Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao: A Sage-like Artist and Santiniketan Alumnus

In 1948, a young artist completed his studies at Santiniketan and was returning home on a train to Warangal. At that time, the Hyderabad State was under the brutal reign of Razakars, who wanted to retain the Nizam’s Hyderabad as a separate country. Looting and killing were rampant. A group of Razakars attacked passengers on the train. The evil-doers found the young artist in a white kurta and pyjama, took him as a congressman and were about to pounce on him.

Precisely at that time, the gang leader yelled, “Hey! Seshagiri!”. Seshagiri Rao could not recognise him immediately but, within seconds, shouted back, “Hey! Mirza!”. It was a pleasant surprise in such a tense situation. “He was our senior and close to Nawaz Jung saab. Leave him,” Mirza ordered his men.

Many artists wielded their paintbrush and created wonders, but only a handful could enlighten us about the diverse facets of life and nature through their Art. Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao belonged to this rare category.

Searching for a good art school, Seshagiri Rao and his two friends visited Nagpur in 1941. Hearing that Mahatma Gandhi was at his Wardha Ashram, they rushed there to have Gandhi Darshan. Later, wanting to join the School of Arts and Crafts in Hyderabad, he landed there without knowing where to live. Seshagiri Rao took shelter for a few days in his friend Raghava Reddy’s room in Reddy’s Hostel. Unexpectedly, he met people like Vattikota Alwar Swamy and Pendyala Raghava Rao, who kindly arranged his ‘meal coupons’ for two weeks and ultimately introduced him to Nawab Jung.

Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan Award in post-Independence India, was a wonderful gardener who recognised Seshagiri Rao’s talent in his budding age and nurtured him to grow into a towering tree yielding the most captivating artworks as its fruits. 

It is incredible that a traditional Brahmin boy, Seshagiri Rao, earned Nawaz Jung’s goodwill and resided in his palace for some time. Even during severe religious conflicts, some individuals strive for harmony, and Nawaz Jung was one of them, making India a true ‘Vasudhaika Kutumbam’.

Thanks to his benevolence, Seshagiri Rao completed his Diploma in Art at the School of Arts and Crafts in Hyderabad. Then, as if he read Seshagiri Rao’s mind, Nawaz Jung facilitated his advanced studies at Santiniketan.

Though Seshagiri Rao learnt and practised Western and Chinese art techniques diligently, his focus remained on classical Indian Art – perhaps under the influence of Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, and Nandalal Bose, who spearheaded the ‘Swaraj’ movement in Art.

Studies at Santiniketan helped Seshagiri Rao to emerge as an artist of par excellence, with his attention to detail and ability to breathe life into paintings, each telling a unique story – whether it’s a depiction of everyday life, a rural scene, a mythological character, or a vibrant portrait.

In 1975, as requested by Jalagam Vengala Rao, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Seshagiri Rao skilfully painted ‘Telugu Talli’ (Mother Telugu) as an embodiment of Telugu Culture for the First World Telugu Conference. It is intriguing that Abanindranath Tagore, the Vice Chancellor of Santiniketan, had personified Indian culture by drawing ‘Bharat Mata’ some seventy years earlier in 1904 similarly.

Seshagiri Rao’s artistic excellence garnered numerous awards – the Hamsa Award and the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Ministry of Human Resources Development recognised him as an ‘Artist Emeritus’. Potti Sriramulu Telugu University bestowed him an Honorary Doctorate.

Beyond his artistic pursuits, Seshagiri Rao was known for his humbleness, never being harsh to anyone. He diligently meditated to maintain his physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

His father, Kondapalli Gopal Rao, was a wealthy Deshmukh who provided a princely life to Seshagiri Rao in childhood. However, deceived by relatives, the family lost all its properties, ending the privileges of Seshagiri Rao. Thus, Seshagiri Rao experienced life’s vulnerabilities from the tender age of nine.

Born with gifted fingers, Seshagiri Rao visited the Ramappa and other temples in Warangal and sketched sculptural marvels when his friends typically played childhood games. Perhaps this experience unfolded in later years as the sketchbooks Surekha 1, presenting the Hampi and Lepakshi sculptures and Surekha 2, showcasing the Kakatiya sculptures.

His creations earned places in art galleries, museums, and private collections. Notable institutions displaying his work include the State Museum, Salar Jung Museum, Andhra Pradesh Lalitha Kala Academy, Andhra Pradesh High Court, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Maitrivanam, and the Centre for Organization Development in Hyderabad. Seshagiri Rao’s artworks also were showcased in prestigious international venues such as museums in Italy, Kabul, Cairo, Leningrad, Miss Luis Schaffner in London, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, and the Shri Venkateshwara temple in Pittsburgh.

A lesser-known fact about Seshagiri Rao is that he was a freedom fighter. He even received a freedom fighter pension from the Government of India. As he opposed the atrocities of the Razakars, police captured and tortured Seshagiri Rao to extract the details of his relative, Chakilam Yadagiri Rao, who played an active role as a Dalam leader in the Telangana Armed Struggle. This harrowing experience strengthened Seshagiri Rao’s resolve to stand for justice.

In 1948, Seshagiri Rao spent about six months with the poet Vanamamalai Varadacharya, who penned ‘Pothana Charitramu’ (The Story of Poet Pothana). This period was the most fruitful hiatus for Seshagiri Rao when he delved into the depths of Telugu literature and drew a series of paintings depicting the life incidents of Pothana, the 15th-century poet.

In 1950, he started working as a teacher at the College of Arts and Crafts, where he had previously been a student. He continued teaching there until his retirement in 1984. While working as the Head of the Department, he noticed the Arts faculty receiving a lesser salary than the Architecture faculty. So, he filed a writ petition in the High Court to address this unfairness. Thankfully, the court ruled in favour of the Arts faculty.

Residing and interacting with Dasarathi, Kaloji, Vattikota Alwar Swamy, Dr C Narayana Reddy, Palla Durgaiah, and Biruduraju Ramaraju, the luminaries of Telugu literature, Seshagiri Rao nurtured his writing skills and authored articles on Art, including Fruition of Creation of Art, Deccan Art, Primitive Art, My Experiences in Santiniketan, How People Appreciate Art and Sculpture.

In 1961, he designed the Andhra Pradesh Tableau for the Republic Day Celebrations in Delhi, which garnered accolades from President Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Seshagiri Rao fondly preserved the photographs taken with them. Then, after eight years, he designed the Andhra Pradesh Tableau again in 1969 and earned Indira Gandhi’s appreciation.

Seshagiri Rao’s artistic endeavours earned recognition from eminent personalities, including R. Venkataraman, the President of India; Mohammad Hidayatullah, the Vice President of India; and PV Narasimha Rao, the Prime Minister of India. Notably, several Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, such as Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, Marri Chenna Reddy, N. Janardan Reddy, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, NT Rama Rao, and Chandrababu Naidu, expressed their admiration for his artistic prowess and entrusted him with prestigious artworks.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh launched a documentary, ‘The Architect of Fine Art, Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao’. Andhra Pradesh Lalit Kala Academy published ‘K. Seshagiri Rao (A Monograph)’. His daughter-in-law, Dr Kondapalli Neeharini, authored his biography, ‘Chitrakala Tapasvi, Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao’ in Telugu.

Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao earned the name ‘Gods Painter’ for his mythological works such as Lakshmi, Lord Rama, Sita in Ashoka Vanam, a series on Bhagavatam and devotees like Mirabai, Pothana, and Goda Devi. His other notable paintings include Gul Mohar, Santal, Dead Cow, Rocks of Rayagiri and Shakuntala. He also painted portraits of Shankaracharya, Annamacharya, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu.

In his visit to Cheriyal village, Seshagiri Rao chanced to meet Nakashi Venkata Ramaiah, who was humbly engaged in Nakashi Art or Kaki Padigelu. Impressed by the beauty of the scroll paintings that depicted mythological stories, Seshagiri Rao strived to revive this ancient form of Art. His hard work helped Cheriyal Scroll Painting to receive the Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2008.

Born on 27th January 1924 in Penugonda village, Seshagiri Rao lived for about 88 years and took his last breath on 26th July 1912 in Hyderabad.

As we unravel our memories about Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao, we realise how, despite facing financial challenges, he tenaciously pursued his dream of becoming a fine artist. Though exposed to Western and modern art forms, he unwaveringly focussed on classical Indian Art. His life had been an exemplification of humility, simplicity and spirituality.

We will celebrate his 100th birthday in January 2024, just a few months from now. Art lovers wish that the Telangana state government institute an Art Award honouring the sage-like Artist Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao.

He may have left this world physically, but the artistic masterpieces he created will continue to inspire people without any time limit.