Recreating the Unsung Glory of Anupu

Infosys Foundation recently inaugurated the ‘Infosys Foundation Anupu Festival 2016’, a three-day cultural festival aimed at reviving the lost glory of Anupu and promoting the traditional art forms of Andhra Pradesh. In partnership with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), the festival fosters the vision of the Foundation to provide a platform to deserving artists and endorse endangered art forms of India.

Anupu, located on the banks of the Krishna River near Nagarjunasagar dam, is an expansive archaeological wonder of Buddhist learning and culture dating back to the third century. Discovered during the construction of the dam, the ruins of the ancient Buddhist center were unearthed, thus surfacing a site of architectural interest complete with a Vihara (Buddhist University), Harati temple and a large amphitheater.

Anupu was meticulously reconstructed in detail by the Archaeological Survey of India, bringing to life the 80 hectares of the site as a historical and cultural world monument of Buddhism.

The Infosys Foundation Anupu Festival 2016 was a celebration of India’s rich Buddhist heritage, where the ancient monument reverberateed with traditional performing arts events. In this unique festival, fifteen events featuring more than 350 distinguished artistes presented different art forms including music, dance, folk art and theatre.

The festival was inaugurated by Prathipati Pulla Rao, Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Processing, Marketing and Warehousing, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Ravela Kishore Babu, Minister for Social Welfare and Empowerment, Tribal Welfare and Empowerment, Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, and Binod HR, Executive Vice President and Global Head – Talent and Technology Operations, Infosys Ltd, in the presence of other government officials.

Speaking on this occasion, Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation said, “Historical monuments bear testimony to the rich cultural legacy of ancient India – its architectural intricacies, opulent customs and traditional art forms. At the Foundation, our humble effort is to re-create this past glory through annual cultural festivals at archeologically significant sites, thus presenting Indian traditional arts against a historical backdrop. Anupu, a cultural world heritage site with its magnificent architecture is a true reflection of India’s glorious history.

We are truly honored to be able to curate the Infosys Foundation Anupu Festival 2016 and grateful to the Archeological Survey of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh for being our partners in this unique initiative.”