Ahead of Telugu meet, Sahaja Kavi Pothana’s samadhi cries for attention

JANGAON : After years of negligence and no recognition, when Telugu literature lover, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in April  had ordered to provide due place to great saint-poet  Bammera Pothana. He announced that a magnificent memorial would be constructed near the saint’s samadhi in  his native village in Bammera. He immediately sanctioned `7.5 crore for the  purpose and directed Kakatiya Heritage Trust, which was entrusted with the job of constructing the memorial, to take up the work at the  earliest. 

However, even after eight months, nothing  concrete has been done so far except setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). In case one visited the site, one could just see  Pothana’s grave covered with mud and board reading “Sri Bammera Pothana  samadhi”. Only on Monday, the officials removed the bushes as the district administration was organising a function in  the memory of Pothana on December 13 as part of World Telugu Mahasabhalu. Kakatiya Heritage Trust founder M Panduranga  Rao claimed that the project was slightly delayed as they wanted to make it  unique. 

“We have already selected architect and even prepared  designs and sketches of the memorial. Renowned architect Suryanarayana  Murthy of Kshetra has been assigned the  job of constructing the  memorial,” he informed. According  to him, it would take at least two years to complete the entire  project. 

Meanwhile, even  as people of Telangana are praising Sahaja Kavi Bammera Pothana for  his works, the natives  of his own village are not so enthusiastic. They are neither interested  in his poetic works nor serious about protecting his samadhi. “We  are very poor and semi-literate people we do not understand poetry and  literature. Our entire concentration is on livelihood and family. Who  have time and resources to take care of a samadhi,” Laxmamma told Express  on Tuesday. 

Programme schedule

LB Stadium is the main venue. Other venues  include Telugu University, Indira Priyadarsini auditorium, Ravindra Bharati, Lalitha Kala Toranam and Telangana Saraswatha Parishat
AT LB STADIUM
December 15: Inaugural session at LB Stadium at 5 pm. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu will be the chief guest. This will be followed by cultural programmes 
December 16:  Discussion on “Evolution of Telugu in Telangana” at 5 pm
December 17: Talk on the oral literature and the language at 5pm
December 18 : Discussion on Telangana song and life at 5pm
December 19: Closing ceremony at 5 pm. President Ramnath Kovind to be the chief guest