Annamacharya Project

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

Annamacharya composed 32,000 keertanas (devotional songs) in praise of Lord Venkateswara.

The Annamacharya Project was established in 1978 with a view to propagate the tatwa andmahatwa of Lord Sri Venkateswara.

Using the vast creative literature of the Tallapaka poet, the Annamacharya project seeks to inculcateMadhura Bhakti and Saranagati to Lord Venkateswara, amongst the public.

The project functions through three wings - Music, Research and Publications, and Recording.

Music Wing

Young and talented artistes, in both vocal and instrumental music, form music troupes which perform across India - in temples, music sabhas (concerts), important pilgrim centres, educational institutions, villages and other cultural organisations.

Every year Annamacharya Vardhanti festivals are conducted in Tirumala, Tirupati and Tallapaka, the birth place of Annamacharya. Annamacharya Jayanti festivals are also conducted at the national level.

Group rendering of Annamacharya Saptagiri sankeertanas by eminent musicians and artistes belonging to the project is organised in Andhra Pradesh during the Annamacharya Vardhanti and Jayanti festivals. Annamacharya Aradhana Festivals are also conducted every year.

Annamacharya keertanas are rendered daily during the Unjal Seva of Srivaru in the Tirumala temple, and in other local TTD-managed temples. Annamacharya has composed a number of folk versions of his keertanas like, Jajaras, Dampulla songs, Suvvi songs, Elapadas and duets. Music concerts, Harikathas and folk programs are conducted regularly.

The Annamacharya Project plans to introduce a two-year certificate course, in which young music artistes will be provided with intensive training in Annamacharya compositions. The objective of this course is to familiarise young artistes with the literature and music of Annamacharya Vangmayam.

Research & Publications Wing

On behalf of the Annamacharya Project, research fellowships are granted to young researchers who pursue doctoral programmes on Annamacharya's life and works. To date, nearly 50 dissertations have been produced by different universities. Efforts are on to obtain technical recognition from Sri Venkateswara University to streamline research activities with a techno-academic outlook.

Annamacharya's compositions and the works of other Tallapaka poets are printed and published from time to time, according to the demand from devotees and researchers.

Recording Wing

To popularise Annamacharya's songs, audio cassettes are produced and marketed. The recording work is carried out by the Sri Venkateswara Recording project in co-ordination with the Annamacharya project.

Artistes belonging to the Annamacharya project, as well as other professional artistes lend their voices for recording. Music stalwarts like M S Subbulakshmi, M Balamurali Krishna, Voteti Venkateswarlu, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Nookala Chinna Sathyanarayana, Mani Krishnaswamy, Vani Jayaram, Sobha Raju and others have lent their voices to the cause of the project.

Co-ordination with Other Projects

The Annamacharya Project coordinates with the following projects. All these projects, except the Dharma Prachara Parishad, come under the direct control of the Annamacharya Project:

• Alwar Divya Prabandha Project
• Dasa Sahitya Project
• Bhagavata Project
• Veda Recording Project
• Dharma Prachara Parishad