Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (1408-1503), the mystic saint composer of the 15th century, is the earliest known musician of South India to compose songs called sankeertanas in praise of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of the Seven Hills in Tirumala, India. He is widely regarded as the Telugu pada kavita pitaamaha (grand old man of simple poetry) .

Biography

Annamacharya was born on Vaisakha Suddha Pournami in the year Sarwadhari (May 9, 1408) in Tallapaka, a remote village in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, India. He lived immaculately for 95 years until Phalguna Bahula Dwadasi (12th day after full moon) in the year Dhundhubhi (February 23, 1503). His wife, Thimmakka, was also a poet, and had written Subhadra Kalyanam, and is considered the first Telugu woman poet. His son PeddaTirumalacharya is also a well-known vaggeyakari (poet).

Annamacharya was labelled 'pada kavita pitaamaha'. He took the Ramanuja saampradayam, with the blessings of Sri Sathagopa Yateendra of the Ahobila matham. Annamacharya composed about 32,000 sankeertanas on Lord Venkateswara, and the 'Sri Alamelumanga Sri Venkateswara Satakam'.

His compositions

Annamacharya sankeertanas

• Adivo alladivo sri Harivasamu
• Kondalalo nelakonna koneti rayudu vadu
• Bhavamu lona bhahyamu nandunu
• Muddugare Yasoda mungita muthyamu veedu
• Podagantimayya mimmu Purushotthama
• Kanti Sukravaramu gadiya ledinta
• Antharyami alasiti solasiti inthata née sharanune
• kalaganti kalaganti ippudetu kalaganti
• Eduta evvaru leru antha Vishnu mayame''

Annamacharya was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the "untouchable castes" in his era, with his sankeertanas explaining that the relationship between God and human is the same irrespective of the latters' color, caste and financial status, in beautiful yet powerful usage of words in his song "Brahmam Okkate Parabrahmam Okkate..."

His usage of words in the sankeertanas has a mellifluous effect on any listener. Composing 32,000 songs in one lifetime with the highest linguistic quality can be considered the greatest achievement of any era, and more importantly, his songs are woven beautifully around the god he believed, Lord Sri Venkateswara.

Sankirtanas (songs)

An ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati, AP, Annamacharya (also known as Annamayya) successfully composed more than 32,000 sankeertanas (Carnatic compositions) in the Carnatic music tradition, a feat that hasn't yet been repeated. While enjoying popularity in his own days, his compositions were forgotten for over three centuries for some inexplicable reason. They were later found engraved on copper plates, hidden for centuries inside the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.

Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to God. In the poems, he praises Venkateswara, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee's failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into the Adhyaatma (spiritual) and Sringaara (romantic) sankeertanas genres.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has been successfully endeavouring to preserve the rich heritage of his compositions. The sustained efforts of dedicated scholars and musicians during the last thirty years have also helped revive their popularity among the Telugu people.

The sankeertanas engraved on copper plates were found in the Tirumala temple just opposite the Hundi, concealed in a very small room. It is said only 12,000 of the 32,000 sankeertanas were found. No leads have been available to trace the remaining sankeertanas. Some personnel involved in deciphering the plates say that the people of those days could have melted the copper plates for personal use.

External links

• Sri Venkateswara Annamacharya Society of America

Movie

A film on the poet, Annamayya, was released in 1997, and starred Akkineni Nagarjuna in the lead role of the poet. The actor won the Golden Nandi (the AP State Government award) for the movie. The film was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, and featured Annamayya keertanas as songs in the movie. The movie was a major box office hit, and the success of the movie spurred the actor and director to come together again in 2006 to make a movie on another famous Telugu religious figure, Bhadrachala Ramadasu, also a box-offoce hit.

The same director, with another hero Nandamuri Balakrishna, released another devotional movie Pandurangadu in 2008.