A Celebration of Telugu Culture and Heritage

It is perhaps one of the most comprehensive books on the indomitable spirit of the Telugu people, their culture, history, heritage, arts, geography, lifestyle and economy.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Telugu poet Sri Sankarambadi Sundaracharji's song for it's title, "Maa Telugu Talli," which literally means "Our Motherland," is a coffee-table book on the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

The glossy book, with its visual brilliance, serves as a ready reckoner for those who want to know anything about the Telugu land. It is 230 pages of sheer celebration of the life, spirit and soul of the people of this state.

Written in English, the book has roped in many eminent people associated with the state to write about it, with a view to "draw upon their collective wisdom, expertise and experience, and their insights into the state."

Comprising of 50 articles by 59 authors and richly illustrated with 362 rare and exclusive photographs, the coffee-table book is an attempt by its publishers, the Nagarjuna Group, to "bring people closer to the land, it's people, their vision and hopes for the new millennium."

It is not an encyclopaedia, nor a tourist hand-book. "It was not meant to be that as well," says K. Renuka Raju, the head of the editorial committee of the book and director of the Nagarjuna Group's K.V.K. Raju International Leadership Academy and Nagarjuna Foundation.

"It is, in a nutshell, a love of our heritage, presented aesthetically." Renuka told India Abroad.

It's a collector's item, she says, adding that it was published for supporting a noble cause. The proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Ananda Buddha Vihara trust, which is building a large Buddhist cultural complex in Andhra Pradesh. The complex will house a center named after the Mahayana scholar and philosopher Nagarjunacharya - from which the industrial house has drawn inspiration.

The glossy pages touch upon everything that has gone into the making of the state rich in history, culture, arts and lifestyle, and as K.S. Raju, chairman of the Najarjuna Group says in the foreword, it is a "tribute to the land that has given us birth and opportunities to grow."

At times the book, in its celebration of the beauty and success of the state, is an unabashed Public Relations (PR) exercise for the state, but that is exactly what it aims at. Renuka Raju says it is a PR exercise to "promote and profile Andhra Pradesh nationally and internationally."

For the uninitiated, it is a repertoire of information, and for the natives, it comes as a total surprise, forcing a fresh re-look at the state with wonder and awe. Even if the book borders on a panegyric, making the state sound suspiciously like the tourist's or the businessman's paradise, a no-man's land waiting to be discovered, it deserves to be appreciated for the effort that has gone into its making.

It was inspired by the success of a similar enterprise on Karnataka --"Cheluva Kannada Nadu" -- which was well accepted and used by the government to introduce visitors to the state.

To capture the "evolving kaleidoscopic saga of the state," a series of short narratives about various subjects, interwoven with a rich tapestry of visuals, were conceived and designed.

With 362 rare and original photographs by Gunshee P. Ramchandani, Kamal Sahai and K.R. Vinayan, showcasing the finer side of AP, the book is packaged in nine sections with articles by 59 authors.

Renuka Raju says that they had taken upon themselves a very huge task and did not know where to begin. "But we got a clear picture once we thought of nature, as from nature starts everything. Then comes history, civilization, culture, and arts, economy and then dreams for the state. Once the section titles were decided upon, the task became much easier," she said.

The writer's profile boasts of eminent personalities like M.L. Nigam, S.P. Shorey, Nawab Abbas Yar Jung, Jagdish Rao, Padma Reddy, Sunil Kothari, Bilkees Latif, S.P. Balasubramanyam, Abid Hussain, Anji Reddy, and even Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Besides Naidu, the main authors were from the state, and those who are not, have been associated with the state in some way. Thus even former President Shankar Dayal Sharma, who was also once upon a time the Governor of the state, also figures in the eminent writer's list. He writes about the Tirupathi temple, because by his frequent and devout visits to the temple, he has become in some ways associated with the place.

This is besides the advisory panel consisting of A.H. Moosvi, consultant to World Bank-aided Forestry project in India, Dr. Anji Reddy, one of the pioneers of the country's pharma industry, K.V. Ramanachary, IAS officer and managing director of the state's Sports Authority, Vasant Kumar Bawa, author of several books on histroy, and Venkata Seshacharyulu, an authority on Telugu culture and literature.

The Chief Minister was so impressed by the book that during the book-releasing function in Hyderabad, he apparently said "I still do not have enough faith in my officers and therefore our government has not ventures into bringing out such a book." He felt the books made better gifts than mementos, a rich gift for the foreign visitor, a beatiful reminder of the roots of a nonresident Andhrite.

But a lot of effort went into the making of the book and the editorial team faced many problems. M. Mythili, member of the editorial committee, told India Abroad that the major problems included coordinating the 59 writers. But "it was quite an experience, and I realised how much about the state I did not know, about despite being born and brought up here," Mythili said.

Renuka Raju says bringing out the book was a difficult task and "all we had to do the work was enthusiasm and willingness to work and see the dream of the work come through."

The end result of all the efforts found favor with the Chief Minister who ordered copies. Though it had a cover tag of Rs. 2,100. But coffee-table books do not come cheap and this book is no exception.

The Nagarjuna Group makes no bones about it. "Pricing is high but it is not to make a profit, it is for a cause. It is a sort of luxury item, for whoever is willing to pay for it," Renuka Raju says. But to make it available for wider readership, we are giving it to premium educational institutions, well-known universities and colleges.

The book can also be ordered on the Internet too at the website: "www.maatelugutalli.com," which claims to "bring home your roots and bring you face-to-face with your people, your heritage and culture. And your spirit. It is a book, which will fill your mind with all that has made Andhra Pradesh great and fill your heart with a sense of pride."