"We do not want war. If you want war we accept your offer unhesitatingly. We will either have a divided India divided or a destroyed India."-Muhammad Ali Jinnah, August 16, 1946

The Muslim League’s call for Direct Action, demanding a separate homeland, ignited one of the darkest chapters in the subcontinent’s history. What began in Kolkata on August 16, 1946, soon spiraled into a blood-soaked reckoning. Kolkata burned first as Hindu homes and businesses were targeted in a coordinated pogrom. The city’s streets ran red as communal fury eclipsed reason.

Then followed Noakhali in East Bengal, where entire Hindu villages were razed. Survivors spoke of mass rapes, forced conversions, and abductions. Gandhi himself walked barefoot through the ruins, seeking to restore humanity.

Which great revolutionary was born on August 15 and hanged to death on January 26?

The Bangalore City Railway Station is named after him, and the theme of Independence Day flower show this year in Lalbagh is about him.

Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna, tale of a great revolutionary which needs to be known to all. In the quiet folds of Northern Karnataka lies Kittur, a town that once roared with rebellion. Long before 1857 etched itself into textbooks, Rani Chennamma of Kittur stood tall in 1824 — a lone queen challenging the might of the East India Company.

Veer Savarkar's mercy petition to the British has seen many "esteemed" historians and some political leaders calling him a coward and collaborator with the colonial regime.

Was Savarkar alone in seeking pardon or relief from the British government? Did not many of the freedom fighter occasionally write to the British as part of their strategy, submitting petitions?

This post takes a look at the question. In October 1913, when Reginald Henry Craddock, the Home Member of the Government of India, visited Cellular Jail, Barindra Ghosh, Hrishikesh Kanjilal, Nand Gopal, and Sudhir Kumar Sarkar, convicted in Alipore Bomb Case also submitted the mercy petitions.

So prisoners in Cellular Jail submitting petitions was not exactly uncommon.

Today is Jayanti of Pingali Venkayya Gaaru, the designer of our Tiranga, a freedom fighter, polymath, scholar, who unfortunately spent the last days of his life in dire poverty and did not even get the due credit for the National Flag. Venkayya first proposed a national flag in 1921. His original design featured saffron denoting renunciation, while green depicted relation to soil, along with a spinning wheel (charkha) at the center symbolizing self-reliance and the Swadeshi movement.

At Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion, he added a white band for peace and representing the path of truth for conduct.

When Naatu Naatu song won the Oscar in 2023, many dismissed it as gibberish, with a whole lot of “cinephiles” expressing outrage.

The song actually references rural life in Telugu land that often gets lost in translation. I mean the Hindi version was Naacho, Naacho( Dance, Dance) that makes no sense really.

This post looks at those references. Chandrabose the lyricist, comes from a small village in erstwhile Warangal district, and he wrote the song based on his growing up experiences. Though the references in the song are related to both Andhra and Telangana rural life.

Dheeran Chinnamalai is hanged to death on this date in 1805 by the British at Sangagiri Fort. Hero who fought an intense revolt against British in Kongu region, but not known outside of Tamil Nadu. Kongu Nadu, located in the western part of Tamil Nadu and flanked by the Western Ghats, comprises the districts of Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dharmapuri, and the Nilgiris. The region derives its name from a local word meaning "honey", reflecting its agricultural richness.

Today is Jayanti of Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, born to a Devadasi in Pudukottai , went on to become a doctor, social reformer and Padma Bhushan recipient. She was the first woman to be admitted into Madras Medical College in 1907, graduated with seven gold medals in 1912.

Became the first female House Surgeon at the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Madras, and the first woman legislator in British India (Madras Legislative Council, 1926). Her mother Chandrammal, a Devadasi was only 11 years old, when when she implored Narayanaswami, the 30 year old Principal of Maharaja College, who was to become her patron after her dedication ceremony, to take her away. Defying social norms, Narayanaswami married her, and was ostracized from the community as a result.

The Akkanna Madanna Caves located at the foot of the Indrakeeladri Hill in Vijayawada, and so named after the two brothers who worked in the court of the Golkonda Sultan Tana Shah, and were maternal uncles of the great saint poet Bhadrachala Ramadasu.

Though the caves were excavated in the 7th century during the Eastern Chalukya reign, they came to be named after these brothers, as it’s believed they renovated or supported the temples here. Also after their tragic execution by Aurangzeb, many monuments were named in their honor.
Who were Akkanna and Madanna?

Not much is known about the early life of these brothers, however they became famous during the final days of the 17th century Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golkonda.

The brothers had played a role in appointing Abul Hassan Tana Shah as the Sultan, and he in turn appointed them as ministers in his court.

“Your name?”

“Azad”.

“Your father’s name”?- “Azadi”

“Where do you live?”-“In Prison”

Jayanti of #ChandrashekharAzad one of the greatest revolutionaries of the freedom movement. Born Chandrashekar Sitaram Tiwari, on July 23, 1906 in the village of Bhabara, now located in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. His father, Pandit Sita Ram Tiwari, hailed from the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, and had got a small job as a clerk in the forest department.

Kanaka Durga, the presiding deity of the city of Vijayawada, one of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, to which lakhs of devotees throng daily, and where Navaratri is celebrated grandly.

The Indrakeeladri Hill on which she resides, is replete with many legends and myths, with the Krishna river flowing nearby.

Popular saying "Konda meedha Durgamma, konda kinda Krishnamma"( Durga on top of the hill, and Krishna River below).
As per Sthala Puranam, it’s believed a Yaksha named Keela, performed severe penance for Durga on the banks of Krishna river, and appearing before him, told him to ask for a boon. Keela who was overwhelmed with joy, said “Mother, you should always be in my heart. This is the one and only my desire”.

To which Durga replied “My son reside here only in the form of a mountain, after slaying the demons, I shall come to be in your heart”

Savitri Bai Khanolkar’s journey from Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros to becoming the designer of India’s highest military honor is extraordinary.

Her design of the Param Vir Chakra, inspired by the legend of Indra’s Vajra , reflects the spiritual and heroic essence of Indian heritage.

Today is her Jayanti. What’s even more compelling is how she embraced Indian culture so deeply—mastering Sanskrit, adopting Hindu traditions, and channeling that reverence into a symbol of valor that continues to inspire generations. It’s not just design, it’s devotion etched into bronze.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh's capture of Lahore on July 7, 1799 is an important date in Sikh history, as it laid the foundation for the first ever Sikh Empire. Till then the Sikhs were mostly scattered in warring misls.

This post takes a look at Ranjit Singh's early life, and his rise to power.
After the passing away of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire fell into a state of disarray with weak rulers and constant intrigues. Revolts broke out all over with the Rajputs in Western India, the Marathas in Central India, carving out independent kingdoms and empires of their own.

Punjab in the North West, saw the rise of the Sikhs with the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh to resist the Mughal Empire.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today I take a look at the Parasurameswara Temple at Gudimallam a small village around 40 km from Tirupati is widely regarded as housing one of the oldest known Shiva Lingas in India, with scholarly estimates placing its origin anywhere between the 3rd century BCE and 2nd century CE, likely during the Satavahana period.
What makes this temple extraordinary is the Gudimallam Lingam itself — a seven-sided monolithic structure featuring a high-relief image of Shiva as a vigorous hunter standing atop a crouching Yaksha. This anthropomorphic depiction is rare and possibly the earliest surviving image of Shiva in such form.

Telugu surnames and what do they mean exactly.

Unlike other parts of India, for Telugus surnames, are not identified with a caste per se, though there are some surnames specific to a caste.

For us surnames mean family names, which are based on various factors.

Typically for Telugus the naming convention is Family Name+ Real name, the caste name is usually optional, it's not binding.

So unless someone explicitly tags their caste name , it is hard to make out from which community they are just on basis of surname. Telugu family names are usually based on various aspects, but typically there are around 11 categories.

The most common family names are those related to one's ancestral village or town.

For eg writer , social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam, though born and grew up in Rajahmundry, his ancestors were from Kandukuru. Or freedom fighter Tanguturi Prakasam.

Surnames like Bellamkonda, Deverakonda, Ponduru, Chittapuram, Gunupudi, all indicate the ancestral village or home town which is taken as family name here.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today I take a look at Venkatagiri, famous for it's Samsthanam, sarees and the Poleramma Jatara.

Incidentally the Rajas of Venkatagiri Samsthanam, made a substantial contribution to Chennai city development.
Venkatagiri, lwas once a princely state under the Velugoti dynasty. Originally known as Kalimili, it rose to prominence in the 17th century when Recherla Venkatadri Naidu, a Nayak under the Vijayanagara Empire, established his rule there.

The town later became the capital of the Venkatagiri Zamindari, which lasted until Indian independence.

Nestled in the Vizianagaram district of northern Andhra Pradesh, the small and serene town of Bobbili lies along the Vizianagaram–Raipur rail route. It’s most dramatic and defining moment came on January 24, 1757, in what is now known as the Bobilli Yuddham( Battle of Bobilli).

The fort's small but determined forces stood against a formidable alliance of the French, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and their bitter rivals, the Vizianagaram Samsthanam. Rather than surrender, the people of Bobbili—led by their royals and warriors—chose to fight to the last man. When it became clear that defeat was certain, the inhabitants of the fort, including women and children, committed suicide to avoid capture and dishonor.

This ultimate act of valor and sacrifice has since been immortalized in Telugu literature, drama, and cinema, with Bobbili becoming a symbol of courage, pride, and resilience.

Today is Jayanti of Havaldar Abdul Hamid who won the Param Vir Chakra, for his heroics in Battle of Asal Uttar, born on this date in 1933, at Dhamupur in Ghazipur dt of UP.

He joined the Indian Army in December 1954 and was posted to the 4th Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, his battalion was part of the 7th Infantry Brigade under Brigadier John Dalvi. At Namka Chu, surrounded and cut off by Chinese forces, the battalion made a daring breakout into Bhutan on foot—a retreat that became a symbol of grit under impossible odds.

Bonalu begins today, a celebration of Shakti in different forms of Grama Devatas. Though celebrated all over the state, it is the celebrations in Hyderabad that are quite famous.

It is a corruption of the word Bhojanalu (meals or a feast) where women devotees prepare rice cooked with milk and jaggery in a brass or earthern pot, adorned with neem leaves, haldi, kumkum, and a lamp on the pot. They carry the pot on their heads to make the offering to Ammavaru, along with Kumkum, saree and bangles too.
#Bonalu Grama Devata Jatras are vibrant, deeply rooted village festivals across the South, dedicated to local guardian deities—often fierce forms of Shakti like Maisamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Gangamma, and Poleramma.

These deities are believed to protect the village from disease, drought, and misfortune, and their Jatras (annual fairs or processions) are a way for the community to honor that protection.

Today is Jayanti of Hiriye Kempe Gowda the founder of Bengaluru, born at Yelahanka in 1510, belonging to the Morasu Gowda clan, also called as the Yelahanka Prabhus.

He was the fourth in succession after the dynasty’s founder Rana Bhairave Gowda, and son of Kempananje Gowda. His ancestors belonged to Kanchi and had moved to Karnataka in early 15th century to serve under the Vijayanagara Empire then.

Though predominantly Kannada speaking, they knew Telugu also. He got his education in a Gurukula at Aigondapura near Hessaraghata, and soon took over as chieftain in 1531.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today taking a look at Srimukhalingam, in Srikakulam dt, one of the famous Shaiva Kshetras.

Located in the Jalumuru mandal of Srikakulam district, was the erstwhile capital of the Eastern Ganga dynasty for close to 6 centuries. However with Anantavarma Chodaganga Deva shifting the capital to Cuttack in 1135, the place lost it's prominence. It was one of the main centers of Shaivism, more specifically of the Pasupati Shaiva sect. You can find the icon of Lakulisa, the founder of the sect, who is also believed to be one of Shiva's avatars too.

The sect was widespread in Gujarat, Rajasthan, from where it spread to Bengal, Odisha, and it's believed to have come to Mukhalingam around the 8th century. The Shaiva temples here date between 9th-11th centuries.

What's in a name?
Quite a lot actually, the name of any city or town, gives a lot on it's background, history.
This thread is on the names of some well known cities in Andhra/Telangana, and the backdrop.

Vishakapatnam- Believed to be named after a temple dedicated to Vaishakha here, that has been washed away. Was also called Kulotungacholapatnam in ancient times. Vizagapatam/Waltair were the British names. Bobilli- Famous for the battle here, the place gets it's name from Bebulli meaning Tiger, the town was founded by Pedda Rayudu, the 15th descendant of the Raja of Venkatagiri, who got this land as a grant from the Nawab of Chicacole.