Saturday, July 24, 2010

Driven by passion for culture

Publication: The Times Of India Hyderabad; Date: Jul 24, 2010; Section: Times City; Page: 2


Driven by passion for culture
Manjula Kolanu | TNN
Having a love for ones own language and culture is one thing, but to establish an organisation that not only conducts literary and cultural programmes but even manages to work across continents in a record breaking manner is something else - that requires a rare passion and leadership ability - attributes that Anand Kuchibhotla has in plenty.

Anand Kuchibhotla’s passion for Telugu culture led him to establish Silicon Andhra (SA), an organisation to promote and perpetuate Telugu culture the Silicon Valley (Bay area) at Cupertino, California, USA in 2001. Ever since, it has remained a non-profit, non-political, non-religious cultural and community organisation that serves the Telugu community through cultural and charity work. Though set up to represent the aspirations of the US-based Telugus, it has since effectively united Telugus across the world, even in Andhra Pradesh. Kuchibhotla has a simple explanation for SA’s success: “I may be the founder chairman of Silicon Andhra, but our programmes appeal worldwide only because of the greatness of Telugu language. All Telugus love their culture, but that dormant love needs to be reawakened, either with a tap on the shoulder or a thump on the back.” Certainly the Machilipatnam-born Kuchibhotla has done more than tap into that love. Convinced that attire and language best signify culture, Kuchibhotla has laid down some ground rules for SA. In a marked departure from organisations which rely heavily on film-based programmes, SA events are rich in tradition, geared towards perpetuating Telugu culture (samskriti), literature (sahityam) and tradition (sampradayam). All its participants must be attired in traditional Indian clothes for the events. “At one SA programme, even the Mayor of Cupertino, an American lady, was made to wear a sari,” says Kuchibhotla. He has set a high benchmark for SA with its very first programme the uniquely Telugu literary feat of ‘Ashtavadhanam’.

Kuchibhotla evidently has big dreams. Not content with organising over 20 cultural and community evens till date, along with several charity programs within the community, SA went on to score a hat trick of Guinness World Records in less than 24 months. The first International Kuchipudi Dance Convention (2008) in Cupertino brought together 328 dancers spanning five generations of Kuchipudi dancers from various nations, setting a Guinness world record for the largest Kuchipudi dance performance. Then the Laksha Gala Sankeertanarchana event (2009) where 1.6 lakh people sang Annamacharya kirtans in Hyderabad, set a record for the largest group singing event. Again in May 2010, SA organised Akhanda Sahasra Sankeertanarchana where Annamacharya songs were rendered non-stop for 101 hours at Vijayawada, on the eve of the 602nd Annamayya Jayanti celebrations a record for non-stop singing. Silicon Andhra intends to better the previous Kuchipudi record with a convention in Hyderabad later this year.

Kuchibhotla has also started an online music platform, muzigle.com to showcase Indian music talent to the world. “There are lotsof talented musicians and singers in India who do not get a platform, and I hope to provide that online,” explains this former Yahoo manager, who also gives management tips to college students. Kuchibhotla currently shuttles between Hyderabad where the convention is being planned and Cupertino where his wife, son and daughter reside.


http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEwLzA3LzI0I0FyMDAyMDE%3D

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