Annamayya descendents still serve at Srivari Temple

Tirumala, September 15: The descendents of saint poet Tallapaka Annamacharya, the official song master of the Lord Venkateswara are still on the job at the Srivari Temple of Tirumala. 34 year old Tallapaka Venkata Nagabushan , the 12th generation decendent of saint poet still sings songs at the Srivari Temple. 'I am glad I have the privilege to sing for Lord Venkateswara during the Suprabatham seva in the morning and also at Ekantha seva at midnight', says Tallapaka Nagbushan. One could say that the Lord gets up in the morning to his voice and also goes to sleep after midnight to the rendering of kerains by him.

My two brothers Narasimha and Srinivasa are also in TTD service. We do the same job- song master- of Lord Venkateswara; the work done with devotion by our ancestor says Nagabushan. All the three brothers are proficient in Annamacharya keertans. 'We may not be melodious and versatile as Annamacharya but are not lacking in devotion and commitment, though not on par with that of of our ancestor', he said .

The musical form of the keertana songs that Annamacharya composed have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions which are still popular among Carnatic music concert singers. He is remembered for his saintly life, and is honoured as a devotee of Govinda by devotees and saintly singers. He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha (grand old man of prose- songs )of the Telugu language.

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya was a saint composer in the fifteenth century, who hailed from the Tallapaka village in the Rajampet mandal of Cuddapah district, Andhra Pradesh. Annamacharya was the very first vaggeyakara (composer) in Telugu and established a tradition which was later followed by a number of saint composers like Tyagaiah and Kshetraiah.

Annamacharya composed 32,000 keertanas (devotional songs) in praise of Lord Venkateswara. The Annamacharya Project was established in 1978 with a view to propagate the tatwa and mahatwa of Lord Sri Venkateswara. Using the vast creative literature of the Tallapaka poet, the Annamacharya project seeks to inculcate Madhura Bhakti and Saranagati to Lord Venkateswara, amongst the public. The project functions through three wings - Music, Research and Publications, and Recording.

The centenary celebrations of Tallapaka Annamacharya were held in his native village in a grand manner by the TTD which put up a life size statue of the saint poet and also honored his descendents on the occasion.