History of Harikatha and originator of Harikatha, Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu

​Harikatha (Story of Lord) is a unique art form, a combination of poetry, music, and dance, where the storyteller narrates a story based on the episodes of Hindu mythology. Back in the days, Harikatha was the famous medium of entertainment, which helped to provide social, cultural, and religious views to the public on a larger platform. The exponent of Harikatha should be able to compose and recite extempore the objective of the performance is to entertain and educate both the layman and the cultured scholar.

The Telugu form of Harikatha was originated in Coastal Andhra during the 19th century by Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu with his Kavyas and Prabandhas. He was born to Adibhatla Venkata Chayanulu and Lakshmi Narasamma on 31st August 1864 at Ajjada village on the shores of Swarnamukhi River, near Bobbili (present-day Balijipeta Mandal of Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh).

This genius was gifted with intuitive perception. He was a poet, philosopher, dancer, vaggeyakara, musician, litterateur, linguist and creator of the modern school of Harikatha. He has profound knowledge in many languages like Telugu, Sanskrit, English, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, and Persian. His musical accomplishments left maestros of the music world to feel divine for his ability to sing to five different talas, beat with th​​e two arms, two feet, and the head. 

He was an ashtavadhani and penned about 20 Harikathas apart from contributing his share to Telugu Literature through his about hundred books of literal work including his famous works Nava Rasa Tarangini, Jagadyoti, Talli Vinki, etc. His “Seema Palku Vahi” is the Telugu dictionary that has no single Sanskrit word. He translated Persian Poet, Omar Khaiyam’s poetry into Sanskrit and Telugu. He wrote a comparative treatise on the works of Kalidasa and Shakespeare wrote and composed a Geeta-Malika comprising 90 Carnatic ragas and he composed Music for all the 72 Carnatic ragas setting him next to Tyagaraja. Scholars said while witnessing his inimitable skills, “what Saint Thyagaraja is to Tanjore is Adi Bhatla to Vizianagaram”.

His contribution to Harikatha art is impeccable. Even when there were no prerequisites like power, microphones and sound systems, this wonderful musician stood out and managed a multitude of people with his resonant voice. Sooner, he took Andhra by storm with his outstanding skills in Carnatic classical music, excellence in languages and command over poetic nuances.

Narayana Dasu detached himself to fame and fortune and always believed in and dedicated himself to his art. To honor and tribute Narayana Dasu for his exemplary services, the Maharajah of Vizianagaram established a college, which was the first music college in South India, “Maharaja’s Government College of Music and Dance” on 5th February 1919. Maharaja offered Narayana Dasu to hold the position of the Head of the College, but, Narayana Dasu accepted the position saying that he would treat the college as a Temple of Sri Rama and him being the devotee.

By sheer coincidence, Mysore Maharajaj H.H. Sri Chamaraja Wadiyar happened to feast his eyes on Narayana Dasu, who was performing in Mysore at that time. Pleased with the performance, Maharaja invited him to the Mysore Court where the arrangements were made to accommodate 600 plus officials, to watch Narayana Dasu’s performance live. After the performance, Maharaja showered Narayana Dasu with praises and offered the position of Court’s Musician. But Narayana Dasu declined it firmly saying he wanted to lead his life in the service of God.

He died on 2nd January 1945 when he was 80 years old and on the same tithi of ‘Pushya Bahula Panchami’ on which day Saint Thyagaraja Swamy also reached the abode. He wrote his autobiography called “Naa Yeruka” and  Sangeetacharya Dr. Vyzarsu Balasubrahmanyam penned “The Musical Genius of Sri Adibhatla Narayana Dasu” portraying Dasu's musical excellence. 

Chellapilla Venkata Sastry, a Telugu Scholar said affectionately, “Dasu’s art is like rose poetry, dance, and music”.
 

Life Story of Philanthropist Malladi Satyalingam Naicker

Rags to riches life story of a self-made illiterate Educationalist and Philanthropist Malladi Satya Lingam Naicker is truly an inspiring one. He was born in the 1840s in a small village called Coringa, 20 km away from Kakinada, East Godavari District. Though Satyalingam's ancestors were rich, their business came to an end during Satyalingam's father's tenure. 

Having lost his father when he was quite young, his childhood was filled with troubles. With the help of Karri Narayana Swamy, his maternal uncle, Satyalingam and his mother found shelter. Narayana Swamy joined him in a school, but Satyalingam escaped attending classes and played with other truants in his area. Satyalingam learned that his uncle’s ship was being fitted to set sail to Mullein in Burma and requested him to arrange a job for him in the ship. Narayana Swamy accepted the request and welcomed boy Satyalingam. But the situations were not well with other co-workers in the ship. Satyalingam escaped from the ship when the ship has reached its destination. The captain, with the help of shipmates, searched for the boy but all in vain. The helpless widow, his mother, while waiting for the boy, died of a broken heart.

Satyalingam could get a small job in a country boat and fortunately, he found Telugu persons in the ship and had a great time with them for five years till he turned twenty. Soon enough, Satyalingam’s brain explored other business opportunities and moved to Rangoon for his new venture. Within four years, he became the owner of four boats and took up contract business as well. He began to do well in his business and accumulated lakhs of rupees.

He got married to a woman at the request of his relatives when he was on a trip to Coringa and went back to Rangoon. But his wife died after some years and Satyalingam adopted a boy known as Sri Subrahmanyam Naicker.

Malladi Satyalingam Naicker

Satyalingam has had great plans to serve for his motherland, to build educational institutions, to construct temples and to feed needy people. But fate had other plans as he passed away on the 29^th of January, 1915 at Rangoon even before his dreams come into shape.

After his death, as per the will wrote by Satyalingam, MSN Charities has been established by a Board of Trustees. He bequeathed about eight lakh rupees for the construction and maintenance of schools, to provide financial assistance for foreign, higher, and technical education to poor children, to construct temples, and for feeding poorly. He donated about thousand acres for charity.

MSN Elementary School was established in 1919, High School was established in 1946, the first Andhra Polytechnic institution in Andhra Pradesh was established in 1946, Veda Patashala established in 1954, Junior college was established in 1969, Degree College was established in 1971 and about 40 acres were donated for the establishment of Andhra University Post Graduation Centre, which is now named as M S N Adikavi Nannaya University PG Centre.

 

Some lakhs of students got benefited since the inception of these Educational Institutions and are still getting. The illiterate Satyalingam is the reason for the wisdom of some lakhs students today. This was all possible only because of his big heart, thought-provoking missions and kindness.

Prominent personalities including Dr. Sarvepalli Radha Krishna visited these institutions. Sri Suri Bhagavantham, Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University and later Scientific Advisor of Ministry of Defence, Government of India visited the MSN Charities Institution and said "Satya Lingam Naicker is to the Telugu Country what Panchaippa and Changal Naroya are to the Tamil Nadu".