Telangana, Andhra: divided by state, united in search for a cultural identity

The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana has resulted in a strong quest for new cultural identities and symbols by the two Telugu-speaking states. While there has always been a cultural facet to the movement for statehood to Telangana, not many foresaw a massive search for new cultural identities as ownership of most of the symbols of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.

From a historical perspective, a cultural divide between the two states is beyond dispute though they are one and same linguistically. Right from the dialect to popular culture, there are strong differences between the two regions. In fact, a cry over domination of Telangana culture by the so-called Andhraites, formed one of the planks of the agitation for long.

Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao a known aficionado of history and culture, was the first to begin strengthening the cultural identity of the new state by celebrating Independence Day in 2014 at the historic Golconda fort, the seat of power during the 16{+t}{+h} and 17{+t}{+h} centuries AD. A new tradition was thus created.

Then there was a frenzy of celebrations when the new state declared the floral festival of the region, Bathukamma as the State Festival. Essentially, a festival of women, Bathukamma comes during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. It begins a week before the grand ‘Saddula Bathukamma’ (the grand finale of the Bathukamma festival) which falls two days before Dussehra.

The fortunes of a pilgrim centre, Yadagiri Gutta, an abode of Narasimha, were also revived in the process. The Govt has announced a master plan to develop the temple town with ₹100 crore budget for a year to give a new avatar to the place as ‘Yadadri.’ Consecration of a massive Hanuman statue is also on the anvil. Waranagal, the seat of the Kakatiya dynasty is also up for a facelift.

Andhra Pradesh too has joined the race, though it lags behind Telangana. Dussehra and Sankranthi were celebrated as official festivals. The loss of Hyderabad deprived Andhra of the only cultural capital. Places like Rajahmundry, Guntur and Vijayawada, which were vibrant cultural and literary centres long ago, had also lost their prominence, thanks to the neglect of successive governments.

The new State with an old name also lost Sri Rama Temple in Bhadrachalam where it used to officially celebrate Sri Rama Navami. It has finally discovered a Rama temple at Ontimetta in Kadapa district for official celebrations on March 28 after establishing a weak link with Ramayana story.

Unlike Telangana, which has Hyderabad and Warangal as major historical places for tourism, except Amaravati, the seat of the Satavahanas (2{+n}{+d} century BC to 3{+r}{+d} Century AD) and Visakhapatnam there is very little developed tourism infrastructure in place for Andhra, though there is no dearth of history in this region.

The state, which is in the process of building a new capital, needs to develop a cultural capital too, going forward. There is not a single functioning art gallery of repute in the entire state today. The cultural capital could as well be the same as the new one being built.

A positive outcome of all this is enrichment of popular culture which augurs well for the states. It, however, remains to be seen whether this search for cultural identities will continue till tangible progress is made or whether it will simply end after the initial hype.

Most importantly, new cultural efforts need to be cosmopolitan and liberal. According to the ‘Weapon Theory’ by noted nationalist writer and anti-colonial thinker, Amilcar Cabral, “culture is the vigorous manifestation on the ideological or idealist plane of the physical and historical reality of the society that is dominated or to be dominated.”

As the genesis of Telangana State partly rooted in a sense of deprivation, enough care needs to be taken to preserve amity and collaboration between the two re-emerging Telugu identities.

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