8-day TBB festival commences on Nov 22: Karunakara

Tirupati, Oct 22 (UNI) To protect and propagate uniqueness of Telugu language, culture and traditions, Tirupati-based Telugu Samskruit Vikasa Vedika (TSVV) is gearing up for the fourth edition of the eight-day Telugu Bhasha Brahmotsavams (TBB) festival in the temple town from November 22, TSVV President and TTD Chairman B Karunakara Reddy said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the Telugu speaking people were occupying sixth place in the world and second place in the country. The globalisation should make people treat the world as one village, but Telegus were pushed to the wall, as far as the regional favouritism was conerned, he added.

Mr Reddy said in a recent education and cultural survey, the United Nations Organisation had cautioned that any language would be ruined, if 30 per cent of the people could not and read and write their language. Unless we unitedly protect the Telegu language and its traditions, it would pale into insignificance, he regretted.

The TSVV President said we should encourage developmental process, but not at the cost of our culture, traditions and language.

Parents were admitting their children in english medium schools under the impression that proficiency in english would be enough to get coveted jobs and enhance their career prospects, he rued.

He said the annual Brahmotsavam was conducted twice this year due to astronomical phenomenon that occurs once in three years.

''Telugu Bhasha Brahmotsavams (TBB), a literary event would be conducted on a similar scale, coinciding with Telugu Talli Rathotsavam (TTR) on November 22, he added.

Mr Reddy said for the first time ever, the Telugu diaspora across the globe would invite members of Telugu Association of North America (TANA), American Telugu Association(ATA), the Telugu Associations of Detroit, Dubati, Singapore, Kuwait, among others, to take part in the coveted event for the future generation to realise the significance of their mother-tongue.

He said cultural artistes from the State would participate on the second-day of the festival and a huge rally would be taken to the main streets of temple town. The literary programmes would conclude on November 30, he added.

The TTD Chairman said Dada Saheb Phalke awardee Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Central Sahitya Academy Awardee C Narayana Reddy and State Cultural Department President Dharmavarapu Subramanayam, would participate as chief guests on the concluding day of the event.

Prominent literary personalities, film actors and stage artistes from the State would also participate in the event, he added.

He said a statue of Telugu Talli would be installed in the temple town during the festival.

UNI