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ఆంధ్ర భాషా వైభవాన్ని చాటిన సదస్సు

చెన్నై, జూన్‌ 2 (న్యూస్‌టుడే): పొరుగనున్న తమిళనాటే కాదు పరిసరాల్లోని కర్ణాటక, ఒరిస్సా, మహారాష్ట్రల్లో తెలుగు ప్రాభవాన్ని, ఆయా రాష్ట్రాల భాషలతో మన భాషకున్న సంబంధాలను విడమర్చి చెప్పింది తెలుగు సదస్సు. ఆయా రాష్ట్రాలలో తెలుగు భాషపై అధ్యయనం సాగించిన వారు ఒకే వేదికపై నుంచి నలుమూలలా విస్తరించిన తెలుగు వైభవాన్ని కళ్లకు కట్టారు. తెలుగు భాష గొప్పదనాన్ని వివరిస్తూ దాని ఉనికిని కాపాడేందుకు కృషిచేయాల్సిన అవసరాన్ని గుర్తుచేస్తూ ఈ సదస్సు సాగింది. అయిదో అఖిల భారత తెలుగు మహాసభల్లో భాగంగా శనివారం ఇక్కడి కామరాజర్‌ అరంగంలో తెలుగు - ఇతర భారతీయ భాషలతో సంబంధాలు అనే అంశంపై చర్చజరిగింది. పొట్టి శ్రీరాములు తెలుగు విశ్వవిద్యాలయం నిర్వహణ మండలి సభ్యులు సి.ధర్మారావు అధ్యక్షతన జరిగిన ఈ సదస్సును చెన్నై రాజధాని కళాశాల విశ్రాంతాచార్యులు దేవెళ్ల చిన్నికృష్ణయ్య ప్రారంభించారు. చిదంబరం అన్నామలై విశ్వవిద్యాలయం విశ్రాంతాచార్యులు పీఎస్‌ సుబ్రహ్మణ్యం అధ్యక్షత వహించారు.తమిళ సాహిత్యాన్ని సుసంపన్నం చేసిన తెలుగు సాహిత్యంతమిళ సాహిత్యాన్ని తెలుగు సాహిత్యం సుసంపన్నం చేసిందని మదురై కామరాజర్‌ విశ్వవిద్యాలయం తెలుగు తులనాత్మక అధ్యయన శాఖకు చెందిన ఆచార్య ఎస్‌.జయప్రకాష్‌ పేర్కొన్నారు. తెలుగు, తమిళ సంబంధాలు అనే అంశంపై ఆయన ప్రసంగిస్తూ తమిళ, తెలుగు భాషలు ఒకేసారి వచ్చినప్పటికీ తమిళం మాత్రమే ప్రాచీన భాష ఎలా అయిందో అర్ధం కావడం లేదన్నారు. తెలుగు వారి ప్రస్తావన తమిళ ప్రాచీన భాషలో కన్పిస్తుంది. ఆధునిక తమిళ నాటక రంగాన్ని కూడా తెలుగు భాష ప్రభావితం చేసింది. వైష్ణవ సాహిత్యాన్ని తెలుగువారే కాపాడారు. తమిళనాడులోని పలు ఆలయాల్లో తెలుగు శిల్పాలు ఉండటం ఇందుకు నిదర్శనమని తెలిపారు.తెలుగుతో కన్నడ బంధం విడదీయలేనిదితెలుగు భాషతో కన్నడ భాష సంబంధాలు విడదీయలేనివని బెంగుళూరు విశ్వవిద్యాలయం తెలుగు శాఖకు చెందిన ఆచార్య జీఎస్‌ మోహన్‌ అన్నారు. తెలుగు కన్నడ సంబంధాల అంశంపై ఆయన ప్రసంగిస్తూ శాతవాహన కాలం నుంచి తెలుగు, కన్నడ భాషల మధ్య సంబంధాలున్నాయని గుర్తుచేశారు. లిపిలో కూడా రెండు భాషల మధ్య సాన్నిహిత్యం, అక్షరాలు ఒకటిగానే ఉండటం వల్ల కన్నడ భాషా ప్రభావం తెలుగుపై, తెలుగు భాషా ప్రభావం కన్నడంపై ఉందని పేర్కొన్నారు. ఈ రెండు భాషలు మాట్లాడే వారి మధ్య ఆచార వ్యవహారాల్లోనూ సంబంధం ఉందన్నారు.తెలుగు ప్రభావం ఒరియాపై ఉందితెలుగు భాష ప్రభావం ఒరియా భాషపై ఉందని బరంపుర కళ్ళికోట కళాశాల రిటైర్ట్‌ రీడర్‌ చాగంటి తులసి తెలిపారు. తెలుగు-ఒరియా సంబంధాల అంశంపై ఆమె మాట్లాడుతూ ఒరియా భాషపై తెలుగు భాష ప్రభావం ఒకప్పుడు తక్కువగా ఉన్నప్పటికీ క్రమేణా ఈ ప్రభావం పెరిగేందుకు సంస్థానాల ప్రభువులు కీలక పాత్ర పోషించారు. రెండు భాషల మధ్య లిపిలో పోలిక ఉన్నప్పటికీ ఉచ్ఛారణలో తేడా కనిపిస్తుందని పేర్కొన్నారు.మరాఠీతో సంబంధాలకు బాబ్లీ అడ్డుకాదుబాబ్లీ ప్రాజెక్టు నిర్మాణం వల్ల మరాఠీతో తెలుగు భాషకున్న సంబంధాలు విడిపోవని హైదరాబాద్‌ ఉస్మానియా విశ్వవిద్యాలయం తెలుగు శాఖకు చెందిన ఆచార్య మసన చెన్నప్ప పేర్కొన్నారు. తెలుగు మరాఠీ సంబంధాల అంశం గురించి ఆయన మాట్లాడుతూ మహారాష్ట్రలో 1.30 కోట్ల మంది తెలుగువారున్నారు. మరాఠీతో తెలుగుకు సంబంధాలున్నాయి. మరాఠీ నాటకాల్లో తెలుగు సూత్రధారులు కన్పిస్తారని తెలిపారు.చెన్నైలో తెలుగుకు విలక్షణ పదాలుచెన్నై నగరంలో తెలుగు భాషలో విలక్షణ పదాలున్నాయని గూడూరులోని దువ్వురి రమణమ్మ మహిళా కళాశాల ప్రిన్సిపాల్‌ డాక్టర్‌ కె.మెహర్మణి పేర్కొన్నారు. చెన్నపట్నం తెలుగు - తమిళభాషా ప్రభావం అంశంపై ఆమె మాట్లాడుతూ చెన్నైలో సినీ వ్యాపార, వైద్య రంగాల్లో తెలుగు వారు రాణిస్తున్నారు. మద్రాసులో అనేకమంది తెలుగువారు తమిళులుగానే స్థిరపడ్డారు. భాషతోపాటు ఆచారాలు, సంప్రదాయాల్లో కూడా ఒకే విధానం కనిపిస్తుందని తెలిపారు.తెలుగు ప్రాచీన మూలాలను వెలికి తీయాలితెలుగు భాష ప్రాచీన మూలాలను వెలికి తీసేందుకు ప్రయత్నాలను ప్రారంభించాలని తెలుగు భాషోద్యమ తమిళనాడు శాఖ కార్యదర్శి స.వెం.రమేష్‌ పేర్కొన్నారు. తమిళనాడులోని తెలుగు మూలాలు-సంస్కృతి అనే అంశంపై ఆయన మాట్లాడుతూ తమిళనాట 42 శాతం మంది తెలుగువారుంటే వీరిలో 40 శాతం మంది ఇక్కడి వారే కాగా కేవలం రెండు శాతం మంది మాత్రమే ఉద్యోగ రీత్యా, వ్యాపారరీత్యా చెన్నైకి వలస వచ్చిన వారన్నారు. ఇక్కడున్న తెలుగువారిలో 90 శాతం మంది తెలుగులోనే మాట్లాడుతారు. శ్రీకృష్ణదేవరాయల కాలంలో తెలుగువారు ఇక్కడికి వలస వచ్చారనేది వాస్తవంకాదు. అప్పుడు వలస వచ్చిన వారు తక్కువే. తమిళ గడ్డపై గతంలో తెలుగువారు పరిపాలన సాగించారు. ద్రవిడ భాషల్లో ఏ భాషకు లేని జానపద సంపద మన తెలుగుకి ఉందని తెలుగు పుట్టుపూర్వోత్తరాలను ఆయన వివరించారు.Courtesy: ఈనాడు

Thyagaraja (1767-1847)

Thyagaraja (1767-1847)

Profile :-

Thyaagaraaja is considered the greatest of the music trinity the other two being Shyama Shastri and Muthuswami Dheekshithar, his contemporaries.
He was born as the third child to Raamabrahmam and Seetamma in 1767 in the Telegu Vaidika family (Though there is a difference of opinion as regards the year of his birth. He was born on the fourth of May, the year being 1767 according to one tradition and 1759 according to another.) Thyagaraja was named after the presiding deity at the famous shrine at Tiruvarur and the name THYAGA-RAJA means the'Prince of Renunciation'.
He began his musical training in 1782 under Sonti VenkaTaraamanayya and learned a number of songs from his mother. During a span of eighty years he composed and sang hundreds of lyrics in praise of his beloved deity Lord Rama. Thyagaraja along with his great contemporaries Shyama Shastri, and Muthuswami Dikshitar, has enriched classical Camatic music. His spiritual attainments can be equaled only by his musical excellence.
The music of this greater composer is dedicated to the attainment of peace and happiness through sacrifice and renunciation. It is Bhakti Yoga at its highest. A remarkable feature of Thyagaraja's compositions is their poetic excellence and spiritual value. Thyagaraja's songs and his name spread far and wide during his own lifetime. A number of pupils came to him and he imparted to each a section of his compositions according to the student's voice quality and musical equipment. It is to these sishyas, we owe the propagation of the songs of the saint.
Thyagaraja's musical contribution is remarkable for its quantity and variety, as much for its quality. In his compositions there is a wide variety of form and type, from metrical compositions suggested by European band tunes, that were then familiarised at Tanjore, for example, 'Girirajasuta' and 'Raminchuvarevarura' to creations like 'Koluvaiyunnade', where sangatis are heaped and sahityas are moulded like pallavis. He takes his place among the musician saints of our country like Kabir and Purandaradasar, the latter having exerted a very large influence on him.
Some Incidents of His PerformancesIn 1802, he was invited to perform at his teacher's house before a select group of musicians he sang bilahari and then the kriti "Dorukuna ituvanTi."
At another time, he sang at the request of his guru, beginning at 8 p.m. and finishing only at 4 a.m. Serfoji Maharaja heared of his performance and invited him to visit the temple to be rewarded, but Tyaagaraaja rejected the offer, singing "Nidhi caala sukhama?" in kalyaaNi, which means Does abundance of wealth bring happiness? The king realized his mistake and visited the saint-composer, who cured him of a stomachache.
In 1805 Tyaagaraaja lost an idol of Raama, thrown into the river Cauvery by his brother, but got it back after 3 months. When he lost the idol, he sang sadly "Endu daagi naado,"Where has He gone and hidden Himself?
Tyaagaraaja usually went from street to street singing and begging for rice. Once a sage named Haridas asked him to recite the name of Raama 960 million times. After doing so, Tyaagaraaja went to offer his prayer when he heard a knock on his door. Raama, Seeta, and Hanumaan were entering his prayer room and he was blessed to see the coronation of Raama. Moved with wonder and devotion, he sang "Baalakanagamaya" (the anupallavi of the kritis "Ela nee dayaraadhu" and "Bhavanuta").
In 1810 his daughter was married, and his disciple WalajapeTTai Vekataramana Bhaagavatar brought a picture of Raama, walking all the way from WalajapeTTai to Tiruvaiyaar. Tyagaraaja sang "Nannu paalimpa,"overwhelmed by this act.
Once he visited Tirupati, but when he went to the temple, it was closed. In sadness, he sang "Teratiyagaraadaa" and the temple officials gathered round in admiration when they saw the door opening by itself and the screen falling aside. He sang "VenkaTEsha ninu sEvimpa" in his happiness at seeing the Lord.
Tyaagaraaja's compositions include the Ghana Raaga Pancaratnam (5 gems) in raagams naattai, gowLa, aarabi, shreeraagam, and varaaLi, his most famous and scholarly contributions to Carnatic music, and he delighted in singing them. At the request of Kovoor Sundaram Mudaliaar, he sang the 5 kritis of the Kovar Pancaratnam. When he visited TiruvOTTiyoor at the request of his disciple Veenai Kuppayyar, he sang the TiruvOTTiyoor Pancaratnam. At the invitation of his disciple LaalguDi Raamayya, he composed the LaalguDi Pancaratnam. He also composed the Shreeranga Pancaratnam in praise of Ranganaata of Shreerangam and 5 kritis in praise of Sage Naarada. His numerous kritis include beautiful raagam, bhaavam and taaLam, with lovely lyrics,music, and devotion.
In 1847 Tyaagaraaja became a hermit, and on January 6, he died in the presence of his disciples. Two of his last pieces'Giripai' in Sahana and 'Paritapamu' in Manohari tell us that Sri Rama appeared before him and assured him of moksha within a few days. In accordance,the saint died on sixth January, 1847, when he was 88.

Article on ThyagarajaOn whose art no human hand can improve :-

This article is taken from Introduction to Indian Music by B. Chaitanya Deva Reproduced here for educational purposes only
"On whose art no human hand can improve"The life and work of Tyagaraja, the bard of Tiruvayyaru, is a miracle of miracles. For no musician, with exception of Purandaradasa, revolutionized and gave direction to Indian music as he did. So creative a musician and saint was he that he has come to be known as Sri Tyaga Brahmam, which is a reference not only to his creativity but carries with it a part of his father's name, Ramabrahmam.
The bulwark of a great culture, the Vijayanagara Empire, with all its glory, fell at the end of the 16th century. The invasion from the North brought in its wake new, though not always commendable, trends in living. Quite a few Hindu families had to flee to Southern areas which were still peaceful. Many found shelter under the benign rule of the Nayakas and the Maratha kings of Tamilnadu. Particularly, a number of Telugu families went South and formed nuclei of art and culture and Tyagaraja's ancestors belonged to one such stock, as he describes himself as descending from the Kakarla family (Kakarla is a village in the Kurnool District of Andhra).
Tiruvarur in the Tanjavur district of South India is a small hamlet; it is small in size, but has great sanctity hallowed by the memory of the three composers, the Trimoorty, of Karnatak music. In this village lived one Girija Kavi, a poet-composer attached to the Court of Tanjavur. His daughter and wife of Kakarla Ramabrahmam, Seetamma (Santamma?), gave birth to a son on Sarvajit, Chaitra, 27th Soma, Sukla saptami, Pushya (4th May, 1767). According to another tradition the year of his birth was 1759. The boy was named Tyagaraja, after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of Tiruvarur. In one of his songs, Tyagaraja sings, "Seetamma mayamma, Sri Ramudu ma tandri" - Seeta is my mother and Sri Rama my father - perhaps with a double meaning.
Ramabrahmam shifted to Tiruvayyaru, leaving Tiruvarur. The king of Tanjavur had gifted a house to him in this village and here Tyagaraja not only spent the major part of his life but also attained samadhi. Tiruvayyaru, on the bank of the Kaveri and known as Panchanada kshetra, was the abode of saints, poets and musicians; and of this place Tyagayya sings, "...the Panchanada kshetra in the beautiful Chola country, nestling on the banks of the Kaveri over which blows the gentle zephyr where holy brahmins chant the vedas...a town to be coveted even by Lord Siva".
Tyagabrahmam married, at the age of eighteen, a girl called Parvati who died without leaving any children. He then married her sister, Kanakamba. A daughter, Seetalakshmi, was born to them and she was given in marriage to Kuppuswami. They begot a boy who was named Tyagaraja (Panchapakesa?) who died issueless; thus came to an end the direct lineage of the composer.
Born and bred in a highly cultured family, Tyagaraja was a profound scholar and poet. He studied Sanskrit, astrology and was, of course, well versed in his mother tongue, Telugu. Besides, he was a highly trained musician, having been the disciple of Sonthi Venkataramanayya, one of the foremost singers of the day. His genius is evident in every song of his; but his immortal Pancha ratna kritis (the five gems) reveal the mastery he had over musical technique. Apart from thousands of songs of kriti type, he composed utsava sampradaya keertanas and divya nama sankeertanas which are sung in devotional congregations He has also created two operas: Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam and Nauka charitram. While there are a number of songs in Sanskrit, the majority of them, including the operas, are in Telugu.
One can speak of Tyagabrahmam's music only in superlatives and even these adjectives are pitifully inadequate to convey the exquisite beauty of his art. There is no hitch, there is no unwanted phrase, there is no laboured juxtaposition of word, music and feeling. To him music was so creative that he could not be bound in mere traditional grammar. He saw the potentiality in new melodies and from them gave forms to ragas like Kharaharapriya, Harikambhoji and Deyagandhari; at least he must have breathed life into such simple tunes to make them into ragas, if not produced them de novo. The rhythms used by him are also simple and are generally confined to talas such as Adi, Triputa, and Roopaka. Complex temporal and melodic patterns would not have expressed the lyricism of his mystic adoration. A beautiful elaboration introduced by him was the sangati as a built-in part of his kriti. These melodic variations convey so many shades of the main mood that all the finer nuances of text and music find expanded expression. It need not be offered as an excuse, but it is a fact that he was also as much capable of technical musicality as any learned grammarian. Tyagaraja's "five gems" in ragas Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Sri, his songs in slower tempos and his famous kriti, Mariyada kadayya in Bhairavam wherein he, effortlessly, brings in a shade of Yaman Kalyan - all these and many more show a mastery of design and structure very much beyond the ordinary.
Tyagaraja's literary genius was as great as his musical genius. His command over Telugu and Sanskrit lent not only an erudite dignity to his songs but gave a rare felicity and homeliness to his diction. He drives home great truths with unerring aim but with extreme simplicity of simile. "What does it matter whether the fool, who does not, gain punya (religious merit) when opportunity presents itself, lives or is dead?...Of what avail is it whether blind eyes, however large, are open or closed?". Again, "The fault or goodness is not yours, Lord! It is mine. (Why blame Thee?). If one's daughter is unable to bear the labour-pains, why blame the son-in-law?".
Spiritually he was one of the rare souls who gave up everything except bhakti and cared for nothing else beyond the Grace of God. The early influences on his life make this trend more pronounced. The Bhagavata of Bammera Potana, the mystic poet of Andhra, was for him a book of daily parayana (recitation). Indeed there is a close parallel between the thoughts and lives of these two. The devaranamas of Purandaradasa were fed to him as if they were his mother's milk. Such early environments led to a positive direction by initiation into yoga. It is supposed that he was given the Rama Taraka Mantra by one sanyasi, Sri Ramakrishnananda. Tyagaraja's father's fellow scholar and a yogi, Sri Upanishad Brahmendra of Kanchipuram, also exerted a great influence on him. So also the works and per- sonality of Narayana Teertha, the author of Krishnaleela Tarangini, had considerable effect on the musician.
The only things that mattered to Tyagayya were music and bhakti - they were synonymous. "Is there a sacred path than music and bhakti?". "O Mind, salute the gods of the seven notes". "The knowledge of music, O Mind, leads to bliss of Union with the Lord". Music was to him the meditation on the Primordial Sound: "I bow to Sankara, the embodiment of Nada, with my body and mind. To Him, the essence of blissful Samaveda, the best of the vedas, I bow. To Him who delights in the seven swaras born of His five faces I bow".
Tyagaraja was a great bhakta; the only meaningful act for him was complete surrender to Him whom he called Rama. In the song Ika gavalasina, he sings, "What more do you want, O Mind ! Why are you not happy? When the Lord of the Universe has rested in your heart - what more do you want, O Mind?"
There was not a moment of his life which was not filled with Rama. His songs sing of Him who was a friend, a master, a father,- anything he could conceive of. Hearing of Rama's name was to Tyagaraja like "obtaining a large kingdom". And how could he desist from singing His praises - "Is there any bliss greater than this: to dance, to sing and to pray for His presence." "Did not the Lord incarnate wish to wear the garland of ragas woven by Tyagaraja?"
The worship of His feet (padasevana) was a privilege; but to worship his sandals, (padua) was indeed a fortune. "Rama, clear my doubt. Are Your holy feet worshipped by Narada, great or Your sandals? The sages who worshipped Your feet became equal to You; but Bharata worshipped Your sandals and got Your very self". Day in and day out His worship became a matter of daily living to Tyagaraja. He sang songs to wake the Lord, to bathe Him, to feed Him, to please Him and to put Him to bed - "You are tired after wandering in the forest and conquering Ravana; rest in the lotus of Tyagaraja's heart". Of course, being close to Rama he could chide Him. "If you present Yourself before me, what wealth will You lose? Why this intractability?"
The word Rama (RA-MA) was to him a Numen that transcended all names. It would be more than absurd to attribute any sectarian leanings to Tyagaraja. He sings, "As what did they define You? How did they worship You? - as Siva, as Madhava, as Brahma born of Lotus or as Parabrahma, the Trans-Godhead? I prostrate myself before those who know the secret of MA as the life of Siva-mantra and RA as the life of Narayana-mantra".
This complete surrender naturally made him live a life of detachment, though he was a house holder. The first and foremost result was that he refused to earn a livelihood. He had a house to live in and that was enough shelter. For food, every morning he would go round the village asking for alms - unchavritti, as it is called; and he would not gather even alms more than his daily need.
A life which steadfastly was uncompromising was not at all to the liking of his elder brother, Japesa, to put it mildly. Japesa fondly hoped that the great art and learning of his younger brother could be put to pecuniary uses, which the saint would not agree to. In desperation, the brother not only partitioned the ancestral house but went to the extent of throwing the Rama idol which Tyagayya worshipped into the river. The sorrow of the devotee cannot even be imagined. Many a song he sang begging the Lord to come back to him. In a dream he is told where to find the idol and his life becomes full.
Honours and wealth could have been his, if only he had asked for them; but he would not ask. He spurned an invitation of the King and sang, "Is wealth (nidhi) the source of happiness or is the proximity (sannidhi) of Rama?"
Tyagabrahma undertook an extensive pilgrimage of the sacred places of South India. Wherever he went he sang of the deity of the place. There is the famous incident of his visit to the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati. He goes into the temple to have darsan (vision) of the Lord; but the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum is covered with a curtain which prevents him from seeing the idol. The priests refuse to part the curtain. In great sorrow he sings, "Will you not remove the curtain?" ...and characteristically adds, "the curtain of vanity and jealousy in my mind". The curtain miraculously slides aside by itself and he is face to face with Him.
So much sincerity and surrender drew the ire of people around him and he could not stand their hypocrisy either. He speaks out bluntly about their pretences. "One who does not think of devotion to God, however learned, will be a slave of the senses and not be free from coveting others' women and wealth". There is a vast difference between seeing the Lord and going to the temple. "O Siva, is it possible for me to have your darsan? I have seen the spires, the pillars, the idols, the temple dancers, the rows of lights and made the due circumambulations. My mind has turned towards things external. But it is no child's play to instal Your glorious Form in the lotus of my heart!" Again, "Of what use is the possession of scholarship, in purana, agama, shastra, veda and the doing of japa to a deceitful mind? It is like dressing a corpse with a lace turban and precious jewels. Oh, give me the alms of highest (satvika) devotion".
Tyagabrahmam took sanyasa towards the end of his life and attained samadhi on Pusya Bahula Panchami in Prabhava (6th January, 1847). There is a poignancy about his absorption into the Godhead. He says in one of the most moving songs, "Unerringly I saw Sri Rama installed on the hill...Thrilled with ecstasy, with tears of joy, I tried to speak. He promised to bless me in five days." And so it happened.

Cleveland St. Thyagaraja Aradhana!

April 6 to April 15 , 2007

The Cleveland St. Thyagaraja Aradhana is the largest Indian classical music festival in North America. It was first celebrated in 1978 and has now grown to a week-long festival with more than 2000 attendees every year. The year 2007 is the Aradhana's 30th year. We are honored and humbled to have served the North American community for this long, and look forward to your continued support and patronage for many years to come.

We are planning to have more than 45 concerts over a 10 day period. In addition, weekdays of the festival will feature a series of lectures, workshops and demonstrations for visiting patrons and students.

In addition to performances by musicians from India, we will have concert performances featuring artists and talent from North America. If you would like to be considered for one of these slots, please contact Gopi Sundaram, and provide a résumé or bio-data. Note: You will get a reply to your submission only if you have been selected for a concert slot.
For the first time, the Aradhana Committee will be organizing a Bharathanatyam workshop conducted by two legends in the field. Participants will learn a complete margam, and perform on the final day of the Aradhana.

As a special event for the 30th year, we are planning a special inaugural concert by 30 music students from North America. We invite you to apply to be a part of this program. Further detail are available on the inaugural concert page.

The results of the music competition and dance competition have been posted. Congratulations to all the winners.

Beginning this year, the Aradhana will feature, in addition to our usual music competition, a Bharatanatyam competition. Please check our dance competition page for details on how to apply.

Recordings of the Pancharathna krithis in the style that we will follow for the group singing are now available to download.

Due to mounting expenses and a lack of funding, the Aradhana Committee finds itself in dire financial straits. To alleviate this, a select few concerts will be ticketed. Please read our appeal for details. Our primary source of funding is still donors like you, so please donate generously to help keep the Aradhana alive.

Eminent Telugu Personalities

Eminent Telugu Personalities


The following are a few images of eminent people in Telugu history (posted in no particular order!). They were scanned from old magazines, journals, calendars, telugu vij~naana sarvasvamu, etc.


abbUri varada raajESvara raavu, (1923-1993)[Abburi Varada Rajeswara Rao]Prominent poet, critic and educator. On the editorial staff of several literary magazines. Taught for some time at Univ. Wisconsin, Madison.



harikathaa pitaamaha,ajjaaDa aadiBhaTla naaraayaNa daasu (1864-1945)[Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu]The foremost modern exponent of the literary and performing arts genre "harikatha." Great musician and scholar of Telugu, Sanskrit and Persian. Principal of Maharaja Music College, Viziyanagaram.



ajaMtaa (1922-)[Ajanta -Penumarti Viswanatha Sastry]Eminent poet and editor. Made a very big impact on modern Telugu poetry even though he wrote only a few verses in all his life in a highly individualistic tone.



akkiraaju umaakaan&taM (1889-1942)[Akkiraju Unakantam]Eminent scholar of Telugu, Sanskrit, English, etc. Writer. Influenced early Telugu literary criticism.



padakavitaa pitaamaha, harikeertanaacaarya, taaLLapaaka an&namaacaarya (1424?-1503) [Tallapaka Annamacharya one*,...]One of the greatest composers of South Indian classical tradition. World-class. Wrote more than 32000 compositions known as 'padam' as well as other major works. More than 14000 have been discovered to date on copper plate and stone inscriptions. He was the head of an astonishingly brilliant lineage. Seems to have influenced some other great composers of that time, e.g., Purandara Dasa.



aarudra (bhaagavatula Siva SaMkara Saastri, 1925-1998)[Arudra -Bhagavatula Siva Sankara Sastry one*, ]Major modern poet, critic, movie lyricist and literary historian. His "tvamEvaahaM" and the encyclopedic work on Telugu literature "samagraaMdhra saahityaM" are very influential.



baapu (sattiraaju lakshmI naaraayaNa, 1933-) [Bapu -Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana]Eminent painter, cartoonist, movie director, writer, journalist. World class artist. Uniquely personalized style blending to perfection the classical Telugu lines and modern techniques. Had an enormous impact on contemporary Telugu arts, movies, etc.



BhaMDaaru accamaaMba (1874-1905)[Bhandaru Achchamamba]Writer and early pioneer of women's issues. Published a well known biographical work on prominent national and international women, "abalaa satcaritra ratnamaala" (1901).



caasO (caagaMTi sOmayaajulu, 1915-1993)[Chaganti Somayajulu]Eminent writer of short stories and poetry. Although he wrote sparingly, many of his short stories have been translated into other languages. His indirect contributions include his influence on his friends such as Sri Sri and Narayana Babu. He was a long time president of Progressive Writers Association, arasaM.



cellapiLLa vEMkaTa Saastri (1870-1950)[Chellapilla Venkata Sastry]Brilliant and highly influential poet in the classical genre. Prolific literary genius. Trained a large number of famous writers. The second of the great duo tirupati vEnkaTa kavulu. Honoured as the first poet laureate of Andhra.



cilukUri naaraayaNa raavu (1890-1952)[Chilukuri Narayana Rao]Well-known lexicographer, historian and scholar. Published "aandhra Bhaashaa caritraM" (1937) and a revised version of Sankaranarayana's English-Telugu Dictionary, etc.



sinaare (si. naaraayaNa reDDi, 1931-) [C. Narayana Reddy ]Well-known poet, educator, critic, administrator, and song writer for the movies. For his epic poem viSvaMbhara in modern style the highest literary award in India j~naanapeetha, was given to him in 1987. He also produced several other major works, e.g., karpUra vasaMta raayalu.



Arthur Cotton (1803-1899)Perhaps the most beloved western personality in Telugu history. Knighted. One of the finest civil engineers of 19th cent. Built the anicut on Godavari at Dhavaleswaram among other things. His irrigation works and plans transformed the economy of the coastal districts and very strongly influenced its current domineering position.



Charles Philip Brown (1798-1884)Brilliant scholar of Telugu. Although he was not an Indian, he was intimately connected with Telugu literature for nearly sixty years and immensely contributed to its progress.



daamerla raamaa raavu (1897-1925)[Damerla Rama Rao]Brilliant artist. Became well-known within a very short life span. Founded the Andhra School of Art at Rajamundry. There is an art gallery named after him at Rajamundry today.



divaakarla tirupati Saastri (1872-1919)[Divakarla Tirupati Sastry]One of the greatest classical poets in the modern era. Excelled in several genres. The first of the famous duo "tirupati vEMkaTa kavulu."



durgaabaayi dES^mukh (1909-1981)[Durgabai Deshmukh]Eminent freedom fighter, social reformer, educator and leader of early women's movement



gOraa (gOparaaju raamacaMdra raavu, 1902-1975) [Gora -Goparaju Ramachandra Rao one*, .....] Highly influential thinker and social reformer. Dedicated his life to developing atheistic thought in Andhra and beyond. Authored several works. Founded the Atheist Center, Vijayawada. His son lavaNaM is also a well-known atheist and thinker.



navayuga vaitaaLikudu, gurajaaDa vEMkaTa appaaraavu paMtulu (1862-1915)[Gurajada Appa Rao, ]Perhaps the greatest modern writer in Telugu. Commands tremendous respect. Uncompromising intellectual and a social reformer in his own way. More than any one else's, his works defined the beginning of modern Telugu drama, poetry and short story. The Kanyasulkam drama and much of his poetry are world class. His contributions lay not only in the techniques but also in the refreshing, original and modern outlook and a deep humanistic spirit that he instilled in Telugu literature.



viSva daata, dESOddhaaraka, kaaSeenaathuni naagESvara raavu paMtulu (1868-1937)[Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao]Great philanthropist, scholar, editor, journalist and entrepreneur



maMDapaaka paarvateeSwara Saastri (1833-1897) [Mandapaka Parvatriswara Sastry]Brilliant scholar of Sanskrit and Telugu. Authored 23 Satakas, several maalikas, and kaavyas. Well known for his travelogue yaatraa caritra.



maMgaLaMpalli baalamuraLee kRshNa (1930-) [Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna one*, ..] Brilliant musician in the South Indian classical style. Perhaps the finest from Andhra in his generation. Composer, vocalist, and music scholar.



muTnUri kRShNaa raavu (1879-1945) [Mutnuri Krishna Rao]Great editor and journalist. His Krishna Patrika was instrumental in shaping the Telugu Literary scene for four decades beginning 1907.



uyyaalavaaDa narasiMhaa reDDi (d. 1847) [Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy]Led one of the first popular revolts in all of India against British occupation



naTaraaja raamakRShNa (1933-) [Nataraja Ramakrishna ]Very influential dancer, scholar and writer on Telugu dance forms. Single handedly revived the forgotten art form "aaMdhra naaTyaM." Although he was born in Bali, his service to Telugu, his ancestral language and its culture is very meritorious.



OlETi paarvateeSaM (1882-1955)[Oleti Parvatisam]Pioneering modern writer. The second of the famous duo "vEMkata paarvateeSvara kavulu." Authored major kavyas, children's literature and novels. Produced several translations.



jaateeya pataaka nirmaata, piMgaLi vaMkayya (1887-1963)[Pingali Venkayya]Freedom fighter. Great follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Designed the tricolour -the Indian national flag.



amara veeruDu,poTTi Sreeraamulu (1901-1952)[Potti Sriramulu]Freedom fighter. Led the popular movement to unite Telugu speaking people under a single government and martyred himself in the process. His act of "Satyagraha" directly led to the eastablishment "Linguistic states" in modern India.



Andhra kEsari,TaMguTuuri prakaaSaM paMtulu (1872-1957)[Tanguturi Prasam]One of the greatest freedom fighters of India, eminent leader and administrator. Chief minister of Madras Presidency and the first chief minister of Andhra.



caMDra raajESvara raavu (1915-1994)[Chandra Rajeswara Rao]Freedom fighter, eminent socialist, long time general secretary of the communist party of India



svaami raamaanaMda teertha (?-?) [Swami Ramananda Tirtha ]Freedom fighter. He and other prominent communist and non-communist leaders led the free Telangana movement.



telaMgaaNaa pOru biDDaraavi naarayaNa raavu (1908-1991)[Ravi Narayana Rao]Eminent freedom fighter, philanthropist, reformer, and parliamentarian. Spear headed liberation of Telangana movement. Founding member of the communist party of India.



alluuri seetaaraama raaju (1897-1924) [Alluri Sitarama Raju ] Fearless freedom fighter. Led the most famous armed revolt in Telugu history against the British occupation



kamyuuniShTu gaaMdhi, puccala palli suMdarayya (1913-1985)[Puchchalapalli Sundarayya]Great freedom fighter, social reformer and parliamentarian. Led communist movements in Andhra and beyond for many decades.



ten&nETi viSvanaathaM (1895-1979)[Tenneti Viswanatham]Freedom fighter, parliamentarian, leader and administrator. Close associate of Tanguturi Prakasam.



naada brahma, kaakarla tyaaga raaju (1767-1847) [Tyaga Raja]Perhaps the most famous of all the South Indian composers. Part of the great trio of Carnatic music. Great writer. Devotee of Lord Rama. He has a very large lineage of brilliant pupils (SiShya paraMpara). Greatly praised and revered as a saint. Hailed as "on whose art no human hand can improve!"



vEdaaMtaM satyanaaraayaNa Sarma (1927?-?) [Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma one*, ..]Famous exponent of the kUcipUDi style dance drama. Well-known for his portrayal of female roles, e.g., satya bhaama in bhaamaa kalaapaM. Influenced several other artists.



telugu caitanyOdyama saarathi, kaMdukuuri veerESaliMgaM paMtulu (1848-1919)[Kandukuri Viresalingam]One of the most brilliant and profoundly influential writers in Telugu. One of the greatest social reformers of 19th century India.



velcEru naaraayaNa raavu (1932-)[Vecheru Narayana Rao,]Eminent literary critic and educator. Krishnadevaraya Professor of Languages and Cultures of Asia, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison. Produced several well-known translations of medieval Telugu poetry in English. Collaborated with many western scholars. His seminal work "telugulO kavitaa viplavaala svarUpaM" is highly influential.



veMpaTi cina satyaM (1930?-) [Vempati China Satyam]Eminent dancer, scholar and dance composer in the kUcipUDi style. Founded the Kuchipudi Art Academy, Madras and a trained several top performers.



kavi samraaT,viSvanaatha satyanaaraayaNa (1890-1976) [Visvanatha Satyanarayana]The greatest classical style writer in modern times. A literary institution all by himself. His work and personality invoked just about every superlative (positive as well as negative) from various critics. Prolific writer and critic. Eminent educator. Significantly contributed to many diverse literary genres . Received India's highest literary award j~naanapeeTha for his raamaayaNa kalpa vRkshaM. His novels such as vEyi paDagalu are equally famous.

Kuchipudi( Andhra Classic)

Kuchipudi

Dance is a poetic expression of life’s variegated moods, and speaks through manifold rhythmic patterns, melodic gestures and subtle facial expressions, creating a new world of ecstasy and ethereal existence. They have a high place in the Indian society with religious sanctity in-as-much as the god of gods, Shiva, is known as Nataraja, symbolizing Cosmic Dance.

As a classical form of dance, drama and music, Kuchipudi enjoys a unique place among the Indian classical dance idioms. It is racy and sprightly – indicating the quest for conquering of Space and Time. With all its vigorous and vibrating leaps and turns, it is not cast in the mould of impressionism. It is ebullient, scintillating and yet has the capacity to be intensely lyrical. It is bold and sensuous in the movements of the eyes, its ethos not confined to the languorous world of pining lovers.
Kuchipudi, derives its name from the village of Kuchelapuram ( a small sleepy hamlet), just 65 kms. away from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh,South India, where it grew largely as a product of Bhakti (devotion) movement beginning in the seventh century A.D. The tradition of classical dances in Andhra Pradesh goes back to more than a millennium and half as a wealth of sculptures in the ancient temples, the Buddhist ruins Ajanta and Ellora caves, Amaravathi and Ramappa Temple would indicate.

The Kuchipudi is a dance-drama of Nritta, Nritya and Natya. The Nritta consists of teermanams and jatis, the Nritya of Sabdams, and the Natya of acting with mudras for the songs. Nritta encompasses steps and movements in the form of patterns of dance which, though ornate in themselves, have no meaning to convey.

Kuchipudi, combines speech, mime and pure dance. The Kuchipudi dancer is a multiple person on the stage and this multiplicity is achieved by the swift change of mime which depends more on the combination of the naturalism of the dramatic content and the symbolism of the poetic intensity of feeling of an episode. The consequence of this is the emphasis laid on the dynamics of movement and expressionism of feeling.

Potana image

gajEMdra mOkshaM padyAlu
kari digucu makari sarasiki
kari darikini makari digucu karakari berayan
kariki makari makariki kari
Baramanucunu natala kutala BaTularudu paDan !!
nAnAnEkapa yUdhamul vanamu lOnan pedda kAlaMbu sa
nmAniMpan daSa laksha kOTi kariNI nAdhuMDa nai yuMDi ma
ddAnAmBa@h paripushTa caMdana latAntacchAya laMduMDa lE
kI nIrASa iTEla vacciti BayaM beTlO gadE ISwarA !!
kalaDaMduru dInula yeDa
kalaDaMduru Bakta yOgi gaNamula pAlaM
galaDaMduranni diSalanu
kalaDu kalaMDaneDu vADu kalaDO lEDO !!
lOkaMbulu lOkESulu
lOkasthulu tegina tudi nalOkaMbagu peM
jIkaTi kavvala nevvaDu
EkAkRti velgu natani nE BajiyiMtun !!
evvani cE@m janiMcu jaga? mevvani lOpala nuMDu lInamai?
evvani yaMdu DiMdu? paramESvaruDevvaDu? mUla kAraNaM
bevva? DanAdi madhya layuDevvaDu? sarvamu tAne yaina vA
DevvaDu? vAni nAtma Bavu nISwaru nE SaraNaMbu vEDedan !!
lAvokkiMtayu lEdu dhairyamu vilOlaMbayye prANaMbulun
ThAvul dappenu mUrca vacce tanuvun Dassen SramaMbayyeDin
nIvE tappa ita@h paraMberuga manniMpaM dagun dInunin
rAvE ISwara kAvavE varada saMrakshiMpu BadrAtmakA !!
ala vaikuMTha puraMbulO nagarilO nA mUla saudhaMbu dA
pala maMdAra vanAMtarAmRta sara@h prAntEndu kAntOpalO
tpala paryaMka ramA vinOdi yagu nApanna @h prasannuMDu vi
hvala nAgEndramu pAhi pAhi yana guyyAliMci saMraMBi yai !!
sirikiM jeppaDu SaMKa cakra yugamuM cEdOyi saMdhiMpa DE
parivAraMbunu jIra DaBragapatin manniMpaDA karNikAm
tara dhammillamu cakkanottaDu vivAda prOddhita SrI kucO
pari cElAncalamaina vIDaDu gajaprANA vanOtsAhi yai !!
aDigeda nani kaDu vaDi janu
aDigina tana maguDa nuDuvaDani neDayuDugun
veDa veDa jiDi muDi taDa baDa
naDugiDu naDigiDadu jaDima naDugiDu neDalan !!

Origins of Telugu Script

Origins of Telugu Script

Indus Script and Telugu

The history of linguistic scripts in India followed a totally different line from that of the languages themselves. Telugu belongs to the Dravidian family of languages. Literate south Indian languages except Konkani are Dravidian. Most people who speak the languages belonging to this family now live in southern India. However, pockets of people belonging to this group also live in several other parts of the world, e.g., Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Central Asia. It is more or less certain that the Indus seals (hieroglyphic or not) found in the remains of Mohenjodaro and Harappa represent the proto-dravidian language. Geographically the range of this language extended from the Sindh river all the way up to the borders of Ganga-Yamuna doab spreading over the Saraswati river basin in Pakistan and India. It flourished for well over a 1000 years from around 3000 BCE. It had a well-developed script. An example of the character set used by this script is given below. There are more than four hundred symbols in this script. It is highly likely that these symbols are a mixture of hieroglyphs, ideograms, syllabic graphs and other such patterns. So far, the available examples of the script consist of very short phrases or sentences comprised of 5 to 26 characters. In a recent discovery (May 1999), researchers unearthed at Harappa, what seems to be the earliest known writing in the world -dating from 3500 BCE.

There is hardly any direct evidence referring to the state of this language after 1700 BCE. However, from indirect evidence and a combination of transformational and lexico-statistical analyses, we can conclude that this language eventually blossomed into Northern, Central, and Southern sub-families. The central Dravidian sub-family evolved into Telugu and several other tribal languages of central and eastern India. The southern sub family gave rise to Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Kodagu and Tulu as well as some other non-literate tribal languages. The monumental Linguistic Survey of India (pub. 1906) carried out more than a century ago lists many of these languages. A more recent classification, a list of over 70 languages in the Dravidian family and some relevant statistics can be found at the ETHNOLOGUE site. There are several changes in this list compared to the Linguistic Survey of India (Ed. -G.A. Grierson). For example, Grierson listed the Savara language under the Munda family, where as the Ethnologue site places it in the Telugu sub-family. Further research may reveal that some of these languages are actually dialects of other languages. Conversely, more languages may be re-classified from existing regional variants. But it is certain that dozens of languages of south India belong to the Dravidian family. This root family has most likely descended from the Saraswati-Sindhu civilization. Thus, the ancient predecessor to Telugu and other Dravidian languages had a script as depicted in the Indus seals. In spite of several imaginative attempts, this script remains undeciphered.
{Traditionally, within south India, the word Dravidian meant Tamilian. The two words are etymologically related to each other. However since the middle of the nineteenth century, perhaps because of the lack of a better word, Dravidian is increasingly being used to denote the commonality in South Indian roots and culture. This usage was due to Bishop Caldwell who wrote an influential work on South Indian Languages.}

Brahmi Script and Telugu

For some inexplicable reason, later Indian languages that succeeded the saraswati-siMdhu proto-dravidian language seem to have suspended the use of formal script for a long time -perhaps more than fifteen centuries. The arrival of Aryan tribes into the sub-continent might have triggered this in some fashion. Most current researchers believe that these Aryan tribes had migrated from central Asia via the middle-east and Iran. These tribes too did not employ formal script in India for many centuries after their arrival. It is interesting to note that since they came via the middle-east, these Aryan tribes must have had a very clear understanding of the scripts already in use there for a very long time. The Sumerian, and other Mesopotamian cultures had thriving socio-political systems supported by rigorous record keeping. Yet, no evidence for formal writing had been unearthed in India or Pakistan between 1700 BCE and fourth century BCE. During this time, Indians developed a vast amount of philosophical and ritualistic literature. They also developed a keen sense of phonetics and complicated rules of grammar and pronunciation. In fact these rules are considered to be among the most sophisticated ever developed. Contrary to earlier understanding that these developments are entirely Aryan, both the Dravidian and Aryan systems seem to have influenced these developments significantly. It is difficult to imagine the clear establishment of the alphabet and all the allied rules, the development of huge kingdoms and enormous armies numbering several hundred thousand troupes without the help of written record keeping. Researchers are yet to satisfactorily explain this seeming contradiction. It is said that the tradition of writing had been revived sometime after the death of Buddha although early European researchers tended to believe that this revival might have been around the eighth century before Christ. The catalyst for this revival seems to be the increased contact with central Asia. Perhaps the big factor in this is the so-called invasion (of parts of Indus valley) by Alexander of Macedonia in 326 BCE. He brought with him a large army as well as a large entourage of courtiers which included scribes of various hues. The preferred script used by these scribes seems to be Aramaic. Incidentally, Aramaic became the international script of that time and even Jesus of Nazareth made use of Aramaic more than his native Hebrew. These scribes were prized for their skills and they spread out over a vast area of Asia. They were employed in large numbers by most of the kingdoms in the middle-east including the powerful Achaemenid empire. They introduced the Aramaic script to Indians. This was adopted by the peoples of the northwestern India in the form of KharOSThee. The Nanda kings (and Mauryan emperors who succeeded them) at Pataliputra adopted a script inspired by it for all their official communications. From this developed the Brahmi script and eventually the modern day Devanagari. The figures below show the early braahmee script.

The Andhra (Saatavaahana) dynasty introduced the braahmee to the present day Kannada and Telugu regions. The earliest inscriptions found in the Tamil land belong to more or less the same period. A number of early Satavahana coins and other remains were found in Tamil Nadu. It is therefore reasonable to assume that Satavahanas introduced the script to the Tamil country also. The Satavahanas were, for some time, vassals of the Mauryan Empire. Mauryan Emperor Asoka the great (reign: 269-232 BCE) and the rise of Buddhism played stellar roles in championing this spread of writing. Thus, Telugu and all the other south Indian languages had developed from the proto-dravidian language of the Indus valley while their scripts descended from the braahmee.

There are direct or indirect references to 'lipi,' liKh,' 'lEKha,' 'liKhita,' etc., in the literature belonging to the periods before this perceived spread of braahmee. Researchers, especially the western scholars tended to explain these references as belonging to the art of painting rather than of writing. In the absence of a convincing proof to the contrary, it may be safe to assume that the prevailing theories are reasonably representative of history. The essence of these theories is that, barring their connection with the Indus culture, existing Indian languages did not have any formal script before the fourth century BCE. All the current Indian scripts including the Telugu script have descended from the braahmee which was inspired, at least partly by the Aramaic and other western scripts.
{There are several voices that oppose the main stream theories from scientific, political, sociological and emotional points of view (e.g., Invasion That Never Was and Myth of the Aryan Invasion). The gist of these alternate theories is that the Aryans, their culture and language were all indigenous. Any incidental similarities between India and the West can be explained away. These voices are yet to gain any respectability in terms of scientific rigor and completeness of their arguments although they are becoming increasingly elaborate.}

Descent of Telugu Script from Brahmi

The chart below outlines the descent of various Indic scripts from the braahmee.

Cautionary Note: The figure indicates the most probable routes for the evolution of modern scripts. Care must be taken in reading these routes. For example, Telugu script has been shown as a descendent of "old Kannada" script. It does not in any way mean that the language (as opposed to the script) has descended from Kannada. Kannada became a literate language slightly ahead of Telugu. For example, both Kannada and Telugu had produced poetry during the eighth century. Kannada writers had also produced full-fledged literary works in the ninth century. But it was two more centuries before major poetic works in Telugu became available. That is the reason for the combined Telugu-Kannada script to have been called as the "old Kannada." This in turn does not mean that Telugu people were non-literate during the periods when Kannada and Tamil people were producing works of literature. Writers in Telugu land had been continuously engaged in creating literary, religious or philosophical works in Prakrit and Sanskrit from long before Christ. While the Tamil and Kannada writers had switched to writing in their local languages in the first century CE and the eighth century CE respectively, Telugu writers waited till the 11th century. The major reasons for this state of affairs include socio-political factors such as royal patronage and the influence of Buddhism and Jainism, among other things.

Further Reading and Acknowledgements
Origin of the Indian script systems has been discussed in great detail by several authors. The above discussion is confined to outlining the essentials of Telugu script evolution.
A very good review of the current position among leading western scholars regarding the recent (as opposed to Indus) origin of Indian scripts is given by Richard Salomon of the University of Washington. Dr. Solomon himself is currently preparing a scholarly work on the subject. Similarly, Iravatham Mahadevan's paper "An Encylopaedia of the Indus Script" published in the International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics (Trivandrum, Jan. 1997) is a review of Asko Parpola's encyclopedic work "Deciphering the Indus Script." Mahadevan himself carried out a major study of the Indus seals and prepared a major study and concordance of Indus seals and characters.
An excellent compilation of the online resources regarding Indian scripts and related aspects is provided by Dr. Yashwant Malaiya (Click here). A vast amount of material on the Saraswati-Sindhu civilization is being compiled by Kalyanaraman. An informatively created page on world scripts is maintained by Lawrence Lo. The two Brahmi script gifs are courtesy of Mr. Lo.

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