Date:31/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/31/stories/2008123158340300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Encomiums showered on Charla

Staff Reporter

— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Honoured: Sadguru K. Sivananda Murty receiving the ‘Charla Ganapathi Sastry Satajayanti’ Puraskaram on the occasion of centenary celebration of Charla Ganapathi Sastry in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Speakers recalled the erudition and exemplary life of noted scholar and freedom fighter Charla Ganapathi Sastry at his birth centenary here on Tuesday.

Former Chairman of the Bar Council of India D.V. Subba Rao presided.

The centenary felicitation was accorded to Satguru Kandukuri Sivananda Murthy of Bhimili, Appala Someswara Sarma, Kondepudi Subba Rao, Viswanadha Gopalakrishna Sastry, Dorbala Prabhakara Sarma and Surapaneni Vijaya Kumar.

Sadguru Sivananda Murthy released the biography of Ganapathi Sastry and GITAM University President M.V.V.S. Murthy released the centenary issue.

The Sadguru said he had written more than 100 books and compared him to Vyasa, the ancient sage-poet. Mr. Murthy said Ganapathi Sastry remained a true Gandhian till the end and shunned publicity. Rambhatla Nrusimha Sarma recalled his knowledge of music and said he had translated Sanita Ratnakaram from Sanskrit into Telugu as Gandharva Vedam.

Scholar Vedula Subrahmanya Sastry recalled the details of the life of Ganapathi Sastry and that of Sivananda Murthy.

A drama “Bharatamata Rupakam” based on Ganapathi Sastry’s work was staged. Cultural programmes and a kavi sammelanam were organised as a part of the centenary in the morning.