Godavari in modern Telugu literature

Men may come and men may go, but I go on forever” - says the brook in Lord Tennyson’s poem “Brook”. Be it rivers, ponds, springs and oceans, water covers the earth more than three fourths. Rivers are the banks of civilisations. Without water for drinking and agriculture there is no existence of the mankind. Rivers from ages have also been a rejuvenating, nostalgic and recurring inspiration to man in all walks of life. Literature in all its finesse, in all its forms, tries to enrapture this aesthetic human experience of living by a river side, by the men of letters.

Same is the case with Godavari, the eternal flowing river, which is being captured by many writers of ancient and modern fiction. To some writers, the river and the region have become the back drop of life in their fiction. Like ‘Malgudi’ and ‘Kanthapura’, Godavari is not a fictitious creation. It is an existing river that has inspired many poets to pen down poesy and many writers to write stories. Starting from Nasik in Maharashtra and flowing south wards, Godavari has its unique place in many works of literature.

If we take modern literature from Gurajada, as we honour him as the father of modern literature; his first English drama ‘Sarangadhara’ is set in the Godavari region, where the story takes place. Writer, social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam too has made Rajahmundry of Godavari district, the epicentre to implement widow remarriages. Poet, artist Adavi Bapiraju describes Godavari in its full bloom, “uppongi poindi Godaavari , thaanu theppunna egisindi Godaavari”. Poet famous for his ‘Enki paatalu’, Nanduri Subbarao too wrote about Godavari. Kavi Samrat Viswanaadha Satyanarayana penned a collection of immortal poems “Kinnerasani Paatalu” in which, he takes the story line of Kinnerasani, a small rivulet, which is a part of Godavari. He describes the nuances of its flow and personifies Kinnerasani as a woman.

Famous writer Chalam too wrote his play, “Chitrangi”, based on the story of Sarangadhara, the prince of Rajamahendri (now, Rajahmundry)

Eminent writer Palagummi Padma Raju, whose centennial celebrations are going on, has set his story “Padava Prayanam” (boat ride) on river Godavari. The story is abput petty thieves’ knack of robbing people on the boat. Godavari has a larger canvas, and hence, the writers wrote about the culture, the bounty of nature and the behaviour of people in and around it. Even in the stories of Chaso, (Chaganti Somayajulu), and Rachakonda Viswanadha Sastry, there is a mention about Godavari, though the stories are based in North Coastal Andhra. In his story, “Uhaa Urvasi”, Chaso mentions about a wedding and the hero’s contemplation on river Godavari. In one of his stories, “Rukkulu”, Raavi Sastry too mentions a boat ride on Godavari by the protagonist. Godavari has a place in every Telugu heart and is depicted in words, sometimes a poem and sometimes in a story.

Modern poets, who belong to this region, Ismail, Smile, Dr Yendluri Sudhakar, L Sudhakar, Dr Addepalli Ramamohana Rao, Ryaali Prasad and a few others, imbibed Godavari into their poesy. “Godavari is my reflection”, says Dr Addepalli in his poem, “Godavari naa pratibimbam’. Having an emotional attachment with the immortal river Godavari, Yendluri penned a poem recently, on the Godavari haarathi. He prays to the life giving river to bless the mankind with its plentitude. A passionate poet, Akella Ravi Prakash in his two anthologies of poems “Isuka Gudi” and “Prema Pratipadana” writes a few poems on Godavari in his perspective from Yanaam. In his poem, “Yaanaam Godavari”, he describes the beauty of Godavari comparing her moments with an adolescent girl. “Before reaching the ocean / Godavari flows in a slow pace/ like the naughty sis turns silent when she has worn the voni (half saree, which indicates the girl has attained puberty). Poet, short story writer and historian Datla Devadanam Raju, who hails and lives in Yaanaam writes about Godavari in all his sinews. In his poetry anthology “Nadi Naa Deepam” and in his book based on history, “Yaanaam Charitra”, he writes about the river and how it blends with the ocean in Yaanaam, the only place under the Puducherry government. In his unique short story anthologies “Yaanaam Kathalu” and “Kalayaanapuram” (Yaanam Kathalu Part 2), he records the human experiences of the Telugu people under the French rule and the back drop of the story is obviously the region of Godavari.

Writers of fiction, Sreepada Subrahmanaya Sastry, Dr Vadrevu Veeralakshmi Devi, Vadrevu China Veera Bhadrudu, Vamsi (film director, writer), Thallavajhala Pathanjali Sastry and many more have their stories placed in east and west Godavari. Vamsi pens his nostalgic stories “Pasalapudi Kathalu” of his region of Godavari, which won him a great applause as a writer. Contemporary poet BVV Prasad too is from this region, and he too has a few poems about Godavari in his poetry.

River is a life- force, a life giver. Godavari the largest river that makes umpteen acres of land fertile, which in turn provides rice and cereals and is an inspiration to all the sensitive hearts - of not only the poets, but also to a common man.

Jagaddhatri