The Andhra Association

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The Andhra Association, Pune is a social and cultural organisation of Telugu speaking persons resident in and around Pune.

The Beginnings

Andhra Association, Pune

Late Sri Achanta Kanaka Raju, who was then a Garrison Engineer in Military Engineering Service, laid the foundations of the present Andhra Association, by starting a Telugu library in memory of his wife Late Smt. Achanta Seshamamba in 1941. This library was then housed in a small building near the present Deccan Gymkhana Post Office facing the Deccan Gymkhana cricket ground.

Besides offering a meeting ground for the Telugu population of Pune, the library also had an objective of familiarizing the culturally vibrant Pune citizens with cultural flavour of Telugu speaking populace of India. As it happens to all the vibrant organisations, this too enhanced its activity to other fields of culture by setting up `Andhra Association & A.S. Telugu library' with in a span of three years in 1944 and was registered under `Bombay Societies Act' in 1948.

The Growth

Soon the need for its own premises was felt and the organisation came to acquire the land at the present location in 1957. A small but comfortable center was added iin 1959 with the generous help of one and all. The final christening of this organisation as `Andhra Association' was done in 1960 and it was then registered under `Bombay Public Trusts Act'.

In addition to propagation of the rich culture of Andhra Rashtra, as it was known from the times immemorial, the organisation ventured in to social activities by starting a single teacher Montessori school in the sixties, when education was still not commercialized and remained a socio-cultural activity.

The Andhra Association celebrated its Silver Jubilee during Dec 1966 and Jan 1967 on a grand scale. The main function of the celebrations was graced by the distinguished presence if the then Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Sri K. Brahmananda Reddy and Sri V.P.Naik.

The years 1988 to 2000 saw the Association pass through turbulent phase. This period almost saw the demise of the association as a result of which the Golden jubilee could not be celebrated. The continued efforts of a few like minded members of the Association saw the revival of the Association in 2000. The Association is now in the process of revitalization and rebuilding its lost glory.

Distinguished Visitors

Andhra Association, Pune

The Andhra Association celebrated its Silver Jubilee during Dec 1966 and Jan 1967 on a grand scale. The main function of the celebrations was graced by the distinguished presence of the then Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Sri K. Brahmananda Reddy and Sri V.P.Naik.

During the years 1944 to 1987, the Association arranged a large number of cultural programmes in the fields of music, dance, drama etc. by inviting well known maestros in their respective fields. These included Dr. Balamurali Krishna, P. Ramakrishnayya Pantulu, Dr. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Sri Chittibabu, Sri Emani Sankara Sastry and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in the field of classical music.

Well known dancers like Smt. Hema Malini, Smt. Yamini Krishnamurthy, Smt. Venniradai Nirmala, Kum. Shobha Naidu, Sri Vedantam Satyanarayana, Sri Vempati Chinna Satyam graced the Association with their performances.

Other distinguished guests who visited the Andhra Association include Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba, Sri Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Poornananda Tirtha, Swami Chidananda.

Some of the poets honoured by the Andhra Association include Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana, R Subba Rao, Butchibabu, Arudra, Pilaka Ganapathi Sastry, Madhavapantulu Satyanarayana, Sri Sri, Sri C. Narayana Reddy, and Vedula Satyanarayana. Shri Adi Vishnu and Kalipatnam Rama Rao were also felicitated as a part of the Andhra Pradesh formation day celebrations.