Tallapaka Annamacharya, lovingly called Annamayya, was a fifteenth-century saint-composer devoted to Sri Venkateswara of Tirumala. Tradition says he composed 32,000 sankeertanas on the Lord. Because he gave Telugu devotional song its lasting pallavi-and-charanam form, he is honoured as the Pada Kavita Pitamaha, the grandfather of Telugu song-poetry.
Who was Annamayya and where was he born?
Annamayya was born in Tallapaka village, in today's Annamayya district (formerly part of Kadapa district), to Narayana Suri and Lakkamamba. Tradition holds that he was born on Vaishakha Pournami, which is celebrated as Annamayya Jayanti. Devotees believe he was an amsha of Nandaka, the sword of Sri Maha Vishnu.
From childhood his mind was on Venkateswara. Stories say he sang the Lord's name even while doing household and farm work, and one day left everything to walk to Tirumala with a group of pilgrims.
What happened to Annamayya on the Tirumala hills?
A well-known story says the young Annamayya fainted from exhaustion while climbing. Alamelumanga Ammavaru appeared, told him not to climb the sacred hill wearing footwear, and revived him with prasadam. Devotees believe his first shatakam flowed out by her grace. After darshan of the Lord he resolved to offer at least one sankeertana every day.
At Tirumala he took diksha from a Vaishnava guru and studied the shastras and the Alwar tradition, and throughout his life he visited many kshetrams, including Ahobilam, singing the Lord's glory.
What is the tradition of 32,000 sankeertanas?
The figure of 32,000 comes from the tradition of the Tallapaka family. His son Peda Tirumalacharya and grandson Chinna Tirumalacharya (Chinnanna) had the songs engraved on copper plates. These plates lay for centuries in a small chamber in the Tirumala temple, known as the Sankeertana Bhandaram, and came to light in the twentieth century. Only part of the corpus survives, yet it runs to thousands of songs, which scholars studied and published. TTD continues to promote, tune and publish them.
Two kinds of sankeertanas
- Adhyatma sankeertanas: on detachment, surrender, ethics and the equality of all before God.
- Sringara sankeertanas: on the divine love of Venkateswara and Alamelumanga, understood as the bond between the soul and the Supreme.
Why are Annamayya's songs so loved?
He wrote in the language of ordinary people, close to folk tunes, bringing farmers, cowherds, mothers and children into his songs. He said boldly that caste and wealth mean nothing before God. "Brahmam Okkate" declares that the king's sleep and the servant's sleep are the same, and the one Parabrahmam lives in all.
The Sanskrit treatise Sankeertana Lakshanam, Sringara Manjari and the Venkateswara Shatakam are also attributed to him. His wife Tallapaka Timmakka, author of Subhadra Kalyanam, is honoured as the first Telugu woman poet.
Although the songs stayed hidden on copper plates for centuries, Carnatic and light-music singers and bhajana groups took them up widely once they came to light. The plates usually name the raga but the original tunes are lost, so most melodies we hear today were set by modern musicians. The simplicity and depth of the words still feel fresh, and their pure Telugu idioms make them a treasure for language lovers too.
Which are Annamayya's famous sankeertanas?
| Sankeertana | Main theme |
|---|---|
| Brahmam Okkate Parabrahmam Okkate | All are equal before God |
| Adivo Alladivo Sri Hari Vasamu | The divinity of the Tirumala hills |
| Kondalalo Nelakonna Koneti Rayudu | Praise of the Lord of the Seven Hills |
| Narayanate Namo Namo | Salutations to Narayana |
| Cheri Yashodaku Sisuvitadu | The child Krishna's leelas |
| Muddugare Yashoda | Krishna as Yashoda's darling |
| Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha | The blessing of hearing Vishnu's story |
| Bhavamulona Bahyamunandunu | Remembering Hari within and without |
| Nanati Baduku Natakamu | Life as a passing drama |
| Ksheerabdi Kanyakaku | Mangala harati to Alamelumanga |
Annamayya's self-respect at the royal court
Saluva Narasimharaya is said to have honoured Annamayya and invited him to court. When asked to sing in praise of the king, Annamayya refused to praise a man with the mouth that praised Hari. A popular story says the angry king had him bound, and the bonds fell away as he sang the Lord's name, a reminder that devotion stands above power.
How can we remember Annamayya today?
- On Vaishakha Pournami, Annamayya Jayanti, do deeparadhana for Venkateswara and sing at least one sankeertana as a family.
- Teach children one simple sankeertana with its meaning; "Brahmam Okkate" is a good start.
- Make it a habit to listen to one sankeertana every morning or evening.
- If possible, visit Tallapaka and the Annamayya memorials at Tirumala.
Key points
- Annamayya was a fifteenth-century Venkateswara bhakta born in Tallapaka.
- Tradition credits him with 32,000 sankeertanas; thousands survive on copper plates.
- His songs fall into adhyatma and sringara sankeertanas.
- Brahmam Okkate, Adivo Alladivo and Narayanate Namo Namo are sung in every Telugu home.
- Vaishakha Pournami is celebrated as Annamayya Jayanti.