Culture of Andhra Pradesh
The exclusive metal ware, brass, stone and wood carving from Budithi in Srikakulam District and Veenas from Bobbili and colourful toys from Etikoppaka and Kondapalli highlight the immense talent of the Andhra Pradeshi's.
These include Nimbarka who founded Dvaitadvaita, Mother Meera who advocated the Indian Independence and Aurobindo Mission, Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Sundara Chaitanyanandaji.
Other elements that have long defined Telugu culture include Bapu's paintings, Nanduri Subbarao's Yenki Paatalu (Songs on/by a washerwoman called Yenki), the mischievous Budugu (a character by Mullapudi), Annamayya's songs, Aavakaaya (a variant of mango pickle in which the kernel of the mango is retained), Gongura (a chutney from the Roselle plant), Atla Taddi (a seasonal festival predominantly for teenage girls), the banks of the river Godavari, and Dudu basavanna (the ceremonial ox decorated for door-to-door exhibition during the harvest festival Sankranti).
The second tradition draws on the enormous granite and limestone reserves of the region and is reflected in the various temples and forts built over a very long period of time.
Nannaya, Tikkana, Yerrapragada, Srinatha, Molla, and Tarikonda Venkamamba made the Telugu language alluring- a lingua franca for religion, musical composition and philosophy.
The contributions of various Telugu/Tamil/Sanskrit grammarians to the formalisation of English grammar gave Telugu literary traditions a truly global reach.
Famous Tamil poet Mahakavi Bharathiyar wrote "Sundhara telungunil paatisaithu", which literally means "create songs in beautiful Telugu".
The Andhra Pradesh cuisine includes bandar laddu, avakaya, gongura, pulusu, pappucharu, jonna kudu, bobbattu, kaja, and arisa.
Typically, rice is either boiled and eaten with curry, or made into a batter for use in a crepe-like dish called attu (pesarattu) or dosas.
Their influence not only on Carnatic but global classical music and the organisation of sound as a medium of emotional resonance is unparalleled.
The various dance forms that existed through the state's history are Chenchu Bhagotam, Kuchipudi, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha, Veeranatyam, Butta bommalu, Dappu, Tappeta Gullu, Dhimsa, and Kolaatam.
Andhra Pradesh is home to some of the finest historical cloth-making, fashion and dying traditions of the world.
Andhra Pradesh had a virtual monopoly in the global jewelry industry till 1826 (founding of the diamond mines in Rhodesia, Africa) and eight of the ten most valuable jewelry pieces on earth today trace their history back to Andhra Pradesh.
Vaddaanam, Aravanke, Kashulahaaram, Buttalu and various standard gold jewelry designs are fine examples of this continuously evolving ancient tradition.
