125-448: Traditional Kuchipudi ( / ˌ k uː tʃ ɪ ˈ p uː d i / KOO -chih- POO -dee ; Telugu : కూచిపూడి నృత్యం ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances . It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh . Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra . It developed as
250-465: A Bharatanatyam artist, to reflect the regional traditions, yet wearing flowers are common. Both have symbolic elements embedded in their hair and face jewelry, such as the Vedic symbolisms for the sun and the moon, the soul and the nature, and she sometimes sets her hairdo in the tribhuvana style which represents the three worlds. Her jewelry may include hair jewelry, ear, nose, armlets, necklaces and often
375-1047: A Brahmin family, Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without discriminating anyone by gender, class, caste or religion (such as Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems, using widely spoken vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it widely accessible. The Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya , the largest monastic renunciant community in Asia in modern times. Other medieval era Brahmins who led spiritual movements without social or gender discrimination included Andal (9th-century female poet), Basava (12th-century Lingayatism), Dnyaneshwar (13th-century Bhakti poet), Vallabha Acharya (16th-century Vaishnava poet), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (14th-century Vaishnava saint) were among others. Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins are credited with religious movements that criticised idolatry . For example,
500-606: A Buddhist kingdom, states Leider, may have been because Hindu texts provide guidelines for such social rituals and political ceremonies, while Buddhist texts do not. The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, development and maintenance of law and justice system outside India. Hindu Dharmasastras , particularly Manusmriti written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid, were "greatly honored in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia and Java-Bali (Indonesia) as
625-499: A Hindu temple, and the stage lit by the yellow lights of castor oil burning torches. The dance-drama begins with an invocation ( melavimpu , puvaranga ). This may be an on stage prayer to Ganesha , the Hindu god of good beginnings, or may be an invocation expressing reverence to various Hindu gods, goddesses, earth, or one's guru (teacher). The conductor of the performance enters and plants an "Indra's banner" staff, then introduces all
750-506: A command over the Telugu language, alongside Sanskrit , Tamil , Meitei , Oriya , Persian , or Arabic , is highly appreciated and respected for learning dances (most significantly Indian Classical Dances ) as dancers could have the tools of these languages to go into the primary material texts. Telugu is natively spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Yanam district of Puducherry . Telugu speakers are also found in
875-444: A comment that it was a "strange notion" since the predecessors of Appa Kavi had no knowledge of such a derivation. George Abraham Grierson and other linguists doubt this derivation, holding rather that Telugu was the older term and Trilinga must be the later Sanskritisation of it. If so the derivation itself must have been quite ancient because Triglyphum , Trilingum and Modogalingam are attested in ancient Greek sources,
1000-478: A female role would wear a Sari with light makeup. Modern productions retain the male dress, but are more elaborate and Bharatanatyam-like for the female roles. Women artists wear a brilliantly colourful Sari (or a body fitting dress) with a pleated fan stitched in front to help highlight the exacting footwork. The end of the wrapped Sari is held fast under a light metallic (golden or brass) belt at waist. A Kuchipudi artist braids her hair somewhat differently than
1125-420: A female role would wear a Sari with light makeup. The Kuchipudi performance usually begins with an invocation. Then, each costumed actor is introduced, their role stated, and they then perform a short preliminary dance set to music ( dharavu ). Next, the performance presents pure dance ( nritta ). This is followed with by the expressive part of the performance ( nritya ), where rhythmic hand gestures help convey
1250-556: A form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures. The dance-drama tradition in Andhra Pradesh is of ancient origins, and the region is mentioned in the Natya Shastra . Bharata Muni credits a graceful movement to Andhra region and discusses it as Kaishiki vritti . The pre-2nd century CE text calls one raga as Andhri , that is from Andhra. The Andhri, is related to Gandhari and Arsabhi , and
1375-652: A foundational treatise on the performing arts. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance ( Shiva ), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text, are
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#17327826588791500-410: A group of young Brahmin boys to perform the play. According to the tradition, Sidhyendra requested and the villagers agreed to perform the play once a year, and this came to be known as Kuchipudi. Kuchipudi enjoyed support from medieval era rulers. Copper inscriptions suggest that the dance-drama was seen by the royalty and was influential by 1502 and through the late 16th century. The court records of
1625-477: A handful of Telugu inscriptions in the Kakatiya era between 1135 CE and 1324 CE. Andhra is characterised as having its own mother tongue, and its territory has been equated with the extent of the Telugu language. The equivalence between the Telugu linguistic sphere and the geographical boundaries of Andhra is also brought out in an eleventh-century description of Andhra boundaries. Andhra, according to this text,
1750-443: A leather anklet piece with little bells ( gajjelu or ghungroo ). The forehead has a round red bindi or a symmetric tillaka, while the eyes are typically ringed with black collyrium to ease the viewing of expressions by the audience. Some special Kuchipudi plays may include unusual costumes and theatrics, such as round bottom water pot balanced on the head, dancing with gymnastics or stilt athletics. Other plays may include wing props,
1875-430: A literary performance that requires immense memory power and an in-depth knowledge of literature and prosody , originated and was specially cultivated among Telugu poets for over five centuries. Roughly 10,000 pre-colonial inscriptions exist in Telugu. In the precolonial era, Telugu became the language of high culture throughout South India . Vijaya Ramaswamy compared it to the overwhelming dominance of French as
2000-470: A painting of a peacock, a Vinayaka Kavutvam of Ganesha, a Simhanandi Kavutvam yields the painting of a lion, each set to a certain classical composition and beat, for instance. The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in Angavastra , also known as Bagalbandi , wear a dhoti (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist). A dancer in
2125-711: A period of renaissance. Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri (1886–1956) was the influential figure who led the effort to save, reconstruct and revive Kuchipudi performance art. Sastri worked closely with other revivalists, between 1920 and 1950, particularly Balasaraswati and others determined to save and revive Bharatanatyam . The three influential figures in Kuchipudi, during the first half of twentieth century, were Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri, Vempati Venkatanarayana Sastri and Chinta Venkataramayya. Sastri focused on reviving and relaunching Kuchipudi after classical Hindu dances came under sustained ridicule and political degradation in
2250-531: A religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India. Evidence of Kuchipudi's existence in an older version are found in copper inscriptions of the 10th century, and by the 15th century in texts such as the Machupalli Kaifat . Kuchipudi tradition holds that Narahari Tirtha – a sanyassin of Dvaita Vedanta persuasion, and his disciple, an orphan named Siddhendra Yogi, founded and systematized
2375-706: A teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire . Historical records from mid 1st millennium CE and later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and warriors in medieval India, quite often instead of as exception. Donkin and other scholars state that Hoysala Empire records frequently mention Brahmin merchants who "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and transported goods throughout medieval India before
2500-655: A total of 6,117 dancers in Vijayawada got into the Guinness World Records Kuchipudi is a team performance, with roots in Hindu religious festivals. The drama-dance involves extensive stage movements and exacting footwork, wherein the underlying drama is mimed by expressive gestures of hand (mudras), eye and face movements. The expressive style is through a sign language that follows the classical pan-Indian Sanskrit texts such as Natya Shastra , Abhinaya Darpana and Nrityararnavali . The dance
2625-592: A tradition of "harlots, debased erotic culture, slavery to idols and priests". Christian missionaries launched the "anti-dance movement" in 1892, to ban all such dance forms. The anti-dance camp accused the various classical Indian dance forms as a front for prostitution, while revivalists questioned the constructed histories by the colonial writers. In 1910, the Madras Presidency of the British Empire altogether banned temple dancing. Kuchipudi, which
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#17327826588792750-459: A transparent head sheet, or peacock feathered crown to identify the actor playing Krishna. Musical instruments used in Kuchipudi are cymbals, mridangam, violin, thambura, flute. The Kuchipudi performance is led by a conductor (chief musician) called the Sutradhara or Nattuvanar , who typically keeps the beat using cymbals and also recites the musical syllables; the conductor may also sing out
2875-605: A while in the Tanjore district and presented the dance-drama in the Tanjore temple. Narayanayati's disciple, Sidhyendra Yogi, followed up with another play, the Parijatapaharana , more commonly known as the Bhama Kalapam . When Sidhyendra Yogi finished the play, he had trouble finding suitable performers. So he went to Kuchelapuram, the village of his wife's family and present-day Kuchipudi , where he enlisted
3000-566: Is Bhama Kalapam of Sidhyendra Yogi. Narayana Teertha composed the Krishna Lila Tarangini , a story of Krishna's life beginning from his birth to his marriage to Rukmini . Ramaiah Sastri, inspired by the Bhama Kalapam , wrote the Golla Kalapam , which portrays the theme of an ethical satirical conversation between a Gopi and a Brahmin. Other commonly performed plays are the dance-songs ( kritis ) of Thyagaraja , and
3125-933: Is Tirumala of the Telugu ation. Telugu place names are present all around Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Common suffixes are - ooru, -pudi, -padu, -peta, -pattanam, -wada, - gallu, -cherla, -seema, -gudem, -palle, -palem, -konda, -veedu, -valasa, -pakam, -paka, -prolu, -wolu, -waka, -ili, -kunta, -parru, -villi, -gadda, -kallu, -eru, -varam,-puram,-pedu and - palli . Examples that use this nomenclature are Nellore , Tadepalligudem , Guntur , Chintalapudi , Yerpedu , Narasaraopeta , Sattenapalle , Visakapatnam , Vizianagaram , Ananthagiri , Vijayawada , Vuyyuru , Macherla , Poranki , Ramagundam , Warangal , Mancherial , Peddapalli , Siddipet , Pithapuram , Banswada , and Miryalaguda . There are four regional dialects in Telugu: Colloquially, Telangana , Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra dialects are considered
3250-484: Is a play, it may include a natya . The nritta or pure abstract dance parts of Kuchipudi, states Reginald Massey, may include parts such as darus , jatis , jatiswarams , tirmanas and tillanas . The nritya or expressive performance in Kuchipudi includes padams , varnams , shabdams and shlokas . A Kuchipudi performance traditionally is a night performance, when rural families return from their farms and are free of their daily work. It has been performed in or next to
3375-549: Is accompanied with Carnatic music, while the recital is in Telugu language. Just like the Carnatic music style, Kuchipudi shares many postures and expressive gestures with Bharatanatyam, such as the Ardhamandali or Aramadi"(half seating position or a partial squat, legs bent or knees flexed out). However, there are important differences, such as Bharatanatyam as a Hindu temple tradition trending towards geometric perfection and
3500-399: Is attributed to Tirtha Narayanayati , a 17th-century Telugu sanyasin of Advaita Vedanta persuasion and particularly his disciple, a Telugu Brahmin orphan named Sidhyendra Yogi. Tirtha Narayanayati authored Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini and introduced sequences of rhythmic dance syllables at the end of the cantos, he wrote this work as a libretto for a dance-drama. Narayanayati lived for
3625-678: Is attributed to the Renati Choda king Dhanunjaya and found in the Kadapa district . An early Telugu label inscription, "tolacuwānḍru" (తొలచువాండ్రు; transl. rock carvers or quarrymen ), is found on one of the rock-cut caves around the Keesaragutta temple , 35 kilometers from Hyderabad . This inscription is dated to the Vishnukundina period of around 400 CE and is the earliest known short Telugu inscription from
3750-535: Is based on the dialect of erstwhile Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Coastal Andhra . Telugu is also spoken in the states of Karnataka , Tamil Nadu , Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh , Orissa and the union territories of Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands . It is also spoken by members of the Telugu diaspora spread across countries like United States , Australia , Malaysia , Mauritius , UAE , Saudi Arabia and others. Telugu
3875-743: Is considered one of the most conservative languages of the Dravidian family based on its linguistic features. One of the earliest Telugu words, nágabu , found at the Amaravati Stupa , is dated to around 200 BCE. This word was further analyzed by Iravatham Mahadevan in his attempts to decipher the Indus script . Several Telugu words, primarily personal and place names, were identified at Amaravati , Nagarjunakonda , Krishna river basin , Ballari , Eluru , Ongole and Nellore between 200 BCE and 500 CE. The Ghantasala Brahmin inscription and
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4000-591: Is credited to organizing Bhagavata Mela's throughout the nights and adapted many dance forms from the Srimad Bhagavatha Puranas. Vaishnavism received a big boost in the Kalinga regions of Andhra and Orissa due to the efforts of Narahari Tirtha, Sri Jagannatha Tirtha and his disciples, the message of Bhakti was percolated through the masses via Kuchpudi and The Bhagavata Melas of Sri Narahari Tirtha and his disciples. According to Manohar Varadpande,
4125-489: Is discussed in many other 1st millennium Sanskrit texts. Some, state Bruno Nettle and others, place the origins of Kuchipudi to 3rd century BCE. Dance-drama performance arts related to Shaivism , in Telugu-speaking parts of South India, are evidenced in 10th-century copper inscriptions, and these were called Brahmana Melas or Brahma Melas . The medieval era dance-drama performance artists were Brahmins . This art
4250-544: Is from verifiable records or archaeological evidence, and much that is constructed from ahistorical Sanskrit works and fiction. Michael Witzel writes: Current research in the area is fragmentary. The state of our knowledge of this fundamental subject is preliminary, at best. Most Sanskrit works are a-historic or, at least, not especially interested in presenting a chronological account of India's history. When we actually encounter history, such as in Rajatarangini or in
4375-532: Is marked by further stylisation and sophistication of the literary languages. During this period the split of the Telugu from the Telugu-Kannada alphabet took place. The Vijayanagara Empire gained dominance from 1336 to the late 17th century, reaching its peak during the rule of Krishnadevaraya in the 16th century, when Telugu literature experienced what is considered its Golden Age . The 15th-century Venetian explorer Niccolò de' Conti , who visited
4500-414: Is the Kuchipudi girl artists who dress up and act out the role of boys. The repertoire of Kuchipudi, like all major classical Indian dance forms, follows the three categories of performance in the ancient Hindu text Natya Shastra . These are Nritta , Nritya and Natya . A complete Kuchipudi show sequence always consists of nritta and nritya in solo or group performance, but when the underlying text
4625-893: Is the fastest-growing language in the United States. It is also a protected language in South Africa and is offered as an optional third language in schools in KwaZulu-Natal province. According to Mikhail S. Andronov, Telugu split from the Proto-Dravidian language around 1000 BCE. The earliest Telugu words appear in Prakrit inscriptions dating to c. 4th century BCE , found in Bhattiprolu , Andhra Pradesh. Telugu label inscriptions and Prakrit inscriptions containing Telugu words have been dated to
4750-563: The kaifiyats . In the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the influence of the English language was seen, and modern communication/printing press arose as an effect of British rule , especially in the areas that were part of the Madras Presidency . Literature from this time had a mix of classical and modern traditions and included works by such scholars as Gidugu Venkata Ramamoorty , Kandukuri Veeresalingam , Gurajada Apparao , Gidugu Sitapati and Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao . In
4875-637: The Brachmanes , and the other the Sarmanes ... Patrick Olivelle states that both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature repeatedly define "Brahmin" not in terms of family of birth, but in terms of personal qualities. These virtues and characteristics mirror the values cherished in Hinduism during the Sannyasa stage of life, or the life of renunciation for spiritual pursuits. Brahmins, states Olivelle, were
5000-530: The British Raj , while Venkataramayya was influential in productions for public performances and developing specialized forms of Yakshagana – another classical Indian dance, and Kuchipudi. Sastri is also remembered for encouraging and teaching Indian women to dance Kuchipudi as solo performers and in teams, as well as working with artists of other classical dances such as the Bharatanatyam that enabled
5125-550: The Gopalavamsavali of Nepal, the texts do not deal with brahmins in great detail. According to Kalhana 's Rajatarangini (12th cent. CE) and Sahyadrikhanda (5th–13th cent. CE) of Skandapurana, Brahmins are broadly classified into two groups based on geography. The northern Pancha Gauda group comprises five Brahmin communities, as mentioned in the text, residing north of the Vindhya mountain range . Historically,
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5250-506: The Gupta Empire era" (3rd century to 6th century CE), when Buddhism dominated the land. "No Brahmin, no sacrifice, no ritualistic act of any kind ever, even once, is referred to" in any Indian texts between third century BCE and the late first century CE. He also states that "The absence of literary and material evidence, however, does not mean that Brahmanical culture did not exist at that time, but only that it had no elite patronage and
5375-628: The Satavahana dynasty , Vishnukundina dynasty , and Andhra Ikshvakus . The coin legends of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods, used a Prakrit dialect without exception. Some reverse coin legends are in Telugu and Tamil languages. The period from the 4th century CE to 1022 CE marks the second phase of Telugu history, following the Andhra Ikshvaku period. The first long inscription entirely in Telugu, dated to 575 CE,
5500-470: The Vijayanagara Empire – known for its patronage of the arts – indicate that drama-dance troupes of Bhagavatas from Kuchipudi village performed at the royal court. However, various historical inscriptions often indicate that this dance form can be tracked back to the first century BCE. The region saw wars and political turmoil with Islamic invasions and the formation of Deccan Sultanates in
5625-646: The Vijayanagara Empire , found that the words in the Telugu language end with vowels, just like those in Italian , and hence referred to it as "The Italian of the East"; a saying that has been widely repeated. A distinct dialect developed in present-day Hyderabad region, due to Persian and Arabic influence. This influence began with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate rule by the Tughlaq dynasty in
5750-471: The karana in Natya Shastra. Each basic unit combines hand and foot movement into a harmonious sthana (posture) and chari (gait), that visually appeals to the audience wherever he or may be sitting. Each dance unit, according to the ancient text, is best performed to certain recitation of mnemonic syllables and musical beat. A series of karana form a jati , formalized originally as an oral tradition through Sanskrit mnemonics, later written, and these form
5875-630: The 13th century. The dance styles are based on the standard treatises, Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeswara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types — the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana Mandapam. Natya Mala is of three kinds — ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place. The most popular dance-drama
6000-623: The 14th-century. The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious and elite non-Buddhist figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales also record the livelihood of Brahmins to have included being farmers, handicraft workers and artisans such as carpentry and architecture. Buddhist sources extensively attest, state Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not by religious practice, but employment in all manner of secular occupations", in
6125-511: The 16th century. With the fall of Vijayanagara Empire and the destruction of temples and Deccan cities by the Muslim army around 1565, musicians and dance-drama artists migrated south, and Tanjore kingdom records suggest some 500 such Kuchipudi artist families arrived from Andhra, were welcomed and granted land by the Hindu king Achyutappa Nayak, a settlement that grew to become modern Melattur near Tanjore (also called Thanjavur ). Not everyone left
6250-459: The 700 surviving padams out of 4500 composed by Kshetrayya of Movva . Traditional compositions that have been internationally performed by Kuchipudi artists, particularly among Telugu diaspora communities, include Srinivasa Kalyanam , Rukmini Kalyanam (marriage of Krishna and Rukmini), Sakuntalam Bhamakalpam , Hara Vilasam , Prahlada Charitram ( Holi festival-related story), Usha Parinayam , Sasirekha Parinayam , Rama Natakam (probably
6375-718: The Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj . Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms in 18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna . During the Konbaung dynasty , Buddhist kings relied on their court Brahmins to consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and to help resolve political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in
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#17327826588796500-529: The Dravidian language family, and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India . It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than one Indian state , alongside Hindi and Bengali . Telugu is one of the languages designated as a classical language by the Government of India . It is the 14th most spoken native language in the world. Modern Standard Telugu
6625-722: The Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . It is one of the 22 languages under schedule 8 of the constitution of India . It is one of the official languages of the union territories of Puducherry . Telugu is a protected language in South Africa . According to the Constitution of South Africa , the Pan South African Language Board must promote and ensure respect for Telugu along with other languages. The Government of South Africa announced that Telugu will be re-included as an official subject in
6750-450: The Indian subcontinent. It seems likely that Kannauj and Middle country was the place of origin of majority of migrating Brahmins throughout the medieval centuries. Coming from Kannauj is a frequent claim among Brahmins in areas distant from Madhyadesha or Ganges heartland. The term Brahmin appears extensively in ancient and medieval Sutras and commentary texts of Buddhism and Jainism . Modern scholars state that such usage of
6875-534: The Kuchipudi dance emerged in the late 13th century, when Ganga rulers from Kalinga were patrons of performance arts based on the 12th-century Sanskrit scholar Jayadeva , particularly the Gita Govinda . This royal sponsorship, states Varadpande, encouraged many poets and dance-drama troupes to adopt Radha-Krishna themes into the then prevailing versions of classical Kuchipudi. These were regionally called Vaishnava Bhagavatulu . The modern version of Kuchipudi
7000-908: The Mughal Empire collapsed, Hindu rebellion sprouted in many parts of India, including the Deccan region. In the second half of the 18th century, during this period of political turmoil, the colonial Europeans arrived, the Madras Presidency was formed by the East India Company officials and became a part of the British Empire . Andhra was a part of the Madras Presidency. During the colonial era, Hindu arts and traditions such as dance-drama were ridiculed. Christian missionaries and British officials stereotyped and denigrated dancers, calling Indian classical dances as evidence of
7125-892: The Mughals, later to the British Raj. The East India Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of Bihar and Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army . Many Brahmins, in other parts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in all sorts of professions. Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from 18th- to early 20th-century included being temple priests, ministers, merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths, stone workers, barbers, and gardeners, among others. Other 20th-century surveys, such as in
7250-552: The Rigveda and, both then and later, a social ideal rather than a social reality". According to Vijay Nath, in the Markandeya Purana (250 CE), there are references to Brahmins who were born into the families of Raksasas . He posits that this is an indication that some Brahmins are immigrants and some are also mixed. According to Abraham Eraly , "Brahmin as a varna hardly had any presence in historical records before
7375-522: The Royal tradition of Thailand , particularly for the consecration and to mark annual land fertility rituals of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan , established in 1784 by King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai Brahmins ever since. The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma , Brahma , Indra ( Sakka ) and other Hindu deities. The tradition asserts that
7500-688: The South African schools after it was removed from the curriculum in state schools. In addition, with the creation in October 2004 of a legal status for classical languages by the Government of India on 8 August 2008, Telugu was also given classical language status due to several campaigns. According to the famous Japanese historian Noboru Karashima who served as the president of the Epigraphical Society of India in 1985, there are approximately 10,000 inscriptions which exist in
7625-582: The Telangana region. Several titles of Mahendravarman I in Telugu language, dated to c. 600 CE , were inscribed on cave-inscriptions in Tamil Nadu. From the 6th century onwards, complete Telugu inscriptions began to appear in districts neighbouring Kadapa such as Prakasam and Palnadu . Metrically composed Telugu inscriptions and those with ornamental or literary prose appear from 630 CE. The Madras Museum plates of Balliya-Choda dated to
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#17327826588797750-579: The Telugu language as of the year 1996 making it one of the most densely inscribed languages. Telugu inscriptions are found in all the districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are also found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. According to recent estimates by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) the number of inscriptions in the Telugu language goes up to 14,000. Adilabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Anantapur, Chittoor and Srikakulam produced only
7875-673: The Thai Brahmins have roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and southern state of Tamil Nadu, go by the title Pandita , and the various annual rites and state ceremonies they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The coronation ceremony of the Thai king is almost entirely conducted by the royal Brahmins. According to 2007 reports, Brahmins in India are about five per cent of its total population. The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have
8000-400: The United States and the third most spoken South Asian language after Hindi and Urdu . Minority Telugus are also found in Australia , New Zealand , Bahrain , Canada , Fiji , Malaysia , Sri Lanka , Singapore , Mauritius , Myanmar , Europe ( Italy , the United Kingdom ), South Africa , Trinidad and Tobago , and the United Arab Emirates . Telugu is the official language of
8125-442: The Vindhya mountain range formed the southern boundary of the Āryāvarta , the territory of the ancient Indo-Aryan peoples , and Gauda has territorial, ethnographic and linguistic connotations. Linguistically, the term "Gauda" refers to the Sanskrit-derived languages of northern India. The Pancha Gauda Brahmins are: Subcastes of Gaur Brahmins are: Subcastes of Kanyakubja Brahmins are: The Pancha Dravida Brahmins reside to
8250-406: The actors and the characters they play, who are revealed behind a curtain, and when each actor arrives, colored resin is thrown into the flame of one or more torches for dramatic color effects and audience's attention. Each actor performs a short dance called the Pravesa Daru accompanied by a short musical piece, as the vocalist describes his or her role. The conductor is typically present throughout
8375-452: The classical Hindu dance tradition of Yakshagana found in Karnataka, all three involve Carnatic music, but these dance-drama traditions have differences such as in costumes, structure, interpretation and creative innovations. Kuchipudi traces its origins to its founder Narahari Tirtha , the disciple of Sri Ananda Tirtha a.k.a. Madhvacharya , when he was the high priest at his matha at Srikurmam and Simhachalam. To instill bhakti in layman he
8500-476: The classical period of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned in the Buddhist texts such as Jatakas and Sutta Nipata are very lowly. The Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers. According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in Northern India, Brahmins figured prominently in the administration of Deccan sultanates . Under Golconda Sultanate Telugu Niyogi Brahmins served in many different roles such as accountants, ministers, in
8625-497: The cultural language of Europe during roughly the same era. Telugu also predominates in the evolution of Carnatic music , one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music and is widely taught in music colleges focusing on Carnatic tradition. Over the centuries, many non-Telugu speakers have praised the natural musicality of Telugu speech, referring to it as a mellifluous and euphonious language. Speakers of Telugu refer to it as simply Telugu or Telugoo . Older forms of
8750-427: The dance-drama. The Shia Sultanate was overthrown in 1687 by the Sunni Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . In order to regulate public and private morals, as well as end un-Islamic practices, Aurangzeb banned public performances of all music and dance arts, along with ordering the confiscation and destruction of musical instruments in Indian subcontinent under control of his Mughal Empire . After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707,
8875-419: The defining documents of law and order, which kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated into local law code, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma and Siam, and a stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java (Indonesia)". The mythical origins of Cambodia are credited to a Brahmin prince named Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living in
9000-403: The difference that the latter was not sacerdotal. The Brahmins were expected to perform all six Vedic duties as opposed to other twice-borns who performed three. Historical records, state scholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not limited to a particular status or priest and the teaching profession. Chanakya , a Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as
9125-680: The era of Emperor Ashoka (257 BCE), as well as to the Satavahana and Vishnukundina periods. Inscriptions in Old Telugu script were found as far away as Indonesia and Myanmar . Telugu has been in use as an official language for over 1,400 years and has served as the court language for numerous dynasties in Southern and Eastern India, including the Eastern Chalukyas , Eastern Gangas , Kakatiyas , Vijayanagara Empire , Qutb Shahis , Madurai Nayaks , and Thanjavur Nayaks . It
9250-597: The exception of /ɳ/ and /ɭ/, all occur word-initial in a few words, such as / ʈ ɐkːu/ ṭakku 'pretence', / ʈ iːʋi/ ṭhīvi 'grandeur', / ɖ ipːɐ/ ḍippā 'half of a spherical object', and / ʂ oːku/ ṣōku 'fashionable appearance'. The approximant /j/ occurs in word-initial position only in borrowed words, such as. / j ɐnɡu/ yangu , from English 'young', / j ɐʃɐsːu/ yaśassu from Sanskrit yaśas /jɐʃɐs/ 'fame'. Vowels in Telugu contrast in length; there are short and long versions of all vowels except for /æ/, which only occurs as long. Long vowels can occur in any position within
9375-563: The flooded lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea or Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu Brahmin Chams) form a majority of the Cham population in Vietnam . Brahmins have been part of
9500-401: The foundation of what is performed in nritta sequence of Kuchipudi. Thereafter comes the nritya , the expressive part called abhinaya , and this is the heart of the play. The actor-dancer uses hand mudras and facial expressions inspired by the sign language in ancient Sanskrit texts, with an exacting footwork, to communicate the underlying story to the audience. A solo play or solo part of
9625-477: The full name Kuchelapuram or Kuchilapuri – where it developed. The name of village, states Ragini Devi, is itself derived from Sanskrit Kusilava-puram , which means "the village of actors". Kusilava is a term found in ancient Sanskrit texts and refers to "traveling bard, dancer, newsmonger". Kuchipudi, like other classical dance forms in India, traces its roots to the Sanskrit Natya Shastra ,
9750-496: The land bounded by the three Lingas which is Telugu homeland. P. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao note that Atharvana Acharya in the 13th century wrote a grammar of Telugu, calling it the Trilinga Śabdānusāsana (or Trilinga Grammar) . However, most scholars note that Atharvana's grammar was titled Atharvana Karikavali. Appa Kavi in the 17th century explicitly wrote that Telugu was derived from Trilinga . Scholar C. P. Brown made
9875-583: The land themselves, many supplementing their income by selling their labour services to other farmers. Many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a direct relationship of an individual with a personal god. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement were Ramanuja , Nimbarka , Vallabha and Madhvacharya of Vaishnavism, Ramananda , another devotional poet sant . Born in
10000-488: The last of which can be interpreted as a Telugu rendition of " Trilinga ". Telugu, as a Dravidian language, descends from Proto-Dravidian , a proto-language . Linguistic reconstruction suggests that Proto-Dravidian was spoken around the fourth millennium BCE. Comparative linguistics confirms that Telugu belongs to the South Dravidian-II (also called South-Central Dravidian) sub-group, which also includes
10125-412: The mid-ninth century CE, are the earliest copper plate grants in the Telugu language. During this period, Telugu was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Prakrit, corresponding to the advent of Telugu literature. Initially, Telugu literature appeared in inscriptions and poetry in the courts of rulers, and later in written works, such as Nannayya 's Andhra Mahabharatam (1022 CE). The third phase
10250-537: The modern version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century. Kuchipudi largely developed as a Krishna -oriented Vaishnavism tradition, and it is known by the name of Bhagavata Mela in Thanjavur. The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in Agnivastra , also known as Bagalbandi , wear a dhoti (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist). A dancer in
10375-467: The mouth of Purusha , being that part of the body from which words emerge. The Purusha Sukta varna verse is now generally considered to have been inserted at a later date into the Vedic text, possibly as a charter myth . Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton, a professor of Sanskrit and Religious studies, state, "there is no evidence in the Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided and overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic in
10500-444: The movement to save and revive classical Indian dances. Her daughter Indrani Bajpai ( Indrani Rahman ) learnt and became a celebrated Kuchipudi dancer. The public performances of Kuchipudi by Indrani Rahman and Yamini Krishnamurti outside of Andhra region, created wider enthusiasm and more interest through new students and the expansion of Kuchipudi as a creative performance art both within India and internationally. The latter half of
10625-414: The name include Teluṅgu and Tenuṅgu . Tenugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *ten ("south") to mean "the people who lived in the south/southern direction" (relative to Sanskrit and Prakrit -speaking peoples). The name Telugu , then, is a result of an "n" to "l" alternation established in Telugu. The popular belief holds that Telugu is derived from Trilinga of Trilinga Kshetras being
10750-538: The neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu , Karnataka , Maharashtra , Odisha , Chhattisgarh , some parts of Jharkhand , and the Kharagpur region of West Bengal in India. Many Telugu immigrants are also found in the states of Gujarat , Goa , Bihar , Kashmir , Uttar Pradesh , Punjab , Haryana , and Rajasthan . As of 2018 7.2% of the population, Telugu is the fourth-most-spoken native language in India after Hindi , Bengali , and Marathi . In Karnataka , 7.0% of
10875-544: The new British rulers. They were the first community to take up Western education and therefore dominated lower level of British administration in the 19th century. Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also quick to take up English education during British colonial rule and dominate government service and law. Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins served as advisers to
11000-441: The non-literary languages like Gondi , Kuvi , Koya , Pengo , Konda and Manda. Proto-Telugu is the reconstructed linguistic ancestor of all the dialects and registers of Telugu. Russian linguist Mikhail S. Andronov, places the split of Telugu at c. 1000 BCE. The linguistic history of Telugu is periodised as follows: Pre-historic Telugu is identified with the period around 600 BCE or even earlier. Pre-historic Telugu
11125-594: The northern Deccan Plateau during the 14th century. In the latter half of the 17th century, the Mughal Empire extended further south, culminating in the establishment of the Hyderabad State by the dynasty of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. This heralded an era of Persian influence on the Telugu language, especially Hyderabad State. The effect is also evident in the prose of the early 19th century, as in
11250-462: The old Andhra village of Kuchipudi, and those remaining became the sole custodians of its tradition in Andhra. Kuchipudi declined and was a dying art in 17th-century Andhra, but in 1678, the last Shia Muslim Sultan of Golkonda , Abul Hasan Tana Shah , saw a Kuchipudi performance and was so pleased that he granted the dancers lands around the Kuchipudi village, with the stipulation that they continue
11375-857: The oldest play), Mohini Rukmangada , Chamundeswari Sabda , Ardhanareeswaram Sabda and Perini Thandavam . Kuchipudi training, as with all major classical Indian arts, have traditionally begun at a young age. The training includes physical exercises, theory, demonstration lessons and a lot of practice. The physical exercises range from yoga to special exercises to develop a supple body and flexibility in leg muscles, lower body, core, arms, shoulders and neck. Some examples of special exercises, state Kothari and Pasricha, are Dandemu , Chakradandemu , Ekapada , Gunjeelu , Kailsamu , Kappilu and Moggalu . They are educated in Sanskrit and Telugu. They must also learn music, literature and become vocalists. Training has expanded from within traditional families to anyone across
11500-601: The past tense. Brahmin Traditional Brahmin ( / ˈ b r ɑː m ɪ n / ; Sanskrit : ब्राह्मण , romanized : brāhmaṇa ) is a varna ( caste ) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya , Vaishya , and Shudra . The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood ( purohit , pandit , or pujari ) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and
11625-408: The performance is called a Shabdam , and this may be set to a poem, a verse or a prose. A varnam combines dance with mime in order to draw out and express the rasa (emotional taste), and this can be solo or group. Parts set to poetry that are love lyrics or express deeper sentiments are called a padam , and this part constitutes expressing the emotional, the allegorical and the spiritual aspects of
11750-423: The performance, on the stage, explains the play, talks and humors the audience. After the actors have been introduced, the nritta part of the Kuchipudi performance starts. The actors present a pure dance (jatis or jatiswarams), performed rhythmically to a musical raga , and these are called Sollakath or Patakshara . A basic unit of dance in Kuchipudi is called a adugu (or adugulu ), and these correspond to
11875-420: The performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers. Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the highest ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers ( guru or acharya ). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists , warriors , traders , and had also held other occupations in
12000-638: The pillar inscription of Vijaya Satakarni at Vijayapuri, Nagarjunakonda , and other locations date to the first century CE. Additionally, the Tummalagudem inscription of the Vishnukundinas dates to the 5th century CE. Telugu place names in Prakrit inscriptions are attested from the 2nd century CE onwards. A number of Telugu words were found in the Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions of
12125-411: The play. Kavutvams are a feature of the performance that is distinctive to Kuchipudi. These are performed either as nritta or nritya, to different talas , wherein the dancer adds acrobatics to the complexity of presentation. For example, the dancer may perform the footwork, rhythmically to music, while balancing a series of pots on his or her head, and then add burning Diya (lamp) in both hands, as
12250-592: The population speak Telugu, and 5.6% in Tamil Nadu . There are more than 400,000 Telugu Americans in the United States . As of 2018 , Telugu is the fastest-growing language in the United States , (especially in New Jersey and New York City ), with the number of Telugu speakers in the United States increasing by 86% between 2010 and 2017. As of 2021 , it is the 18th most spoken native language in
12375-678: The princely Hyderabad State , the Andhra Mahasabha was started in 1921 with the main goal of promoting Telugu language, literature, its books and historical research. Key figures in this movement included Madapati Hanumantha Rao (founder of the Andhra Mahasabha), Komarraju Venkata Lakshmana Rao (founder of the Library Movement in Hyderabad State), and Suravaram Pratapa Reddy . Since the 1930s, what
12500-553: The revenue administration, and in the judicial service. The Deccan sultanates also heavily recruited Marathi Brahmins at different levels of their administration. During the days of Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th century, the occupation of Marathi Brahmins ranged from being state administrators, being warriors to being de facto rulers as Peshwa . After the collapse of Maratha empire, Brahmins in Maharashtra region were quick to take advantage of opportunities opened up by
12625-587: The sharing and cross flow of ideas. Vempati Venkatanarayana Sastri was the guru of Sastri, taught him Kuchipudi, and was a key figure in helping preserve Kuchipudi. The historic All India Dance Seminar, organized by the national arts organization Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1958, thrust Kuchipudi to the national stage. Some Western dancers joined the Indians in preserving dance. The American dancer Esther Sherman, for example, moved to India in 1930, learnt Indian classical dances, changed her name to Ragini Devi, and joined
12750-505: The show goes on. Some artists dip their foot on a wet ink pad, then dance rhythmically on a blank white piece of paper, thus painting it; alternatively, the troupe places coloured rice powder on floor and on top the white piece of paper, then dances the musical composition on it, their weight and steps causing the pigment to stick. At the end of the performance, the artist shows the audience the nature scenery or bird or flower or Ganesha or something that results. A Mayura Kavutvam dance produces
12875-532: The social class from which most ascetics came. The term Brahmin in Indian texts has also signified someone who is good and virtuous, not just someone of priestly class. The earliest inferred reference to "Brahmin" as a possible social class is in the Rigveda , occurs once, and the hymn is called Purusha Sukta . According to a hymn in Mandala 10 , Rigveda 10.90.11-2, Brahmins are described as having emerged from
13000-570: The south of the Vindhya mountain range. The term "Dravida" too has territorial, linguistic and ethnological connotations, referring to southern India, the Dravidian people, and to the Dravidian languages of southern India. The Pancha Dravida Brahmins are: The Dharmasutra and Dharmashastra texts of Hinduism describe the expectations, duties and role of Brahmins. According to Kulkarni, the Grhya-sutras state that Yajna , Adhyayana (studying
13125-568: The spiritual, while Kuchipudi as a Hindu festival tradition trending towards more sensual supple and the folksy. Traditionally the traveling dance troupe consisted entirely of men (often Brahmins ), who moved from village to village, and performed on a stage set next to a Hindu temple. The male artists would dress up and act out the female role in a drama performed by these traveling troupes. In modern times, Kuchipudi has diversified, women have joined Kuchipudi dance, outnumber male artists, and are among its most celebrated artists. In some cases now, it
13250-407: The state of Uttar Pradesh , recorded that the primary occupation of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was neither priestly nor Vedas-related, but like other varnas, ranged from crop farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as cooking, and other occupations. The survey reported that the Brahmin families involved in agriculture as their primary occupation in modern times plough
13375-534: The state that is currently divided into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also has official language status in the Yanam district of the union territory of Puducherry . It is the fourth most spoken Indian language in India after Hindi , Bengali and Marathi . It is one of the six classical languages of India . Telugu Language Day is celebrated every year on 29 August, the birthday of Telugu poet Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy . The fourth World Telugu Conference
13500-404: The story or spiritual message being enacted, or this may be a role of a separate vocalist or occasionally the dancer-actors themselves. The Kuchipudi orchestra ensemble includes a drummer ( mridangam ), a clarinetist and a violinist. Depending on the legend being danced out, other musicians such as a flutist may be present. Kuchipudi has several regional banis (styles), which developed because of
13625-466: The story. Vocal and instrumental Carnatic music in the Telugu language accompanies the performance. The typical musical instruments in Kuchipudi are mridangam , cymbals , veena , flute and the tambura . The popularity of Kuchipudi has grown within India and it is performed worldwide. Kuchipudi is named after the village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh named Kuchipudi – shortened form of
13750-515: The term Brahmin in ancient texts does not imply a caste, but simply "masters" (experts), guardian, recluse, preacher or guide of any tradition. An alternate synonym for Brahmin in the Buddhist and other non-Hindu tradition is Mahano . Strabo cites Megasthenes, highlighting two Indian philosophical schools Sramana and Brahmana : Megasthenes makes a different division of the philosophers, saying that they are of two kinds, one of which he calls
13875-572: The three Telugu dialects and regions. Waddar , Chenchu , and Manna-Dora are all closely related to Telugu. Other dialects of Telugu are Berad, Dasari, Dommara, Golari, Kamathi, Komtao, Konda-Reddi, Salewari, Vadaga, Srikakula, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Rayalaseema, Nellore, Guntur, Vadari Bangalore, and Yanadi. The Roman transliteration used for transcribing the Telugu script is the National Library at Kolkata romanisation . Telugu words generally end in vowels. In Old Telugu, this
14000-531: The transliteration of the Telugu script used here (where different from IPA). Most consonants contrast in length in word-medial position, meaning that there are long (geminated) and short phonetic renderings of the sounds. A few examples of words that contrast by length of word-medial consonants: All retroflex consonants occur in intervocalic position and when adjacent to a retroflex consonant, for instance. /ʋɐː ɳ iː/ vāṇī 'tippet', /kɐ ʈɳ ɐm/ kaṭṇam 'dowry', /pɐ ɳɖ u/ paṇḍu 'fruit'; /kɐ ɭ ɐ/ kaḷa 'art'. With
14125-475: The twentieth century was dominated by the Kuchipudi school of Vempati Chinna Satyam , whose efforts to further codify the modern repertoire earned him multiple accolades, including the Padma Bhushan . Some of the Indian movie actresses such as Hema Malini started their career as a Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. Kuchipudi performances have now spread world-wide. The largest group performance with
14250-848: The uniqueness and creativity of gurus (teachers). This openness and flexibility has been a historic tradition in Indian dance culture, and is traceable to early times in Kuchipudi as the Margi and Desi styles in the text Nrittaratnavali of Jaya Senapati. According to Senapati, the Desi styles referred to one that incorporated innovations to the conservative Margi styles. Senapati lists examples of each. For Margi styles, he describes Vedayata, Veddangam, Bommalata, Perani, Chindu, Bahurupam, Pagativeshalu and others; while for Desi styles, Senapati describes Rasaka, Charchari, Bhandika, Kollata and others. Some of these styles are discernible in Warangal sculptures of
14375-500: The vedas and teaching), dana pratigraha (accepting and giving gifts) are the "peculiar duties and privileges of brahmins". John Bussanich states that the ethical precepts set for Brahmins, in ancient Indian texts, are similar to Greek virtue-ethics, that "Manu's dharmic Brahmin can be compared to Aristotle's man of practical wisdom", and that "the virtuous Brahmin is not unlike the Platonic-Aristotelian philosopher" with
14500-464: The word, but native Telugu words do not end in a long vowel. Short vowels occur in all positions of a word, with the exception of /o/, which does not occur word-finally. The vowels of Telugu are illustrated below, along with the Telugu script and romanisation. In most dialects, the vowel /æː/ only occurs in loan words. In the Guntur dialect, [æː] is a frequent allophone of /aː/ in certain verbs in
14625-401: The world due to its popularization. Telugu language Telugu ( / ˈ t ɛ l ʊ ɡ uː / ; తెలుగు , Telugu pronunciation: [ˈt̪eluɡu] ) is a classical Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , where it is also the official language . Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of
14750-413: Was absolute; in the modern language m, n, y, w may end a word. Sanskrit loans have introduced aspirated and murmured consonants as well. Telugu does not have contrastive stress , and speakers vary on where they perceive stress. Most place it on the penultimate or final syllable, depending on word and vowel length. The table below lists the consonant phonemes of Telugu, along with the symbols used in
14875-470: Was also used as an official language outside its homeland, even by non-Telugu dynasties such as the Thanjavur Marathas in Tamil Nadu. Telugu has an unbroken, prolific, and diverse literary tradition of over a thousand years. Pavuluri Mallana 's Sāra Sangraha Ganitamu ( c. 11th century ) is the first scientific treatise on mathematics in any Dravidian language. Avadhānaṃ ,
15000-562: Was bounded in north by Mahendra mountain in the modern Ganjam district in Odisha and to the south by Srikalahasteeswara temple in Tirupati district . However, Andhra extended westwards as far as Srisailam in Nandyal district , about halfway across the modern state. According to other sources in the early sixteenth century, the northern boundary is Simhachalam and the southern limit
15125-423: Was considered an "elite" literary form of the Telugu language has now spread to the common people with the introduction of mass media like movies, television, radio and newspapers. This form of the language is also taught in schools and colleges as a standard. Telugu is one of the 22 languages with official status in India . The Andhra Pradesh Official Language Act, 1966, declares Telugu the official language of
15250-487: Was largely confined to rural folk, and therefore went unrecorded in history". Their role as priests and repository of sacred knowledge, as well as their importance in the practice of Vedic Shrauta rituals, grew during the Gupta Empire era and thereafter. However, the knowledge about actual history of Brahmins or other varnas of Hinduism in and after the first millennium is fragmentary and preliminary, with little that
15375-568: Was likely adopted by the musical and dancing Bhakti traditions of Vaishnavism which grew in the 2nd millennium, whose devotees were called Bhagavatulu in Andhra region and Bhagavatars in Tamil region of south India. In Andhra, this performance art evolved into Kuchipudi, while in Tamil Nadu it became known as Bhagavata Mela Nataka . According to Saskia Kersenboom, both the Telugu Kuchipudi and Tamil Bhagavata Mela are strongly related to
15500-508: Was organised in Tirupati in the last week of December 2012. Issues related to Telugu language policy were deliberated at length. The American Community Survey has said that data for 2016 which were released in September 2017 showed Telugu is the third most widely spoken Indian language in the US. Hindi tops the list followed by Gujarati, as of the 2010 census . In the Indian subcontinent,
15625-403: Was traditionally staged at night on a stage attached to a Hindu temple, was impacted and like all classical Indian dances declined during the colonial rule period. After the ban, many Indians protested against the caricature and cultural discrimination, launching their efforts to preserve and reinvigorate their culture. Due to these efforts from 1920s onwards, the classical Indian dances witnessed
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