Newsroom, November 30, 2025: In the shadow of Vizianagaram's historic streets, a procession of scholars, writers, and cultural enthusiasts marched from M.R. College junction to the Zilla Parishad office on Tuesday, marking the death anniversary of Mahakavi Gurajada Apparao with a fervent demand for a cultural university in his name.
The proposal, led by political analyst Telakapalli Ravi and Sahithi Sravanti, State Secretary Cheekati Diwakar, envisions an institution dedicated to researching and safeguarding Andhra Pradesh's rich traditions, ensuring Apparao's legacy as a pioneer of modern Telugu literature endures through academic inquiry and artistic revival.
Gurajada Apparao, born in 1862 in Vizianagaram, revolutionised Telugu letters with works like Desamunu Preminchumanna-Manchi Annadi Penchumanna, a poem that blended social reform with poetic fire, challenging caste hierarchies and championing women's education.
"His words were weapons for change; a university in his hometown would be a fitting tribute, inspiring generations to wield literature for justice," Ravi told the crowd, flanked by over 50 representatives from literary and cultural organisations.
The rally, attended by former MP D.V.G. Sankara Rao, former MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao, and writers like Attada Appala Naidu, underscored the urgency: Apparao's birth and death anniversaries should be state festivals, with his progressive verses woven into school curricula to ignite young minds.
