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Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

12 Feb, 11 tweets, 4 min read

My alma mater, Andhra Medical College and its teaching hospital, the King George Hospital, in Visakhapatnam has some fascinating history. Several of its blocks are named after personalities all over India. True national integration.
A little thread.

It all started off as a little dispensary in 1845 and was upgraded to a 30 bedded hospital in 1857. It presently has 1200 beds (will be much more if we add the allied hospitals) and serves patients from Northern Andhra, Odisha and even Chattisgarh.

The main building of KGH was inaugurated in 1923 by Raja Sir Panaganti Ramarayaningar, the Zamindar of Kalahasti (in present day Chittoor district close to Chennai), and Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency from the Justice Party. A link to faraway Madras and Kalahasti here

The Medical College attached to it, Andhra Medical College was also inaugurated in 1923, by the Rajah of Panagal as he was called. The main block of the college is officially called the Panagal Block in his honour.

One of the Internal Medicine wards is called "Bhavnagar Ward". A link from Andhra to Kathiawad in Gujarat. This ward was inaugurated in 1949 by Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji, the ruler of Bhavnagar princely state and the Governor of Madras from 1948-1952, and so bears that name

The other Internal Medicine ward is called the Rajendra Prasad ward. Since it was inaugurated by the first President of India, Sri Rajendra Prasad in 1955.

A link connecting Vizag to far off Bihar through this name. 😀

The Paediatric Ward, located just next to Rajendra Prasad ward is called the Rajkumari Amrit Kaur ward, as it was inaugurated by India's first health minister in 1956. A thread connecting Punjab with Andhra in this way.

The Government Maternity Hospital in Visakhapatnam, built in 1894 by the local aristocrat Goday Narayana Gajapathi Rao, is officially called the Government Victoria Hospital, after Queen Victoria.

And finally, the hospital is named after King George VI, the last British Emperor of India. An attempt to rename the hospital as Karamchand Gandhi Hospital fell through as most locals were not in favour. Good or bad, this hospital and its name are a part of local heritage.

On a slightly different note, did you know there is a famous Satyanarayana Swamy temple in the middle of the hill on which the hospital and college are situated?
A pleasant site with an amazing view of the city. Must visit

We may travel very far but our hearts remain in our colleges and hometowns. I'm no different. This college, and its library (all my UPSC prep was there only) will always be a part of me.
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More from @scarysouthpaw

Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

14 Feb

Ever heard of Gollala Mamidada village in Andhra?
Affectionately called "Konaseema Ayodhya", this town has a famous Lord Rama temple. Set in the midst of lush greenery, the towering double Gopurams are a sight for the ages.

A thread.

The delta area of the Godavari river is called the Konaseema. This island is created as the Godavari splits into its distributaries the Vruddha Godavari, Vasishta Godavari, Gautami and Nilarevu, just below the city of Rajahmundry. Gollala Mamidada is located here

Located around 45 km from Rajamundry (and 20 kms from Kakinada), this little village is famous for the Sri Kodanda Rama Swami Temple. Kodandam is the bow of Lord Rama, and he is worshipped in AP/TG mostly as Kodanda Rama.

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Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

16 Jan

Folks. Ever heard of a temple with a Shiva Lingam so tall that it is worshipped on two floors?
And a Shaktipeeth where the Goddess so furious that Adi Sankaracharya changed her pose to face away from devotees?

No? A thread on the Draksharamam Bhimeswara Manikyamba Temple

Draksharamam is a quaint little town located in the Godavari Delta, in the East Godavari district of Andhra. This otherwise sleepy little place hosts a temple with a history as old as our civilisation itself. Shiva worshipped as Bheemeswara and Parvati worshipped as Manikyamba.

Legend has it that the Daksha Yagnya took place here, where Sati immolated herself after being insulted by her father, and the rampage by Lord Virabhadra ensued on the orders of an enraged Shiva.
Thus the name for the town as Draksharamam.

Read 22 tweets

Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

13 Jan

Ever heard of a temple where the statue of the Goddess was found in a field in 1936 after spending almost a millenia under the soil?And is worshipped as the Tri-Sakthi-Swaroopini?
No?
I shall narrate the story of Nidadavole Kota Satthema temple in West Godavari district, Andhra

Nidadavole is a sleepy little town in the district of West Godavari, located a few kilometres from the Godavari. Among other things, it is famous for its Gramadevatha and Kshetrapalika, the Goddess Kota Satthema

In the tenth century, Nidadavole was known as Nirvadhyapuram, and was under the rule of the Eastern Chalukyas. They were nominal feudatories of the Kakatiyas of Warangal. The local Sthalapurana indicates that the original temple was built by one king called Virabhadra.

Read 18 tweets

Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

26 Nov 20

Ever been here?
The Simhachalam Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple in Visakhapatnam. It's one of the most revered Vaishnava shrines in AP, the largest temple after Tirupati.
Only temple where lord Sri Maha Vishnu is worshipped in two avatars.

Located just outside the main city of Vizag atop the Simhachalam hill range, this temple traces ancestry back to the Chola period. Built in a style that merges Chola, Vengi Chalukya, Eastern Ganga, and Vijayanagara architecture, the oldest inscriptions are of Kulottunga Chola.

Major reconstruction took place during the Eastern Ganga dynasty rule. The famous king Narasimha Deva (who built the Konark Sun temple) carried out major expansions of the temple in the 13th century. Later his feudatories, the Gajapathis patronised the temple.

Read 12 tweets

Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

17 Sep 20

The Original Surgical Strike, Operation Polo ends on September 17th, 1948. The last Nizam and his armies from hell, the Razakars surrender to the Indian troops after 3 days of hostilities. Hyderabad is liberated and enters the Indian Union.

We remain indebted to Sardar Patel.

An often forgotten role in ensuring the fire for indepedence remained in the people of Hyderabad is of the Hindu Maha Sabha and the Arya Samaj. They led the people's revolt envisaging Hyderabad should join the newly formed India.

The efforts of the Andhra Maha Sabha, an organisation of the Telugu speaking folk of the Hyderabad state also need to be remembered. They eventually joined hands with the Communists against the Razakars.

Read 9 tweets

Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu

@scarysouthpaw

8 Sep 20

People should have a look at the Ganja seizures stats in India. Most Ganja originates in the Andhra-Orissa border, dominated by the Naxalites, grown by forced labour.
A prime source of income for the Maoist crooks.
The economics is just not as simple as getting high on a joint.

One of the major reasons for Ganja still being banned in India is this economics. Various central agencies (led by DRI) have had huge hauls of Ganja in recent years. This has broken the economic spine of Naxalism. Noone wants revolution on an empty stomach.

Just google for Ganja seizures in India. Raids as far as UP/MP often have a connection leading back to the Agency area of Andhra or Koraput district in Odisha. If you think this entire domestic trade isn't benefitting the Maoists, you have surely lost the plot.

Read 6 tweets

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