Andhra Pradesh - Kurnool   

Rayalaseema, Telangana lose their `last link'

Staff Reporter

Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sarma took active part in the widow remarriage movement and also fought against the Nizam's rule

KURNOOL: Sanskrit scholar, writer and researcher Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sarma, who died on Tuesday, was the last link between Rayalaseema and Telangana.

Born in 1919 at Kadiri, Anantapur district, Mr. Sarma was educated up to primary level and underwent training in Sanskrit and Telugu scriptures with local scholars. When his sister left for Alampur after her marriage, Mr. Sarma followed her there and continued his upper primary education.

Being deeply inspired by the magnificent temples of red sand stone and the flowing river at Alampur town, he made this area his home. In the pre-independence days, Mr. Sarma actively took part in the movement of widow remarriage and attracted the anger of his community by marrying a widow. Later, he ran a radio station launching a tirade against Nizam rule as a part of the struggle to fight the tyranny regime of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

After unification of princely States, Mr. Sarma turned his attention to literature and historical research. He deciphered many inscriptions that established a link between the Mauryan period and the Chalukyas. Though Mr. Sarma did not possess any formal qualifications, he still attempted to unearth the history of the complex temples built by the Chalukyas of Badami and established a detailed account of temples at Alampur.

Despite his roots of tradition Mr. Sarma was very progressive and rational in his thinking. He wrote hundreds of research papers which were acknowledged by many universities and became the cynosure of all eyes at literary gatherings. In the last two decades, he spent most of his time fighting for the cause of temples at Alampur and was instrumental in getting a floodwall constructed around Alampur as well as the reconstruction of Jogulamba temple.

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