Garimella Satyanarayana

Garimella Satyanarayana

Statue of Garimella Satyanarayana in Srikakulam
Native name గరిమెళ్ళ సత్యనారాయణ
Born July 14, 1893
Gonepadu, Narasannapeta, Srikakulam, India
Died December 18, 1952 (aged 59)
Nationality Indian
Occupation Poet, writer, freedom fighter

Garimella Satyanarayana (Telugu: గరిమెళ్ళ సత్యనారాయణ) (1893 – December 18, 1952) was a Poet and Freedom Fighter of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Satyanarayana Garimella was a great nationalist who influenced and mobilized the Andhra people against the British with his patriotic songs and writings for which he was jailed several times by the British government.

Career

He was born in a poor Brahmin family to Venkatanarasimham and Suramma. He was born in Gonepadu village near Priya agraharam in Narasannapeta taluq of Srikakulam district in 1893.

Garimella Satyanarayana is identified by his famous song - “మాకొద్దీ తెల్ల దొరతనం ” (We don’t need this white rule). He himself used to sing this song. This particular song was a popular in the households of Andhra Pradesh during the Indian independence movement.

He was helped to study by a kind lawyer, called Kannepalli Narasimha Rao and finish graduation (BA). He worked as a clerk in collector's office of Ganjam district and as a teacher at a high school in Vijayanagaram. He gave up his studies by the call of Mahatma Gandhi to participate in civil disobedience movement. During this time, he wrote his famous song Maakoddee Telladoratanamu for which he was jailed in 1922 for one year. After the release from Jail, he continued his participation in the movement by singing songs in villages. For this he was sentenced for two and half years rigorous imprisonment. His entire family (wife, father and grandfather) died when he was in jail. He also ran a restaurant called Kalpaka Vilaas.[1]

He died in a destitute state on December 18, 1952 after spending several years in poverty.

Works

Information plate below his Statue in Srikakulam.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garimella Satyanarayana.
  1. Biographic sketch.
  2. Review on Heart of India.
  3. Garimella Satyanarayana Article.
  4. GarimeLLa gEyAlu : Editor - parakAla paTTABirAmArAu,1992, Visalandhra Book House
  5. Telugu sAhitya samIksha - Dr. G. Nagayya, Navya Parisodhana Pracurana, Tirupati, 1985.
  6. AdhunikAndhra kavitvamu - Dr. C. Narayanareddy, Visalandhra,1993.
  7. Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh - Prof. Mamidipudi Venkatarangayya, Vols I-IV, 1965.
  8. Andhrula Sankshipta Charitra - Etukuri Balaramamurthy, Visalandhra.
  9. Naa Vaajnmaya Mitrulu, Kameswarrarao Tekumalla.
  10. "Noorguru Telugu Pramukhulu, M.L. Narasimharao.