Culture of Andhra Pradesh
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The culture of Andhra Pradesh embodies some very exclusive and special entities.
Women wear Venkatagiri, Pedana, Bandarulanka, Uppada, Mangalagiri, Dharmavaram sarees. The exclusive metal ware, brass, stone and wood carving from Budithi in Srikakulam District and Veenas from Bobbili and colourful toys from Etikoppaka and Kondapalli highlight the immense talent of the Andhra Pradeshi's.
Religion and philosophy
Andhra Pradesh is home to Hindu saints of all castes. An important figure is Saint Yogi Potuluri Veerabrahmam, who was a Viswa Brahmin who even had Brahmin, Shudra Harijan and Muslim disciples.[1] Fisherman Raghu was also a Shudra.[2]
Several important Hindu modern-day saints are from Andhra Pradesh. These include
Pilgrimage places
- Annavaram, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Satyanarayana.
- Daksharamam, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
- Tirupati or Tirumala, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Venkateswara.
- Hiranyakasipu.
- Jyotirlingams.
- Srikalahasti is also dedicated to Shiva. It is one of the panchalingam.
- Kanipakam is a famous temple dedicated to Ganesha.
- Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada is a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga
Annual festivals
- Makara Sankranti/Pongalin January. Makara is the name of one of the twelve astrological signs (in Telugu they say Raasi) resembling a crocodile in shape, which means that the Sun entering northern direction in that particular Raasi.
- Maha Shivaratri in February/March.
- Ugadi or the Telugu New Year in March/April.
- Sri Rama Navamicelebrated in March/April 9 days after Ugadi.
- Varalakshmi Vratam in August.
- Vinayaka Chaviti in August.
- Dasara in September/October.
- Bathukamma in September/October (some parts of Andhra Pradesh
- Deepavali in October/November.
- Karthika Deepothsavam during the Deepavali season.
Vodi Biyyam
Vodi Biyyam (Vodi means the Womb and Biyyam means rice grains) is a traditional ceremony performed for married couples in some communities. The ceremony starts before the marriage. After marriage, the ceremony is performed at least once in three years, wherein the parents or the brother(s) of the married woman invite all the relatives for the ceremony celebration.[3]
The Process
The parents of the married woman give money to buy clothes for the ceremony. A good quantity of rice is mixed with turmeric, dried coconut core and other ingredients. Five married women (not widowed) come one after another and put rice in a cloth wrapped around the neck and spread out in the front. There is another food item which is hot chilli powder and rice.
Cultural institutions
Andhra Pradesh has many museums, including the Archaeological Museum at
Other cultural elements
Other elements that have long defined Telugu culture include
Architecture
There are two distinct architectural traditions in Andhra Pradesh. The first traces back to the building of the city of Amaravati under Satavahanas. This unique style of architecture emphasises the use of intricate and abstract sculpture with inspiration from religious themes. The second tradition draws on the enormous granite and limestone reserves of the region and is reflected in the various temples and forts built over a very long period of time.
Literature
As an ancient language,
made Telugu a vibrant and evolving modern language. The contributions of various Telugu/Tamil/Sanskrit grammarians to the formalisation of English grammar gave Telugu literary traditions a truly global reach.Telugu literature is highly influenced by Sanskrit literature and Hindu scriptures.
Cuisine
The Andhra Pradesh cuisine includes bandar laddu, avakaya, gongura, pulusu, pappucharu, jonna kudu, bobbattu, kaja, and arisa. It uses spices, fruit and vegetable harvests of the region.
Performing arts
The influential musical contributions of Annamacharya and Tyagaraja to the "grammar of sound" made the Telugu language the preferred language of composition for Carnatic music. Their influence not only on Carnatic but global classical music and the organisation of sound as a medium of emotional resonance is unparalleled. Kuchipudi, as a refinement of the ancient art of Bharatanatyam, and in the context of the unique religious and cultural traditions of Andhra Pradesh, stands on par with all the great global traditions of classical dance.
Dance
Jayapa Senani (
Classical dance in Andhra can be performed by both men and women; nowadays, women tend to learn it more often. Traditionally it was done by men and female temple dancers. Women did not dance it in public, and men played female parts in Kuchipudi ballets. As time went by, women began to learn it as an art as well. This started when women danced in kings' courts.
.Music
The state has a rich musical heritage. Many legends of the
Movies
Costume
Andhra Pradesh is home to some of the finest historical cloth-making, fashion and dying traditions of the world. Its rich cotton production, with its innovative plant dye extraction history stand next to its diamond mining, pearl harvesting and jewelry traditions to form an impressive fashion tradition that has stood the test of time. The ancient Kollur mine is the mother of the numerous legendary gems such as the Koh-i-Noor and Hope Diamond. Andhra Pradesh had a virtual monopoly in the global jewelry industry till 1826 (founding of the diamond mines in Rhodesia, Africa) and eight of the ten most valuable jewelry pieces on earth today trace their history back to Andhra Pradesh. Langa-Voni (Half saree), Sarees made in Kalamkari, Venkatagiri are the result of this 3000-year-old fashion tradition. Vaddaanam, Aravanke, Kashulahaaram, Buttalu and various standard gold jewelry designs are fine examples of this continuously evolving ancient tradition.
References
- ^ "Sri Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swami". Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
- ^ "Stories of Bhaktas - Fisherman Raghu - www.telugubhakti.com".
- ^ "Telugu Culture".
- ^ "Nitya Ratnavali". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2008.