Munganda

Munganda is a village in Konaseema, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. The village dates back to early 14th century. Kesava Bhattu, the grand father of the great poet scholar Jagannadha Panditha Rayalu was said to have pleased Sri Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara with his prowess in Literature and Kuchipudi Dance and received Agraharam “Munganda”as a present.^[1]

This village comes under the P.Gannavaram mandal and is on the Ambajipeta−Razole main road. Munganda has a planned village layout – all streets are parallel to each other. The three main vertical streets are known as Raja Veedhi, Red-Cross Veedhi, Mantha vari Veedhi (Dravilla Veedhi). In Raja Veedhi Junction (in the middle of the road between Munganda manchineella Cheruvu and Muleswara Swamy temple). This village is located 59 km towards the south from District headquarters Kakinada 4 km from P. Gannavaram. 439 km from state capital Hyderabad.

K. Pedapudi (2 km), Isukapudi (2 km), Pothavaram (2 km), Ambajipeta (3 km), Bandarulanka (3 km) are the nearby Villages to Munganda. Munganda is surrounded by P.Gannavaram Mandal towards west, Amalapuram Mandal towards east, Ainavilli Mandal towards east, Mamidikuduru Mandal towards south.

Amalapuram, Kothapeta, Palacole, Mandapeta are the nearby towns to Munganda

Telugu is the local language here. Total population of Munganda is 5470. Males are 2,711 and Females are 2,759 living in 1313 Houses. Total area of Munganda is 539 hectares.

Notable Scholars

Munganda is known for producing distinguished Sanskrit scholars like:

• Pulya Uma Maheswara Sastry
• Khandavalli Suryanarayana Sastry
• Susarla Sambavadhanulu
• Bhamidi Viswanadha Sarma
• Nadiminti Sarvamangala Sastry
• Khandavalli Rama Murty
• Khandavalli Jagannadham
• Kodamarthi Omkara Ghanapathi
• Chelluri Gouripathi Sastry
• Pulya Sesha Lakshmi Narasimha Sastry

The famous poet and author of Rasagangadharam, (Alamkara Sastram) Upadrasta Jagannadha Panditha Rayalu, son of Perambhottu and grandson of Kesava Bhattu, hails from this village.

Notable personalities

• Jagannadha Pandit Raj

Was the Chief Justice (Pandit Raj) in Shah- Jahan's (Moghal Durbar) Court.^[2] Jagannadha panditha Raj's brother, Upadrastha Ramachandrayya was also a scholar who wrote Gangavataranam Kavyam and dedicated to Golkonda Nizam Nawab H.H. Aza Hasan Kulikutub Shah

Jagannatha’s fame mainly rests on the Rasangadhara, his masterly work on poetics, he is also a poet of very high order. Noted director Y.V. Rao made a movie on Jagannatha (appropriately called Lavangi) in Tamil in 1945! Jagannatha’s role was apparently played by the late Dr Vinjamoori Varadaraja Iyengar in this movie.

One of his works in Sanskrit "Bhamini vilasam" translated to Telugu by Dr. Godavarthi Venkata Seshavadhavani of same village.

• Ellora

Ellora is the pen name of Sri. Bhaskara Rao. Sri Bhaskara Rao Born in 1929 in this village. For collection of poems entitled Nissabda tarangalu he received Andhra Pradesh Sahithya academy award for the year 1977. Ellora has done a research work by collecting folk songs. Wrote a book Janapada Sahityamu. Ellora worked as a Telugu vidwan. Joined in Andhraprabha in 1951. Wrote thirty books. Several poems written by Ellora were translated into Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil etc.^[3]

• Mahidhara Nalini Mohan Rao

Born in a patriotic family at Munganda in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India on August 4, 1933. Dr Nalini Mohan was the recipient of `Kavikokila Duvvuri Rami Reddy Vignana Bahumati'. He received the `Indira Gandhi Vignana Bahumati' for popularization of science in 1987.

He was elected `Popular Telugu person' in a ballet conducted by Andhra Jyothy Telugu weekly in 1986.

Dr. Mahidhara Nalini Mohan's father Mahidhara Rama Mohan Rao was a famous novelist and journalist while renowned academician Mahidhara Jagan Mohan Rao was his paternal uncle. Inspired by the literary environment in his house, Mahidhara Nalini Mohan began writing poetry at the age of 15 and later became a science writer.

Ref: Mahidhara Nalini Mohan Rao

• Sri Manda Bala rama sarma

Born visually challenged and grown as eminent flute artist and a retired staff artiste of All India Radio. He was guru of current generation flutists of Andhra Pradesh. His son Anantha Krishna is a recent Sangeeta Nataka Academy gold medal winner and following his father's footsteps.

• Kuchi Suryanarayana & Kuchi Goplalakrishna

Kuchi Suryanarayana was the Press Secretary to President of India and worked with three presidents, Dr.Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Giani Zail Singh and Sri R. Venkataraman. Kuchi Gopalakrishna is a senior journalist who toured along with Acharya Vinoba Bhave during his Bhoodan Movement.

Apart from above notable personalities, this agraharam had many landlords. To name few: Mantravadi Suryanarayana, Bhavannarayana, Pulle Ganesam, Khandavalli Venkatarama Diskhitulu, Khandavalli Suryam, Kodu chivara Gavarayya gari Venkanna, Mukkamala Mahesam, Nadiminti Nageswara Avadhanulu, Godavari Vyaghreswarudu, Kuchi Sambasiva rao, Kuchi Rajeswara Rao, Pinninti Ramachandra Sastry, Pulya Lakshmi Narasimha Sastry, Mantravadi Chandram, Bhamidi Suryanarayana and has produced talented individuals who have contributed significantly for the welfare of the society at large.

Migration

A sizeable population of this village have migrated to Hyderabad and other foreign countries since the 1950s.

Religious significance

It was earlier known as Munikhanda Agraharam, as it was believed that the Agraharam (Brahmin quarter) of the Sapta Rishis was in this village. The village has many temples (Raja Rajeswara, Uma Mooleswara, Vishneswara, Ramalayam, Ganganamma, Mutyalamma) of which the Chintamani Ganapati Mandiram is popular.

National seminar on Jagannāthavāṇmayavaibhavam, held at Munganda during 30 September to 2 October 2004.^[4]

Chandra prathista Parvathi Rajeswara swamy temple: This is one of the 108 temples constructed around Draksharamam temple.^[5] at a radius of 40 kilometers. The legend says the Siva linga installed by Chandra (Moon god). Here it may be noted that the distance from Draksharamam to this temple is about 40 km.

Sankhyayana Rushi Prathista Uma Muleswaraswamy temple: Muleswaraswamy Kalyanams are celebrated for five days from Vaisakha Suddha Ekadasi (April–May) at Munganda in East Godavari district. Mutyalamma Festival During summar.^[6] I

Sects

It is a home for the Telugu Vaidiki Veginadu Brahmin Sub-sect. Some well known surnames of the village include: Upadrasta, Nadiminti, Bussala, Bhamidi, Mantravadi, Pinninti, Susarla, Mukkamala, Pulya, Penumarthi, Korada, Khandavilli, Saraswatula, Manda, Godavarthi, Godavari, Goda, Chelluri, Desiraju, Yanamandra, Nittala, Govindavajjhala, Kodamarthi, Kuchi, Kavirayani, Boddu, Jalluri etc.

References