Vemana Birth Anniversary to Be Marked on January 19
Elaborate arrangements are being made to commemorate the life and contributions of Yogi Vemana, who fought against social evils and promoted moral and spiritual values through his poetry.
Anantapur: The birth anniversary of renowned Telugu philosopher, poet and social reformer Yogi Vemana will be celebrated on a grand scale at Katarupalle in Talupula mandal of Satya Sai district on January 19.
Kadiri MLA Kandikunta Prasad has taken the initiative to organise the celebrations and has invited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu to attend the event.
As the Vemana Samadhi, Dhyana Mandiram and surrounding premises, including the AP Tourism guest house, were in a poor state of maintenance, the MLA has taken up renovation and painting works at his own expense. About ₹19 lakh is being spent on repairs and painting at the historic site.
Elaborate arrangements are being made to commemorate the life and contributions of Yogi Vemana, who fought against social evils and promoted moral and spiritual values through his poetry.
Born as Pidepala Pulla Reddy, popularly known as Vemana, in the Kondaveedu region of present-day Guntur district, he later became a philosopher after a personal life-changing incident. He travelled widely across Rayalaseema, especially Kadapa, and spent his final years in the Kadiri region. He passed away at Katarupalle, where his Samadhi now stands.
British scholar C.P. Brown estimated Vemana’s birth year as 1652 and compiled and published his poems in the 19th century.
Vemana’s poems, written in Ataveladi metre, dealt with social reform, morality, mysticism and spiritual wisdom, noted Dr Appireddy Harinath Reddy of the Vemana Adhyayana Abhivruddi Kendram. The Telangana government has been observing his birth anniversary as a State festival since 2022.
Two Telugu films have been made on Yogi Vemana, and a postal stamp was released in his honour in 1975. Yogi Vemana University in Kadapa is named after him.
