The essence of Annamacharya

Researching, writing and lecturing on the literature and music of a saint-composer and also working at a fulltime job as banker, Venkat Garikapati handles both roles with elan. He has earned respect for his hard work and expertise both as banker and as an erudite expert on vaggeyakara Sri Annamacharya (1408-1503) aka Annamayya's works, especially the sahityam or literary aspects.

Hyderabad-based Venkat has authored 15 books on poetry, literature and personality development but most are on literary and musical giant Annamacharya; an accomplishment which goes along with his current job as Deputy General Manager, State Bank of India, Stressed Assets Management Branch. The 16th book (also in Telugu like the 15 others), is also on Annamayya and titled 'AnnamyyaSankeerthanaSougandhika' is set to be released on March 29 in Hyderabad. He reveals that all his books are self-supported projects.

The banker who also writes for leading publications often lectures on the subject of Annamacharya and spiritual literature has given almost 3,000 lectures on various media like radio, stage and television during the last three decades. He is often addressed as VyakhyanaVisharada, a title conferred on him by Jnanpith awardee Dr C. Narayana Reddy at a special function. Venkat delivered a special lecture at Krishna University on the eve of the 600th Jayanthi celebrations of Annamacharya in 2008. He also chaired the literary discourse on the eve of Annamayya Jayanthi at Annamayya Bhavan, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in 2019. He participated in several literary functions by Yuva Bharati cultural organisation in the 1990s attended by luminaries like Guntur SeshendraSarma, C. Narayana Reddy, JandhyalaPapayya Sastry, G.V. Subrahmanyam, etc. "C. Narayana Reddy garu gave me lot of inspiration and ecouragement," says Venkat. This writer-banker was also featured as one of the expert commentators in a 52-episode show AnnamayyaPaatakuPattabhishekam for a Telugu devotional channel SVBC run by TTD Trust Board. Besides, he was expert commentator for 90 weeks in a programme titled AnnamayyaSankeerthanaluAtcha Telugu Palukulu in a top Telugu TV channel.

So, how do the twain meet? Crunching numbers and researching music and literature? Who or what was his inspiration? Venkat reveals: "I have been fascinated by music and literature since childhood. Ever since I was a kid I used to sing a lot, (though I admit, I am not a trained classical singer) at many functions at my native town Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. In fact, in my college days, my Economics lecturer after completing his speech at a function insisted that I be brought in to sing an Annamacharya composition as a conclusion to that event."

The prolific Venkat is known for his magnficent obsession with Annmacharya. This saint has composed 32,000 sankeertanas, most of them in praise of the deity Lord Venkateshwara and also several containing general spiritual truths and worldly wisdom.

Is Venkat fond of literature in general or is it just this composer? He replies: "Absolutely, I am a Telugu literature-lover. I have written poems since my 16th year. My first poem was published in 1982. Once, I was even felicitated at my village by SankarabhanamSankara Sastry fame, actor J.V. Somayajulu for my small poem during my childhood. I was a member of Sahithi Sudha association during my Plus 2 or Intermediate Course."

About the particular fascination with the saint-poet, he says Annamacharya's works which are about bhakti and also cover the entire gamut of human emotions naturally enchanted him since childhood and he began researching them. "I am constantly amazed by the wealth of life truths and wisdom in his compositions and the profound philosophy therein. I also like his sweet language and dialect while describing God."

He adds that the love for literature and music runs in his family. His elder brother GarikapatiKalidasu, a noted theatre artiste, has been acting onstage for for the last 50 years. Kalidasu had his own cultural association called Garikapati Arts Theatre, wherein Venkat received a lot of encouragement. They would conduct the rare Avadhanams, a literary feat requiring great scholarship and verbal skill in the late 1980s at Eluru with their cousin and well-known scholar Dr Garikapati Narasimha Rao, Dr KadimillaVaraprasad and Dr Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad during the early 1990s. Venkat adds with a smile: "I used to take the role of AprastuthaPrasamsha, a person in every Avadhanam whose role is to distract and disturb the attention of the scholar or Avadhani."

Venkat's first book was published in 2008. It is a long and impressive list: AnnamayyaSankeerthanaRatnakaram (Compilation of 506 AnnamayyaSankeerthanas), AnnamayyaSankeerthanaSudhakaram (Commentary on 108 Sankeerthanas), VikasaVibhasam (Personality Development Essays which he wrote for leading Telugu newspapers), Komalee Nee Andam (his own poetry), AnnamayyaSankeerthanaSanjeevani (commentary on 108 sankeerthanas), Sri RamanjaneyaRamaneeyam (commentary on 56 sankeerthanas on Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman), NandakaSankeerthanaNandanam (Commentary on 56 Sankeerthanas), TriveneeTanmayam (Commentary on 108 sankeerthans penned by Tallapaka Triumvirate namely TallapakaAnnamayya, TallapakaPedaTirumalayya and Tallapaka China Tirumalayya), AnnamayyaShrungaraTarangini (Commentary on 51 AnnamayyaSankeerthanas), AnnamayyaNrusimhaNadam (Commentary on 32 Nrusimhasankeerthanas penned by Annamayya and PedaTirumalayya), Annamayya Pada Madhurima (Commentary on 58 sankeerthanas), AnnamayyaShrungara Nava Geethika (Commentary on 58 sankeerthanas), AnnamayyaSrikrishnaSammohanam (Commentary on 58 sankeerthans), AnnamayyaAlamelmangaVaibhavam (Commentary on 58 sankeerthanas) and AnnamayyaTatva Geetha (Commentary on 32 Annamayya Vairagya Sankeerthanas and their innate connection with Bhagavad Gita).

How does he manage to balance writing with a full time bank job? "Everyday, I write the meaning and commentary on one AnnamayyaSankeerthana. The time starts from 9.30 p.m. I can't say when it concludes because I get immersed in it and go on till I feel I have done justice to the topic. I spend many hours in focussed reading of Annamayya's lyrics and his manuscripts, as well as related works to understand the metaphors and analogies the saint has employed."

What is his forthcoming book about? "My forthcoming book AnnamyyaSankeerthanaSougandhika deals with the fragrance of Annamayya lyrics written on various facets like Bhakti (Adhyatma), Shrungara and Vairagya. In fact, it contains some of the verses where even 'PouranikaVaadam' is also a part. Herein, two characters speak to each other, like Rama with Lakshmana, Krishna with Golletha, Krishna with Balarama, etc."

After achieving so much, does he still have any dream left regarding the subject he adores, literature and Annamacharya in particular? He answers: "I do not have any big dreams. I am grateful for everything achieved so far. I just want to continue researching the glory of Annnamacharya's works and sharing the knowledge with as many people as possible." We do hope he continues this inspiring journey.