AP govt urged to hold millennium celebrations of Rajaraja Narendra’s coronation

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has been urged to organise the state-level millennium celebrations of the eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra to mark completion of 1,000 years of his coronation and the 1,000 years of transcreation of Mahabharata into Telugu version.

The transcreation was done especially by the king’s Aasthana Kavi, Nannayya, it is noted by lovers of Telugu literature, culture and traditions.

Rajaraja Narendra was the king of Vengi kingdom and he developed Rajamahendravaram as the capital city for the kingdom.

A book written by Bhavaraju Venkata Krishna Rao titled ‘History of Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi-1973’, says Rajaraja Narendra was coronated on August 16, 1022AD during the Sravana Masam of Simha Salivahana Saka, 944, between 8 and 9am.

Similarly, there is historical evidence on the date of coronation of Rajaraja Narendra. August 16, 2022, marks the completion of 1,000 years since Rajaraja Narendra was crowned.

Rajaraja Narendra asked his Aasthana Kavi Nannayya to trancreate Mahabharata written in Sanskrit by Veda Vyas into Telugu language to make it more comprehensible to the Telugus in his kingdom. Nannayya could do so for three parvas. This was followed by the efforts of two other poets -- Tikkanna and Yerrapragada – who completed the whole exercise to transcreate the greatest epic into Telugu.

Rajaraja Narendra was a devotee of Lord Shiva and used to donate lands and encouraged the learning of Vedasasta Vidya. He had good knowledge in Puranas, Agamas and Kavyas and loved poetry and plays.

Historians say Rajaraja Narendra asked for the transcreation of Mahabharata into Telugu to help the people understand the great deeds of his ancestors, the Pandavas, and their history and these could be passed on from one generation to another.

Social activist BKSR Ayyangar said, “I sent a communication to the chief minister with an appeal to organise the year-long millennium celebrations to officially mark the coronation of Rajaraja Narendra and also the Andhra Mahabharatam, to promote Telugu culture, language and traditions in the state.”

Though Telugus are organising the Rajaraja Narendra coronation’s millennium celebrations at several places in the state, their plea to the state government is to organise such an event in a befitting manner.

Retired professor of Hyderabad-based Central University NS Raju said, “There is a need to organise the millennium celebrations of Rajaraja Narendra’s coronation as he got Mahabharata transcreated into Telugu to promote Telugu language and culture in a big way.”

Meanwhile, the Adikavi Nannaya University would organise the Rajaraja Narendra millennium celebrations on the university campus with huge settings of the famous Kotagummam and other relics of his rule. It is seeking funds of `2 crore for this purpose from the Union ministry of culture.