Five Padmas for Telugu states

Tollywood Actor Konidela Chiranjeevi and former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu have been conferred the Padma Vibhushan.
The President approved conferment of 132 Padma Awards including two duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). Of these, five Padma Shris were given to people from Telangana. Two Padma Vibhushans and one Padmashri went to Andhra Pradesh.
Actress Vyjayantimala Bali and Padma Subrahmanyam who hail from Tamil Nadu were given the Padma Vibhushan. Bindeshwar Pathak from Bihar was also given the Padma Vibhushan.
The list comprises five Padma Vibhushans, 17 Padma Bhushans and 110 Padma Shri Awards. Thirty of the awardees are women. The list also includes eight persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and nine posthumous awardees.
Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian awards of the country – are conferred in three categories, namely the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri.
The Centre selected five personalities from Telangana and one from Andhra Pradesh for the Padma Shri award. The architect of the Yadadri Temple, Dr Velu Anandachari Stapathi, has been selected for Padma Shri.
Banjara Bhagavdgita writer Kethavath Somlal and Kurella Vittalacharya, the 84-year-old who built a library with his money have also been selected for Padma awards from Telangana.
Dasari Kondappa, the Burra Veena player from Narayanpet, Gaddam Sammaiah, the Yakshaganam Yajman from Janagaon, A. Velu Ananda Chari (art), Kethavath Somlal (Literature & Education) and Kurella Vittalacharya (Literature & Education) of Telangana were conferred the Padma Shri.
Dasari Kondappa, one of the last Burra Veena players, dedicated his life to the indigenous art.
The 63-year-old, who is a third generation Burra Veena player from the Damaragidda village of Narayanpet, dedicated his life to preserving the art form. He holds the distinction of being the last exponent of Burra Veena and has kept the art from extinction.
Kondappa sings ‘Tatvalu’ socio-religious moral compositions and spiritual-philosophical renditions in Telugu and Kannada.
Even though as per custom Burra Veena is played only within their community, Dasari went beyond that to attract wider audiences.
Gaddam Sammaiah was selected for the Padma Shri for highlighting social issues through Chindu Yakshaganam performances for over five decades.
The 67-year-old is an eminent Chindu Yakshaganam artiste from Jangaon. He has performed this art form for over five decades at over 19,000 shows.
He addresses social issues like total literacy and environment protection. He founded the Chindu Yaksha Kalakarula Sangham and the Gaddam Sammaiah Yuva Kala Skethram to promote this art. He hails from a humble background and has worked as a farmhand. He learnt the art from his parents who were both Chindu Yakshaganam artistes.
Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Padma Shri winner Uma Maheshwari D. is the first female Harikatha exponent who has performed globally in different ragas.
The 63-year-old Harikatha exponent has showcased her skill in Sanskrit recitation and recites Kathas in multiple ragas like Savitri, Bhairavi, Subhapantuvarali, Kedaram and Kalyani.
She is proficient in Telugu and Sanskrit and has authored over four Harikathas, covering figures like Ramana Maharshi and Potti Sriramulu.
Her contributions have encouraged many girls to overcome the barriers of tradition and adopt the art. She hails from a family of musicians and is the grandchild of renowned Nadaswara Vidwan, the late Daliparti Pichihari.
The architect of the Yadadri Temple, Dr Velu Anandachari Stapathi, has been selected for Padma Shri. Banjara Bhagavdgita writer Kethavath Somlal and Kurella Vittalacharya, the 84-year-old who built a library with his money have also been selected for Padma awards from Telangana.