamanchamma, Akumanchamma, Pothu Lingalu and many other gods, who are worshipped in rural parts of the Telangana. Interestingly, the family of Thanda Pullaiah, who are considered as priests in Yadav community, from Cheekatipalem village located 75 km apart from Durajpalli holds this box.

Since the families Menthaboina-Munna, both belong to Yadava community, and Golla Ganna Reddy, whose families were believed to have spotted the deities on Durajpalli hillock, centuries ago, get the opportunity to keep the box at their house in rotation.

These families which have Menthaboina as surname got the opportunity to keep ‘Deverapette’ at their house this year.

The box was kept at Chowdaiah Yadav’s home, who is the head of this community. On conclusion of five-day celebration of the fete, the ‘Deverapette’ will be kept at Menthaboina family’s home for 18 days, then it will be presented to other Lingamanthula Swamy temples in Nalgonda and Warangal districts.

Sources

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/all-set-for-fiveday-gollagattu-jatara/article6870580.ece

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peddagattu_jathara

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/divine-box-holds-key-to-peddagattu-jatara/article6873161.ece

http://nalgonda.info/te/peddagutta-fair-from-today-suryapet-nalgonda/peddagattu-jathara-in-nalgonda1/

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Telangana State Skill Mission (TSSM)

Telangana government formulates policy to provide more jobs for youth

Government of Telangana proposes to launch Telangana State Skill Mission program to skill 5 lakh unemployed youth and the students coming out of the educational institutions before 2019 an Apex Body Telangana State Skill Council (TSSC) under the Chairmanship of the Hon'ble Chief Minister to give policy direction to the Mission; and TELANGANA STATE SKILL MISSION (TSSM) to implement the program under the direction of Apex Body will shortly be in place.

TSSM shall be registered as a society under the Societies Act and shall be reporting directly to the Chairman of the TSSC. 

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T-Hub

Gateway for innovation
T-Hub located in Gachibowli, Rangareddy District, Telangana, India is designed for technology related start-ups, and its mission is to catalyse the creation of one of the tightest and most vibrant entrepreneur communities in the world in order to encourage and fuel more start-up success stories in India.

T Hub is an incubator, but also a unique public-private partnership between the government of Telangana, IIIT-Hyderabad, ISB and NALSAR, and other private sector players. 

The first phase of T-Hub was formally launched by E. S. L. Narasimhan, Governor of Telangana and Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, and Telangana IT & Panchayat Raj Minister K. T. Rama Rao on 5th November 2015. 

Hyderabad’s startup revolution and Telangana govt’s daring experiment

No Indian government has attempted anything like T-Hub before, and Minister KTR’s gamble could be paying off.

The recently announced second phase of expansion bears testimony to its success. The facility, which will spread over 350,000 square feet,will receive an investment of Rs 180 crore and is likely to be open to entrepreneurs by mid-2018.

The facility will have about 1,000 startups along with other players of the ecosystem.

The Secretary also added that Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has evinced interest to share the cost of the project and the IT Minister had a meeting with Kant in this regard.

T-Hub embodies India’s startup ecosystem
Union Minister of Information Technology, Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday appreciated the Telangana Government’s initiatives in developing the T-Hub and expressed confidence that such initiatives would make the City of Pearls, one of the top start-up cities of the world.

T-Hub clearly embodies what we believe — India’s start-up ecosystem. What the T-Hub has done for India is impressive and we hope to replicate it in other States,” the Union Minister said.

Odisha to set up startup park on the lines of T-Hub

KT Rama Rao said T-Hub was providing the best outputs alongside innovative ideas. “Impressed by this programme, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has given assurance to work with TS on some projects. Our startups are enjoying international exposure. Big companies like Cisco, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and others have tied up with startups at T-Hub and are funding innovations there,” he said.

Hyderabad’s T-Hub targets becoming one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems

Today,T-hub has India’s largest startup ecosystem under a single roof, with over 70,000 square feet of space. The infrastructure and the design are both futuristic and cutting edge. As you walk into this startup haven, you cannot help but feel the vibrancy and energy that the startups bring in. 

The startups within T-hub are divided into seven sectors and specialisations ­– Fintech, Healthcare, Agritech, Smart Cities, Transportation and Logistics, Sustainability and Social Tech capturing Big Data, IOT, Analytics, Sensors, Cloud and Mobility.

T-Hub is not just an incubator which support startups through their journey, it is a startup which is creating a startup ecosystem in Hyderabad to make the city the startup capital of India.

The concept of T-Hub is this: where startups get access to infrastructure, networking opportunities, workshops and assistance from the senior management team of T-Hub, in return for a small monthly fee. 

T-hub is also in the process of creating a technology-driven ‘Sandbox’, which is going to be the first-of-its-kind in the country.Startups will get access to supercomputers through this, which are otherwise available only at giant corporates.

T-Hub and CL Educate entered into an MoU to make innovation accessible to millions of youngsters who are working or studying in schools and colleges. Awareness, research, a technology-platform, a curriculum, access to mentors and funds are some of the benefits that will reach aspiring young entrepreneurship aspirants through this collaborative partnership.

T-hub is talk of the world, says KT Rama Rao

T-Hub has launched a new program T-Bridge at Silicon Valley in USA , that will connect Indian startups with global market opportunities, and help bring global startups to India.

Some of the startups housed in T-hub echoed management’ sentiment that T-hub is much more than just a physical space.

T-Hub is at the intersection of government, corporates, venture capitalists, research sector and startups.

“By 2014, our IIIT incubator had managed to create a startup culture in Hyderabad. In fact, many success stories like RedBus and Bookpad attributed to Bengaluru actually have roots in this city. But no one was bringing things together to take it to the next level. That’s what T-Hub does,” says Kollipara.

T-Hub is run by professionals with zero government intervention, and has to become financially sustainable on its own. No handholding by the government. If it fails, it fails. If the startups in the incubator cannot scale up, they will be weeded out.

Today, T-Hub supports 200 startups in the co-working space and guide 5 incubatees in which they have a stake.

A monument and a dream-team
The Catalyst building is a monument in itself. A five-storey creative ensemble by W Design Studio in Hyderabad, it is a high-energy, colourful and vibrant working space which is extremely agile and unorthodox. “It is a mix between the corporate world and college campus. The building had to be creative and inspirational, and suitable for low budgets and long-working hours put in by entrepreneurs,” says Gokul Krishna of W Design.

Firing up startups, the Hyderabadi way
“If you look at incubators in general, they are designed to fail because you are targeting a customer base which has a probability of 10% success. 90% of the startups across the world fail. Incubators don’t have the magic wand to make that any better. So we are not here to change that, but to tell the 90% to learn from their mistakes and come back and build a successful company,” Jay Krishnan explains.

Instead of trying to replicate Silicon Valley, T-Hub has chosen 6 key sectors from which they would incubate startups, and all of them were chosen based on the strengths of Hyderabad as a city. Health technology, agricultural technology, financial technology, transport and logistics, sustainability and social sector are their key areas.

For the startups incubated at the Hub, the partnership has catalyzed their growth immensely.

Mukesh Chandra, founder and CMO of fin-tech company Paymatrix which is incubated at T-Hub, recalls how the partnership threw doors open for them in the market. “We had a good idea and the technology, but not all banks and payment gateways were willing to work with us. There were some lingering doubts. But once we came on board T-Hub, they were confident,” says Chandra.

Paymatrix is a service which allows users to pay housing rent using their credit card and also helps them with rental documentation. In the near future, Paymatrix will also allow peer-to-peer lending as well. So if you are out of cash, you could borrow money from small lenders registered as non-banking financial companies for your rent through this service.

“The networking opportunities which T-Hub provided us helped us a lot. The senior management monitors us very closely, helps us leverage the brand of T-Hub. We have been able to crack better deals,” says Anusha Kurupathi Parambil, founder and CEO of Paymatrix.

Converting euphoria to substance
Yet, they still have a long way to go, says Jay Krishnan. “One of the problems with Indian startups is that they are not solving problems of India. Ecommerce was a big success in the US because it really was needed at that point. We have copy-pasted these ideas in India. T Hub faces the same problems too,” he says.

“Indian startups are more about euphoria and less about substance, and they just chase capital rather than being the next frontier in technology,” Jay Krishnan says. He adds that Indian startups also have a sense of entitlement: “They think they should get funding just because they have an idea.”

Sources

http://www.t-hub.co/
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/inside-t-hub-hyderabads-startup-revolution-and-telangana-govts-daring-experiment-50886
https://yourstory.com/2016/11/hyderabad-t-hub-incubator/
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/‘T-Hub-embodies-India’s-startup-ecosystem’/article16438054.ece

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Mission Bhagiratha

Telangana Water Grid (Drinking Water Project) named as Mission Bhagiratha is to provide 100 liters of clean drinking water per person in rural households and 150 liters per person in urban households. This project aims to provide water to about 25000 rural habitations and 67 urban habitations.

Costing an estimated Rs.35,000 crore, the project envisages laying 1.26 lakh km of pipeline network that will reach 25,000 rural and 67 urban households across Telangana.

But that is contingent upon Godavari and Krishna rivers supplying water to the project. As part of the project, while Godavari river will supply 34 tmcft, Krishna river will feed 21.5 tmcft to the water grid.

Telangana government’s ambitious initiative to provide piped water supply to every household Mission Bhagiratha  is Telangana Chief Minster K. Chandrashekar Rao’s dream project.

A drinking water project of this scale has never been attempted before in this country and Rao has vowed not to seek votes in the next election if the project isn’t completed by 2019.

Telangana’s plans to get internet to 36 mn people

Along with the Mission Bhagiratha water pipelines, Internet cables are also laid to provide Internet to each and every household.

Swach Bharath official hails Mission Bhagiratha as best in the world

Drinking Water Supply and Swach Bharath Mission Secretary Parameswaran Iyer, who met him at Pragathi Bhavan here on Thursday. Parameswaran Iyer has expressed happiness that Mission Bhagiratha Drinking Water Scheme is one of its kind in the country, which was going to supply drinking water to the households and it will become a role model in the Country. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after inaugurating Mission Bhagiratha in Gajwel, had told them that this program is one of the best in the country.

Maharashtra to replicate Mission Bhagiratha

The project, which was initially called the Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project, was renamed by chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, a deeply religious man, after Bhagiratha, a mythical king who is credited with bringing River Ganga from the heavens to the earth, in December 2015.

The chief minister’s interest in the water grid project is not without some history. In 1996-97, when Rao was still a legislator of the Telugu Desam Party or TDP (he floated Telangana Rashtra Samiti in 2001), he implemented a similar project, albeit on a smaller scale. 

At a cost of Rs.60 crore, the Siddipet drinking water project supplied water to households in 180 villages, a part of Rao’s Siddipet constituency. It involved collecting water from Lower Manair Dam and supplying to households. The project is still operational.

The new Telangana Water Grid will depend on water resources from Srisailam, Sriram Sagar Project, Komuram Bheem Project, Paleru Reservoir, Jurala Dam and Nizam Sagar Project, the major hydro projects in the state.

The state-level grid will have 26 internal grids. The main trunk pipelines, running a length of about 5,000km, will supply water to secondary pipelines, stretching over 50,000km. The secondary pipelines will carry water to tanks in habitations from where a village-level pipeline network extending 75,000km will supply water to households in the state.

The state government is engaging Mumbai-based firm Genesys International Corp. Ltd to map the water grid project using geographical information systems and LIDAR technology. LIDAR is a surveying technology, on the lines of a radar, to build high-resolution maps using laser beams. Genesys had earlier deployed its technology to map parts of Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, and Lavasa City near Pune.

Water is life! International community has declared clean drinking water as a human right long back. Yet, lack of drinking water is a common sight in our state and country.

Even though two perennial rivers flow across the state, the tragedy is, most of Telangana state does not have access to clean drinking water.

To change this situation, the Telangana government, under the able leadership of CM Sri K Chandrashekar Rao, has designed the Telangana Water Grid - a mammoth project intended to provide a sustainable and permanent solution to the drinking water woes.

The Telangana Water Grid would depend on water resources available in Krishna & Godavari - two perennial rivers flowing through the state. A total of 34 TMC of water from Godavari river and 21.5 TMC from Krishna river would be utilized for the water grid. Plans are ready to use water from Srisailam, Sriram Sagar Project, Komuram Bheem Project, Paleru Reservoir, Jurala Dam, Nizam Sagar Project. This scientifically designed project intends to use the natural gradient wherever possible and pump water where necessary and supply water through pipelines.

The state-level grid will comprise of a total of 26 internal grids. The main trunk pipelines of this project would run about 5000 km, and the secondary pipelines running a length of about 50000 km would be used to fill service tanks in habitations. From here the village-level pipeline network of about 75,000 km would be used to provide clean drinking water to households.”

Sources

http://www.telangana.gov.in/news/2014/12/15/water-grid

http://www.siasat.com/news/swach-bharath-official-hails-mission-bhagiratha-best-world-1113423/

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/Mission-Bhagiratha-reaches-600-habitations/article16442682.ece

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/narendra-modi-telangana-visit-mission-bhageeratha-2959158/

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Mission Kakatiya

Telangana shows the way in restoring village tanks.

The Mission Kakatiya programme is all set to go national. Niti Aayog, the central body that replaced the Planning Commission, is expected to push for the adoption of the Telangana government's programme of rejuvenating small and medium irrigation and village tanks in other states.

A silent transformation is taking place across rural Telangana as the country’s newest state has emerged as a role model in rejuvenating minor irrigation tank system, a lifeline for small and marginal farmers.

“Mission Kakatiya”, a flagship programme of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to restore centuries-old village tanks through people’s participation, has earned appreciation from the Union Water Resources Ministry for setting an example in reviving the defunct chain of tanks.


Mission Kakatiya with tagline Mana Ooru Mana Cheruvu is a program of restoring all the tanks and lakes in Telangana State, India. The project aims at restoring over 46,500 tanks across the state at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore over five years to create a storage capacity of 255 TMC of water.

The name 'Mission Kakatiya' is given in the remembrance and tribute to the Kakatiya rulers who developed large number of the irrigation tanks.

The Program was inaugurated on 12 March 2015 by chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.

Defunct for decades, several tanks are now brimming with water, bringing smiles on the faces of farmers as the project is expected to boost agricultural production by at least 30 per cent, increase groundwater recharge and drinking water availability and improve the soil quality.

A visit to a few tanks under restoration in Adilabad, a backward and tribal-dominated district bordering Maharashtra, revealed a discernible change and a new sense of optimism among farmers with tanks in their villages brimming with water, enough to irrigate their crops. “Farmers growing paddy and turmeric here are now assured of water availability for the entire crop season of 120 days,” said Shivaiah, sarpanch of Parimandal village.

“People are actively taking part in the programme as they see benefit in the area of irrigation, improved groundwater recharge and drinking water facility. Besides, the silt, removed from the tanks, has high nutrient value and its usage will help farmers save on fertilisers and pesticides,” Sridhar Rao Deshpande, Officer on Special Duty to the Irrigation Ministry, told The Tribune.

Under the first phase, completed in April, over 8,000 tanks have been restored at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore. Another 9,000 tanks were taken up under the second phase during the current financial year.

The project involves desilting the tanks, repairing the bunds, clearing catchment area and feeder channels of encroachments, repairing damaged sluices and surplus structures and laying canals up to the fields. Many of these tanks were built during the Kakatiya dynasty, over 800 years ago. A chain of interconnected rain-fed tanks, whose flow depended on gravity, were developed and canals were built from these lakes to supply water to the fields. However, they have become defunct over time.

The experts say that over the years, yields have come down drastically in the upland Telangana because of decreasing reliance on tank irrigation and rampant exploitation of groundwater resources. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has released Rs 1,000 crore for the programme and has shown its willingness to provide another Rs 1,000 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a specific mention of the project during his recent visit to the state. “We have also approached NITI Aayog for Rs 5,000 crore assistance,” the irrigation official said. “In the combined state of Andhra Pradesh, the successive governments had completely neglected minor irrigation sector in Telangana. We are now correcting the situation through people’s involvement. This mission will go down in the history as the biggest project of its kind ever undertaken in the country,” state Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao said.

Initially, people were sceptical in view of their past experience but after seeing the results, their aspirations have gone up and there is enthusiasm all around,” Adilabad district Collector M Jagan Mohan said.

Even the groundwater table has shown a marginal rise with the spruced up tanks and lakes receiving considerably good inflows.

"It is just a humble start and there is still a long way to go. While the agriculture scenario is certainly a cause of concern with south-west monsoon offering a mixed bag of a dry spell and patches of good rains, it is a motivating message from Mission Kakatiya," said minor irrigation chief engineer Bhupathiraju Nagendra Rao.
Tanks have been the life line of Telangana owing to the state's geographical positioning. The people of the state are highly dependent on the tanks which are spread across all the 10 districts. The topography and rainfall pattern in Telangana have made tank irrigation an ideal type of irrigation by storing and regulating water flow for agricultural use.

Construction of tanks in Telangana has been an age old activity since pre Satavahana era. During the Kakatiya era, the construction of tanks was carried out with utmost technical expertise. Tanks such as Ramappa, Pakhala, Laknavaram, Ghanapuram, Bayyaram which were built by Kakatiyas resemble seas and they greatly helped agriculture and overall development and prosperity of the Kakatiya kingdom.

This vision and legacy of Kakatiyas were carried forward by Qutubshahis and Asafjahis who ruled this region for centuries. Hundreds of big and small tanks were built in Telangana region during their rule. Government desires to uphold the vision of Kakatiyas which envisages revival and restoration of Minor Irrigation Sources in Telangana State.

Tank irrigation has huge bearing on generation of rural employment, poverty reduction and agricultural growth. The sheer size of command area under tank irrigation makes it a large center of agricultural production and provides a critical opportunity for commercial agriculture through market linkages.

Sources
http://missionkakatiya.cgg.gov.in/homemission
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/telangana-shows-the-way-in-restoring-village-tanks/291625.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Mission-Kakatiya-a-blessing-for-farmers/articleshow/54455315.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/National-push-for-Mission-Kakatiya/articleshow/51771607.cms

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Ibrahimpur Model Village

Ibrahimpur village located in Siddipet Mandal and District transformed into a model village for sustainable development. It all started with a genuine endeavour by the villagers to transform their village as a model village.

From becoming outside defecation-free to implementing clean and green initiatives and continuing with their collective spirit, the villagers have now attained such a high point where not only Telangana, but entire India is taking inspiration from Ibrahimpur today.

This village is adopted by Telangana Irrigation Minister Tanneru Harish Rao,

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