Annual reports 2017-2018 of East Godavari chapter

World Heritage Day Celebrations 2017

As a prelude to the above, our Chapter organised a Heritage Walk on 16/4/2017 as more people can participate, being a Sunday. Our Chief Patron, Shri Arun Kumar I.A.S.and City MLA,Shri Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao flagged off the Walk at 7.30 a.m. More than 400 people consisting of Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers, Professors, Business people students, NCC Cadets and INTACH Members participated in the Walk, which was terminated at the City Centre where a huge Banner depicting the Heritage structures of City was displayed and 16 students from Sunadaramani Guild of Service School presented a Nukkad (street play) highlighting the importance of these structures and the need to preserve them. The lyrics of the song were composed by our Co Convener Shri VVLNMurthy, the Music was set by a young Artist, E.SriKrishna and sung by another young Artist, Praveen, an upcoming Carnatic Music Vocalist who bagged many State Awards in spite of being an Engineer with BSNL Kakinada.

The Convener informed the activities of the Chapter and this year’s UN theme on World Heritage i.e.,”Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism”. The Chief Patron complimented the efforts of our members and stressed on the need to protect and preserve the Heritage Structures. He also informed as to how we were trying to get funds for restoration of some valuable Paintings in Damerla Art Gallery in Rajahmahendravaram. The MLA in his speech said that some buildings which were constructed during his previous tenure as MLA were already in a bad shape where as, the Heritage buildings which are more than 100 yrs are so strong that we have every reason to protest them and know our past history.

On 18/4/2017, the World Heritage Day, we had a meeting with Students where the above messages were shared again. The students of Durga Prasad Public School presented the Nukkad. The MLA asked all Schools to have this programme on their Annual Day functions so that the students will know about our heritage. The AD Archaeology was the Guest of Honour and gave his valuable message to the students on the preservation and conservation of our Heritage & Culture. He also informed the gathering about Heritage tourism. Municipal School students Walk was organised from Brahmosamaj Mandir to Sahitya Parishad Museum by them thereafter.

M/S Tata Gluco + sponsored Energy drinks to all participants on both the days and the Kakinada Smart City Office sponsored 500 caps for the Walk.

World Yoga Day
Our Chapter conducted an awareness cum demonstration programme for the inmates of the Ashram Sravana, a Home for the care of Aged on 21/6/2017. A retired employee from Government Girls Polytechnic who is 92 years, old gave a talk to the elderly inmates as to how they can keep themselves healthy with a few simple yoga exercises every day. He also demonstrated a few of them. Later, Yogaasanas demonstration was given by a Yoga teacher..Our Member, V.S.Murali Rao, who is also the Secretary of the Assn. helped in conducting the programme.

India Heritage Quiz
The above was conducted for the students of the Schools in Kakinada on 23/7/2017 in the local P.R.Govt.(A) College with the help of our Members. A total of 92 Teams (184 students) from 15 Schools participated with great enthusiasm. The 4 teams which scored highest were subjected to 4 oral rounds of Quiz by a dynamic Quiz Master ,Sri Nori Balram Krishna who is talented and active in all the local cultural activities. He gave a very impressive motivational speech at the end of the Quiz. He was very appreciative about the efforts of INTACH in conducting such value based programmes. The College teaching staff made all the arrangements.

The accompanying parents, teachers and all the students were served sumptuous snacks and they enjoyed the day.

Our Chapter coordinated with AP State Chapter for conducting the Finals of the India INTACH Quiz on 24/9/2017 at Vijayawada & Amaravathi Cultural Centre, Madhu Malaxmi Chambers, Moghalrajpuram, Vijayawada. The venue was provided free of cost by Sri Y.Harischandra Prasad, Industrialist and owner of the Cultural Centre at the request of our State Convener, Sri M.Gopalakrishna Garu I.A.S.(Retd.).

Out of the ten qualifying teams, only nine participated and the team from Kadapa did not attend. The Quiz Master Sri Pardhasaradhi was helpful and conducted it in a very professional way.

The winning Team was from Timpany Steel City School, Ukkunagaram Visakhapatnam : Vivekananda & Hemakesh Behra

The Runners Up Team was from Vidyanjali School Kakinada: Y.Pranav & T.S.Varun

Cash Prize of Rs.1000/ was given to each of the student of the winning team and cash prize of Rs.500/ was given to each of the student of the runner up team apart from the books and participation certificates.

Shri M.Gopalakrishna Garu, addressed the students and their accompanying parents/teachers on the work being done by INTACH and how as students, they can play an important role in preserving our heritage & culture. We have also invited two local important personalities, Dr.M.C.Das former faculty in Loyala College, and former Rotary Governor, and Dr.Shivaji, former Professor in JNTU apart from the CEO, of V & A Cultural Centre, Sri E.Shivanagi Reddy to address the gathering. Refreshments were served to all present.

Protection of Budhist Reilcs

Buddhist Stupa base & cave relics of the 3 rd. Century are located on top of a small hillock in Rampa Yerravaram in Gokavaram Mandal of East Godavari District. It is a Protected Monument under the Andhra Pradesh Ancient and Historical Monuments And Archaeological Sites And Remains Act 1960. Archaeology Dept provided stone stairs with a railing on either side for visitors to go to the top and see these relics. During the last 3/4 months, the red earth gravel at the base of the hillock was being pilfered through tractor loads by excavating with proclainers by some local people. On one side, the excavation is almost an acre, where the existing forest species of trees were removed with roots and cashew saplings were planted. On another side soil was taken away by tractors. It is heard that gravel is being sold to others at Rs.300/ per tractor load. Seeing the Newspaper reports, the Convener & Co-Convener visited the site on 22/9/2017 & made enquiries locally. It was revealed that the Panchayat Vice President instructed the tractor people to take this material and spread it along the cement road sides which were laid in the village recently. The local MLA, Shri Jyothula Nehru was contacted and the matter was brought to his notice with a request to stop this pilferage and protect the site as the cave may collapse if the excavation continues. He promised to call the local people & advise them accordingly. The ZP chairman also was contacted, who said a fence can be put up. It is not a small area where the fence can go around.
We recommended that the MRO, Gokavaram must take action against the culprits by giving a Police complaint. Like sand mafia, if unchecked, this gravel mafia will become a source of free income for the politicians at every level and over period of time our Eastern Ghats will disappear!

Especially, as this hillock is a protected archaeological site, it must be protected and action is to be taken not to desecrate the site and its contents for any purposes. On a complaint to our Chief Patron, he immediately put the Panchayat dept into action and stopped the pilferage.

Heritage Awareness Workshop for Municipal Schools’ Teachers

A Workshop for 110 Teachers of Municipal Schools in Kakinada.was conducted on 29/10/2017..Our Chief Patron, Sri Karthikeya Misra I.A.S. inaugurated the same and the Additional Commissioner, Kakinada Municipal Corporation, Sri Srinivas, was the Guest of Honour. The Chief Patron spent more than half an hour and gave a very valuable message to the Teachers and commended the initiative taken by our Chapter and the voluntary work of INTACH. We had the introduction of INTACH Divisions by our CoConvener, about our Chapter's activities by myself and about the history of the District and Kakinada by our member, Dr.M.Narayana Rao of Tuni. Thereafter, we divided the participants into 10 Teams to discuss and present their suggestions on the topic chit picked up by each team from amongst the following:

List of the Heritage Structures/Sites in Kakinada

List of the steps to be taken for preservation and conservation of Heritage Structure/Sites

What steps are to be taken for motivating the Students to preserve our Heritage and Culture

What are the recommendations for smart city of Kakinada’s Heritage?

What are the forms of intangible heritage in Kakinada and East Godavari District?

What steps are to be taken for creating awareness about our Heritage & Culture in the youth?

How would you encourage the students to visit Museums

How will your school contribute for creating Heritage awareness in the public

List out Tangible Heritage of the District

How should Government support in preserving our Heritage & Culture.

It was a very lively discussion and the teams made their presentations which was given to the Commissioner Kakinada Municipal Corporation & Chief Patron. Saraswathi Gana Sabha & East Godavari District Association, respectively, sponsored the Venue, Lunch & refreshments. Some of our members also attended. Print & Electronic media gave good coverage of the event.

Route to Roots Contest

The above contest was conducted on 17/12/2017 in the Ashram Public School. Though 108 students from 10 schools confirmed their participation, only 86 students turned up. Many of the Municipal Schools' students were taken away by the Teachers for the 2Km. Beach Festival run which was announced 2 days ago by the local MLA .We invited Prof.K.S.Kameswara Rao who retd as Reader in History after 3 decades of teaching the subject . He was the Secretary of the AP History Congress, written several Books, translated Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's Tyrst with Destiny into Telugu, and published several Research Papers for the Journals. The students, their parents and teachers who accompanied them and our Chapter Members were enthralled by his knowledgeable inputs in comparingthe histories of America, Europe and Russia and how our Indian traditions and Culture are held in high esteem in the other parts of the World. Sri D.V.Krishnam Raju, Correspondent and Director of the School was the Guest of Honour who reiterated the role of students in preserving our heritage and culture. Sumptuous refreshments were served to all.

The Convener, L.Sesha Kumari was awarded the UGADI Puraskar by the District Collector in the presence of the MLA, MLC and Mayor on 18/3/2018 for preservation & protection of Culture & Heritage along with 2 others from the District from Medical services, one from Literature, one Sanskrit Scholar, one for Social service

L.Sesha Kumari
CONVENER
Kakinada: 3/3/2018

VVLN Murthy
CoCONVENER