Kaloji Narayana Rao Birth Anniversary: A Poet who made his name in the history of Telangana

On the occasion of the 107th birth anniversary of Kaloji Narayana Rao, we are here to collate some of the salient features of this great poet of Telangana state. Born on September 9, 1914, to Ranga Rao and Ramabai in the village of Ratthalli, Bijapur district, the Kaloji family migrated from Bijapur and got settled in Madikonda and thus he completed his primary education at Madikonda and his higher education was done in Hanmakonda and Hyderabad.

He has been involved in political movements, poetry, and writing since the age of 15. He remained in the Arya Samaj, Andhra Mahasabha, Nizam State Congress and worked in the struggle against Nizam. After independence from 1958 to 1960, he worked as a member of the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh, a member of the Andhra Saraswati Parishad, Andhra Pradesh Literary Academies, and President of the Telangana Writers' Association. Kaloji Narayana Rao has won Padma Vibhushan in 1992.

He is popularly known as 'people's poet and had participated in many movements including the separate statehood movement. He had spent his life inspiring and motivating the people socially and politically and used his pen as a gun and wrote poems that had a great impact on the people. He strove hard for establishing a library in every village.

Fondly known as Kaloji, he is one of the great poets who gave the slogan of 'birth is yours, death is yours but the life is meant for the country' (Puttuka needhi, chavu needhi kani brathukantha deshanidhi). Kaloji is known for writing poems in different and unique styles and is called a great humanist who stood as a role model for many and became an inspiration for present generation youth.

Being a social reformer, Kaloji created awareness among the people of Telangana with his poetry. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in honour of Telangana poet Kaloji Narayana Rao has declared September 9 as Telangana Language Day or Telangana Bhasha Dinosthavam.