Bapatla played key role in history of Telugu language: CollectorTelugu Language Day observed

Bapatla district has a prominent place in the history of Telugu language and literature, said J Venkata Murali, District Collector. He inaugurated the Telugu Language Day celebrations organised under the aegis of Forum For Better Bapatla on Thursday. He garlanded Telugu Talli statue near the Tahsildar’s office.
The Collector also remembered the services rendered by Gidugu Rama Murthy Pantulu. He stated that the Addanki inscription in the district is testimony to a flourishing Telugu literature, much before the available literary texts. He pointed out that the Addanki inscription contains the first poem ever to be written in Telugu.
He explained that Bapatla is also the birthplace of Telugu Talli as Bapatla poet Rayaprolu Subba Rao first coined the word ‘Telugu Talli’. He further explained that one of the ‘Trinity of Poets’ who rendered ‘Andhra Mahabharatam’, Yerrapragada, was from Bapatla district. He was the court poet of Addanki Reddy Kingdom. Poet Srinadha popularised the prabandha style of composition. He was the minister in Addanki Reddy kingdom, the Collector said.
MLA V Narendra Varma said that Bapatla also gave birth to the Linguistic States Policy. The foundations for this policy can be traced in the First Andhra Conference held in Bapatla in 1913, he added.
Telugu poet Ramaswamy Reddy was honoured on the occasion. Forum secretary Dr P C Sai Babu, District Revenue Officer Satti Babu, Bapatla RDO G Ravinder, Bapatla Tahsildar G Sridevi, eminent writers, artists, educationists, students and Telugu language lovers were present on the occasion.
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