Guntur: Palnati Utsavalu begins

GUNTUR: As Karampudi village of this district is busy celebrating the five-day Palnati Veeraradhana Utsavalu, which started on Monday, to mark the famous Palnati Yuddham (battle of Palnadu), demands are rising that the government should identify the Utsavalu as state celebration. The famous Palnati Yuddham was fought between brothers Nalagama Raju and Malideva Raju in 1182 CE at Karampudi village.

The Palnati Yuddham would be relived through plays and dance programmes during the five-day celebration. According to history, Brahma Naidu, a minister of Malideva Raju and who played a major role in the battle, had started Chapakudu reforms under which people of upper and lower castes will take food together.  Social activist M. Srinivas Rao said Brahma Naidu was the first reformer of India as he tried to eliminate untouchability and he went into exile after losing a cock fight. Contemporary artist Vinod Chowdary Raparla said while Palnati Yudd-ham is very famous, the battleground at Karampudi was totally neglected for years. Many Telugu movies and TV serials have been made on the war, but, the warring place failed to be protected. He said the Palnadu culture should be protected by constructing a museum.